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

I'll ask you the same question in reverse.

Tyson would likely be the best puncher, overall, that Tyson had ever beaten had he beaten him.

He would be the HW that Liston had beaten.

He would be perhaps the second best boxer that Foreman had beaten.


Knocking Langford out was ****ing hard. There's no hint of a weakness where chin is concerned. Granite chin, great counter-puncher.

 

The main reason is that Langford didn't tend to fight men of these dimensions who seemed to relly upon this punch.

Langford seems to have recieved a brain injury during this fight, but was being badly out-boxed before that. Any point after the brain injury, Langford is seriously post-prime, before that, he is just on the decline. I'm obviously unsure as to how much faster and more accurate Langford was, as we all are, my guess is Fulton troubles Langford any time, and it's specifically because he didn't go through him like Demspey and Wills, fighters in his class, that we have to wonder.

Langford was capable of "going through" men in the run up to this fight, but it should be noted that he was already struggling with Big Bill Tate, who at Lewis's sky-scraping height set Langford a real problem before his sight was impaired.

Well I say that his trying to land it with a reach differential of one foot and a height differential of not much less, makes me confident in my pick. As well as being the best fighter Langford had ever faced (in real terms, not pound for pound) a man like Lewis enjoys massive advantages for any fighter.

Even if Langford is actually a better HW thank Lennox Lewis (obviously hugely debatable) overcoming these differences is a monumental task, and one that his fights with lesser men seems to indicate is beyond him.

 

Again, there is very little to indicate Mike Tyson (For example) is equal to the task of fighting an elite HW like Langford.

I do take your point though, and I would favour two of the the three men you list to beat him, I just don't think it's as clear cut as the men I mentioned.