Jack Dempsey or Sam Langford who do you rate as the greater fighter?

[Southpaw Great]

Langford was an absolute legend who fought world champions from lightweight up to heavyweight, unparalleled in boxing history.

There was also a lot of interest in a Wills vs Dempsey bout, enough for New York to ban Dempsey for a while due to not fighting Wills, his number 1 contender.

You're a good poster most of the time but I think you're in the wrong here.

You're talking about Sonnybox right?

[TheGreatA]

You're talking about Sonnybox right?

Yes. .

[T.Horton]

you are the one who is annoying with your ****** comments and complete lack of knowledge of the sport in the early part of the century

and you're basing that on what exactly? you're the one stating that because Dempsey beat guys up in sparring that he would beat them up in fights. Idiot.

I guess Oliver McCall would have beat Mike Tyson in Tyson's prime, eh?

IDIOT!

[Southpaw Great]

Yes. .

One thing I don't understand is. That Sonny says he has followed ths sport for over 40 years and has thouhsands of books and dvds etc.

But then says ''What is Sam Langford's claim to fame''? Anyone who knows anything about boxing history, would never ever question the greantess of Sam Langford.

[T.Horton]

Sorry to all the other classic posters who had to witness this nonsense.

[T.Horton]

One thing I don't understand is. That Sonny says he has followed ths sport for over 40 years and has thouhsands of books and dvds etc.

But the says What is Sam Langford's claim to fame? Anyone who knows anything about boxing history, will know Langford is true ATG fighter.

he is lying. that's the bottomline. i have got my own share of media, books, etc. this kid is the same kid who would run his mouth about what a **** champ Lennox Lewis was and that he beat nobody, over on ESB.

I am taking him way too seriously. I think I am done now.

[TheGreatA]

One thing I don't understand is. That Sonny says he has followed ths sport for over 40 years and has thouhsands of books and dvds etc.

But then says ''What is Sam Langford's claim to fame''? Anyone who knows anything about boxing history, would never ever question the greantess of Sam Langford.

I'm only guessing but over 40 years of following the sport, I can imagine that he has developed opinions that he feels very strongly about. Then you hear people today saying Dempsey wasn't all that great and that Langford was the greatest ever. It's safe to say that almost no one 30 years ago felt this way. No one questioned Dempsey's greatness and few knew who Langford even was, outside of old timers. It's only more recently that people have started to accuse Dempsey of avoiding his best challengers and acknowledge Langford's greatness.

I don't think "re-visiting" history is necessarily bad but I also realize that in his own time Dempsey was seen as almost a legendary figure while Langford was more obscure, despite all his achievements. Being a champion of course had a lot to do with that, Langford was never given a shot at the middleweight or heavyweight title and never caught the public's eye like Jack Dempsey or Jack Johnson.

[sonnyboyx2]

Langford was an absolute legend who fought world champions from lightweight up to heavyweight, unparalleled in boxing history.

There was also a lot of interest in a Wills vs Dempsey bout, enough for New York to ban Dempsey for a while due to not fighting Wills, his number 1 contender.

You're a good poster most of the time but I think you're in the wrong here.

You are also a good poster and i am not wrong here... The topic question is "who do you rate as the greater fighter" and i say Jack Dempsey you say Sam Langford yet IMO its a no-contest.. Dempsey was an unbelievable fighting machine and Langford also was a very good fighter but not in the league of Dempsey..

The Topic then moves from who was the greater fighter` to Dempsey vs Wills and you claim Dempsey avoided Wills to the point where he got banned from New York.

Dempsey never ever avoided Harry Wills, infact Jack Dempsey signed to fight Wills on two occasions and both times the money offered was not put on the table by Wills promoters.. it has often been claimed that Dempsey avoided Wills which infact is a falsehood, Harry Wills was in his prime from 1914 - 1921 he was No1 contender for Jess Willards heavyweight title but Willard took 4yrs off after beating Jack Johnson for the title in 1915.. White promoters never again wanted a black fighter to fight and win the heavyweight title after all the antics of Jack Johnson who angered white America throughout his 7yrs reign.. Dempsey destroyed Willard for the title yet Harry Wills was 30yrs old and past his best and was 6yrs older than Dempsey with most in the press thinking that Wills was nothing more than an early KO win for Dempsey.. Tex Rickard who was 10 times the promoter than what Don King & Bob Arum are did not want a black fighter to ever hold the title again claiming the title "wouldn`t be worth a nickle" if a black fighter won it again.. the bottom line is that Jack Dempsey was afraid on no man.

[Southpaw Great]

I'm only guessing but over 40 years of following the sport, I can imagine that he has developed opinions that he feels very strongly about. Then you hear people today saying Dempsey wasn't all that great and that Langford was the greatest ever. It's safe to say that almost no one 30 years ago felt this way. No one questioned Dempsey's greatness and few knew who Langford even was, outside of old timers. It's only more recently that people have started to accuse Dempsey of avoiding his best challengers and acknowledge Langford's greatness.

I don't think "re-visiting" history is necessarily bad but I also realize that in his own time Dempsey was seen as almost a legendary figure while Langford was more obscure, despite all his achievements. Being a champion of course had a lot to do with that, Langford was never given a shot at the middleweight or heavyweight title and never caught the public's eye like Jack Dempsey or Jack Johnson.

Maybe. But I just fought with all those years of following sport. He would know what Sam Langford's claim to fame was.

He made out like Sam was some sort of overhyped bum........

I was just shocked as I expected better from him, especaiily with all this knowlodge he says he has......

[Southpaw Great]

You are also a good poster and i am not wrong here... The topic question is "who do you rate as the greater fighter" and i say Jack Dempsey you say Sam Langford yet IMO its a no-contest.. Dempsey was an unbelievable fighting machine and Langford also was a very good fighter but not in the league of Dempsey..

The Topic then moves from who was the greater fighter` to Dempsey vs Wills and you claim Dempsey avoided Wills to the point where he got banned from New York.

Dempsey never ever avoided Harry Wills, infact Jack Dempsey signed to fight Wills on two occasions and both times the money offered was not put on the table by Wills promoters.. it has often been claimed that Dempsey avoided Wills which infact is a falsehood, Harry Wills was in his prime from 1914 - 1921 he was No1 contender for Jess Willards heavyweight title but Willard took 4yrs off after beating Jack Johnson for the title in 1915.. White promoters never again wanted a black fighter to fight and win the heavyweight title after all the antics of Jack Johnson who angered white America throughout his 7yrs reign.. Dempsey destroyed Willard for the title yet Harry Wills was 30yrs old and past his best and was 6yrs older than Dempsey with most in the press thinking that Wills was nothing more than an early KO win for Dempsey.. Tex Rickard who was 10 times the promoter than what Don King & Bob Arum are did not want a black fighter to ever hold the title again claiming the title "wouldn`t be worth a nickle" if a black fighter won it again.. the bottom line is that Jack Dempsey was afraid on no man.

But why did you say what was Langford's claim to fame? Like he was a fraud?