Which of the lineal heavyweight champions would Sam Langford have beaten?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by janitor, Jan 7, 2011.


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  1. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    If Sam Langford is the greatest heavyweight never to win the crown, then which of the ones that did would you favour him over from Sullivan to Lewis?

    Bonus question:

    Which middleweight champions would you not favour him over?
     
    janitor, Jan 7, 2011
    janitor, Jan 7, 2011
    #1
  2. Boucher

    Boucher Well-Known Member Full Member

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    I think he beats
    Hart.
    Burns.
    Schmeling.
    Johannson.
    Sharkey.
    Patterson.
    Corbett.
    Charles.


    50/50
    Walcott.
    Willard .[because of size]



    Sullivan.
    Baer.
    Holyfield.
    Bowe.
    Tyson.
    Jeffries.
    Marciano .
    Tunney.
    I favour 60/40 to beat him


    Lewis.
    Louis.
    Dempsey.
    Liston.
    Foreman.
    Johnson.
    Ali.
    Beat him


    160pounders. maybe Greb.SRR,Fitz. thats it
     
    Boucher, Jan 7, 2011
    Boucher, Jan 7, 2011
    #2
  3. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    He's only an outside bet against Lewis and Wlad, if we're counting him.
     
    McGrain, Jan 7, 2011
    McGrain, Jan 7, 2011
    #3
  4. Boucher

    Boucher Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Yes.
    Sam has a chance against any man in gloves, he carried the equaliser in both hands.
     
    Boucher, Jan 7, 2011
    Boucher, Jan 7, 2011
    #4
  5. Swarmer

    Swarmer Patrick Full Member

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    You call THIS an outside chance?

    [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxJOy_taioQ[/ame]
     
    Swarmer, Jan 7, 2011
    Swarmer, Jan 7, 2011
    #5
  6. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    :lol:
     
    McGrain, Jan 7, 2011
    McGrain, Jan 7, 2011
    #6
  7. Boilermaker

    Boilermaker Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    To consider the question, you have to discount the punchers chance, because he has that against everyone including Ali.

    I think his best chance is probably Marvin Hart and he would be the time machine opponent i pick to fight Langford. He is also a pretty decent favourite against Braddock and Burns, although both would be great fights.

    Obviously the weaker champions like Leon Spinks, Michael Moorer, Rahman are big underdogs. Of the modern fighters, i think that Michael Moorer is easily the most suceptible to a Langford Loss.
     
    Boilermaker, Jan 7, 2011
    Boilermaker, Jan 7, 2011
    #7
  8. RockysSplitNose

    RockysSplitNose Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    :happy:lol: This is amazing!! It actually captured little Sam's fearless free spirit style pretty well - and the white gloves a la the Bill Lang fight - Sam would absolutely throw himself at Vlad - it would be hilarious just to see Vlad's reaction :rofl

    As far as the original question - I'd probably give him a shout against anyone outside my top 16 so that would be

    17. John L Sullivan
    18. Floyd Patterson
    19. Michael Spinks
    20. Jim Corbett
    21. Jim Jeffries
    22. Max Baer
    23. Bob Fitzsimmons
    24. Max Schmeling
    25. Jack Sharkey
    26. Michael Moorer
    27. Hasim Rahman
    28. Ingemar Johansson
    29. Jess Willard
    30. Buster Douglas
    31. Leon Spinks
    32. Primo Carnera
    33. Tommy Burns
    34. Jim Braddock
    35. Marvin Hart

    the further you go down the list the more the likelihood (or my expectation) of a Sam victory increases :good
     
    RockysSplitNose, Jan 7, 2011
    RockysSplitNose, Jan 7, 2011
    #8
  9. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    Personaly, I wouldnt let Lewis or Wlad within a 10 mile radius of Langford, if I were managing them.
     
    janitor, Jan 8, 2011
    janitor, Jan 8, 2011
    #9
  10. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    You'd have to if he was the champ!

    Langford seemed to struggle with Fred Fulton because of his height and reach advantage married to a decent jab. Lewis and Wlad would enjoy height advantages of around a foot. I'm going to go ahead an assume that each has a better jab than Fulton, that each was a harder puncher than Fulton, that each was better at controlling range and tempo than Fulton. That isn't science, but it's based on the fact that these men are amongst the very best ever on film doing these things.

    Additionally, both are enormously heavy-handed and exact a toll on any fighter who wants to take the distance from them.

    Does Langford have a puncher's chance? Possibly, but he'd be slipping inside a gargantuam reach against men who are expert in controlling smaller fighters inside. He would also be trapping to punch up about 10 inches. None of that is normal, even for Sam.

    Money would go down on these two.
     
    McGrain, Jan 8, 2011
    McGrain, Jan 8, 2011
    #10
  11. bodhi

    bodhi Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    He beats:
    Sullivan
    Corbett
    Hart
    Burns
    Tunney
    Carnera
    Braddock
    Sharkey
    Patterson
    Johannson
    L. Spinks
    M. Spinks

    Around 50/50:
    Fitzsimmons
    Dempsey
    Schmeling
    Baer
    Charles
    Walcott
    Frazier

    He´d lose to:
    Jeffries
    Johnson
    Louis
    Marciano
    Ali
    Foreman
    Holmes
    Tyson
    Lewis
    Wlad

    12 wins, 7 draws, 10 losses. Not bad.

    edit: Forgot Ingo and the Spinkses
     
    bodhi, Jan 8, 2011
    bodhi, Jan 8, 2011
    #11
  12. Kalasinn

    Kalasinn ♧ OG Kally ♤ Full Member

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    So, how long does Langford last against Liston, Tyson & Foreman?
     
    Kalasinn, Jan 8, 2011
    Kalasinn, Jan 8, 2011
    #12
  13. Boxed Ears

    Boxed Ears this my daddy's account (RIP daddy) Full Member

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    Boxed Ears, Jan 8, 2011
    Boxed Ears, Jan 8, 2011
    #13
  14. Unforgiven

    Unforgiven VIP Member banned Full Member

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    A little while ago, the same question was discussed of Harry Greb. I was quite shocked at the low amount of names of heavyweight champions put forward as beatable by Greb.
    Langford's ability seems to get far more respect.
     
    Unforgiven, Jan 8, 2011
    Unforgiven, Jan 8, 2011
    #14
  15. Seamus

    Seamus Proud Kulak Full Member

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    I rate Sam as the finest fighter who ever lived. Still, he ain't got a snowball's chance in hell against Lewis or Klit. What they do so well is maximize what he hasn't got. And they do it as well as anyone who has ever entered the ring. It may not be the prettiest thing to watch, but damned effective.

    Still, I think Sam would take Corbett, Jeffries (I know Sam said he was afraid of Jeffries but if Sharkey takes him life and death, then Sam just takes him), Hart, Burns, Braddock, Walcott perhaps, Patterson & Ingo perhaps, Spinks and that's about it.
     
    Seamus, Jan 8, 2011
    Seamus, Jan 8, 2011
    #15
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