Sam Langford

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by psychoshane, Jan 19, 2011.


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  1. psychoshane

    psychoshane Active Member Full Member

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    Why did he never fight for a title? And why did he fight so long past prime even when he was going blind?
     
    psychoshane, Jan 19, 2011
    psychoshane, Jan 19, 2011
    #1
  2. salsanchezfan

    salsanchezfan Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    1. He wasn't given an opportunity.
    2. A man needs to eat.
     
    salsanchezfan, Jan 19, 2011
    salsanchezfan, Jan 19, 2011
    #2
  3. klompton

    klompton Boxing Addict banned

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    :good
     
    klompton, Jan 19, 2011
    klompton, Jan 19, 2011
    #3
  4. psychoshane

    psychoshane Active Member Full Member

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    He certainly was a feared and avoided fighter. Jack Dempsey admited he ducked Langford saying "I said i feared no man but that wasn't true, i feared Sam Langford cause i knew hed flatten me." When Langford asked Jack Johnson for a title shot Johnson alledgly said "Sam im the only black man to have won the title and im going to stay the only black to have won it'." Johnson turned down an offer of 30k pounds, a large sum at the time to fight Langford in London.
    But even if he couldn't get a shot at the HW title he fought at several weight classes and it seems like he could have gotten a title fight at one of them.
     
    psychoshane, Jan 19, 2011
    psychoshane, Jan 19, 2011
    #4
  5. Boucher

    Boucher Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Can you provide a source for the £30,000 offer please? Johnson was offered £5,000 to defend against Langford by Peggy Bettinson, the club Manager of The National Sporting Club in London, the premier venue in the UK at the time.
    This purse was offered whether he beat Burns or not.
    Both Johnson and Langford would have had to pay their own expenses to the UK
    At that time the $30,000 Burns asked for and received to defend against Johnson was a record breaking sum, a record that stood for some time.

    As an example Bettinson offered Johnson and Burns $12,500 to be divided between them for a title bout in Covent Garden London 4/5 to the winner 1/5 the loser.Johnson accepted the offer Burns did not.
     
    Boucher, Jan 19, 2011
    Boucher, Jan 19, 2011
    #5
  6. Mr Butt

    Mr Butt Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    can i just throw a question or two in here , i cant remember where but i read a while back that langfords best weight may of been around 168lbs is this so ? .also would this make hime him the best super-middleweight ever .
     
    Mr Butt, Jan 20, 2011
    Mr Butt, Jan 20, 2011
    #6
  7. Jorodz

    Jorodz watching Gatti Ward 1... Full Member

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    it would dcertainly make him the best fighter pound for pound that competed at that weight
     
    Jorodz, Jan 20, 2011
    Jorodz, Jan 20, 2011
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  8. Stevie G

    Stevie G Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Very true. Can anyone reccomend any books on Sam ?
     
    Stevie G, Jan 20, 2011
    Stevie G, Jan 20, 2011
    #8
  9. Rasch

    Rasch Guest

    I think Clay Moyle's biography is the only book on Langford. It's pretty good, I read it last year.
     
    Rasch, Jan 20, 2011
    Rasch, Jan 20, 2011
    #9
  10. natonic

    natonic Boxing Addict Full Member

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    'Sam Langford, Boxing's Greatest Uncrowned Champion' by Clay Moyle. It's a good read and contains great detail on Sam's career and life. I was impressed with the detail provided on Sam's career and individual fights and the circumstances surrounding each fight. I'd recommend it. I believe Moyle posts on here ocassionally.
     
    natonic, Jan 20, 2011
    natonic, Jan 20, 2011
    #10
  11. natonic

    natonic Boxing Addict Full Member

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    You beat me to the punch................Interesting avatar!
     
    natonic, Jan 20, 2011
    natonic, Jan 20, 2011
    #11
  12. Rasch

    Rasch Guest

    :good
     
    Rasch, Jan 20, 2011
    Rasch, Jan 20, 2011
    #12
  13. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    It is not technicaly true that Langford never fought for a title.

    He fought Barbados Joe Walcott for the welterweight title at the age of 18 and got a draw (most reporters seem to have thought that he deserved the decision).

    Some sources also indicate that Langford could have claimed the light heavyweight title after he defeated Jack O'Brien, but he did not pursue the claim for whatever reason.
     
    janitor, Jan 20, 2011
    janitor, Jan 20, 2011
    #13
  14. klompton

    klompton Boxing Addict banned

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    Because at that time the LHW title was fairly new and very lightly regarded. There was no money in claiming it.
     
    klompton, Jan 20, 2011
    klompton, Jan 20, 2011
    #14
  15. Jorodz

    Jorodz watching Gatti Ward 1... Full Member

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    so could we say that langford had at least SOME claim to beating the lightweight champion (gans), welter champion (walcott), middleweight champion (ketchel) and light heavyweight champion (o'brien)?

    3 of those 4 were rated (for whatever it's worth) as the greatest ever in their weight class by nat fleisher. **** me...i'm starting to hate this guys resume
     
    Jorodz, Jan 20, 2011
    Jorodz, Jan 20, 2011
    #15
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