sam langford vs joe gans

[talip bin osman]

can the good posters around here educate me on how this fight went?

what were the circumstances that surrounded this titanic match-up of 2 genuine ATGs?

were they both on their prime when they fought?

who was the favorite to win?

who do u consider greater P4P?

tnx people...

[JAB5239]

can the good posters around here educate me on how this fight went?

what were the circumstances that surrounded this titanic match-up of 2 genuine ATGs?

were they both on their prime when they fought?

who was the favorite to win?

who do u consider greater P4P?

tnx people...

I rate Langford higher based on his accomplishments while moving up in weight and contually fighting the toughest fighters. Here is an excerpt from another site on this fight and sheds some light on just how tough Gans was though.

Consider Gans fight with the great Sam Langford on Dec. 8, 1903. Langford was the most avoided fighter in boxing history. Sam was the larger of the two, a natural welterweight at the time. This fight was fought in Boston the day after Gans had fought a no decision bout with black welterweight Dave Holly in Philadelphia (Gans won the newspaper decision). This means that Gans had to travel by train up the eastern seaboard from Philly to Boston for a fight the very next day. Gans admitted that fighting two days in a row and making the trip had sapped his stamina. Nevertheless, Gans dominated early in the fight before fading from lag in the later rounds and losing a close decision. Fleischer penned, (1938, 164-165; 1939, 130), “Gans opened up the first round with a triple left hook. As Sam drew back after the third blow, Gans quick as a flash, sprang forward and landed a terrific right to the jaw, and from that point until the fifth round, Langford seemed scared stiff and did his utmost to avoid infighting.”

The Boston Globe described events in the following manner, “Langford was clever and the aggressor but he had a wholesome respect for the power behind Gans right glove. And Gans proved early in the bout that his good right hand was his stock in trade and ever after that Langford managed to keep his right hand in readiness to stop any lead at which the champion might make…both blocked so well and slipped rushes so dexterously and sparred so gingerly that the bout became monotonous”, Dec 9 Globe. In other words it was a chess match. This fight is considered as the only fight the real Gans lost in a period of more than ten years. Considering it was his second fight within 24 hours in cities 300 miles apart and the quality of his opposition, Gans did very well indeed.

[talip bin osman]

I rate Langford higher based on his accomplishments while moving up in weight and contually fighting the toughest fighters. Here is an excerpt from another site on this fight and sheds some light on just how tough Gans was though.

Consider Gans fight with the great Sam Langford on Dec. 8, 1903. Langford was the most avoided fighter in boxing history. Sam was the larger of the two, a natural welterweight at the time. This fight was fought in Boston the day after Gans had fought a no decision bout with black welterweight Dave Holly in Philadelphia (Gans won the newspaper decision). This means that Gans had to travel by train up the eastern seaboard from Philly to Boston for a fight the very next day. Gans admitted that fighting two days in a row and making the trip had sapped his stamina. Nevertheless, Gans dominated early in the fight before fading from lag in the later rounds and losing a close decision. Fleischer penned, (1938, 164-165; 1939, 130), “Gans opened up the first round with a triple left hook. As Sam drew back after the third blow, Gans quick as a flash, sprang forward and landed a terrific right to the jaw, and from that point until the fifth round, Langford seemed scared stiff and did his utmost to avoid infighting.”

The Boston Globe described events in the following manner, “Langford was clever and the aggressor but he had a wholesome respect for the power behind Gans right glove. And Gans proved early in the bout that his good right hand was his stock in trade and ever after that Langford managed to keep his right hand in readiness to stop any lead at which the champion might make…both blocked so well and slipped rushes so dexterously and sparred so gingerly that the bout became monotonous”, Dec 9 Globe. In other words it was a chess match. This fight is considered as the only fight the real Gans lost in a period of more than ten years. Considering it was his second fight within 24 hours in cities 300 miles apart and the quality of his opposition, Gans did very well indeed.

tnx jab...

man, a fight & a long train ride & then a fight again with possibly the greatest of all time...

in a span of 2 days?

thats mind boggling...

[JAB5239]

tnx jab...

man, a fight & a long train ride & then a fight again with possibly the greatest of all time...

in a span of 2 days?

thats mind boggling...

Anytime my friend.

This is exactly one of the reasons I argue so adamantly with people who call the old timers overrated. That is simply an incredible feat that wouldn't even be attempted today no matter what the pay day would be.

[Rocker]

I wish there was footage of the fight. Would've loved to see it.