Langford says he floored Jack Johnson, and Johnson avoid purse offers

[ShoulderRoll]

- -HooDat? Supposition about how Jeff felt about his record...typical! He had better results vs Common opposition than Johnson. Moreover he was probably going back to his AMA days at the same club Corbett cut his teeth in, the Olympic Club as I seem to recall which is where the very underrated and forgotten baseball great Frank Chance may have made his boxing chops that Sully and Corbett praised highly.

Jim Jeffries says "I could never have whipped Johnson at my best. I couldn't have hit him. No, I couldn't have reached him in 1,000 years."

[QueensburyRules]

- -Don't change their records Sonny. What I stated stands the test of time.

[JAB5239]

- -Don't change their records Sonny. What I stated stands the test of time.

What does the record have to do with Jeff's opinion he could never beat Johnson? Every boxing fan should know styles make fights. So he had better results. He still knew he could never beat Johnson, and that to stands the test of time.

[Willie Pep 229]

Me thinks everybody puts too much emphasis (faith in) quotes. The reality is celebrities say things to fit their current circumstances.

If I can find a quote of Muhammad Ali calling Joe Fraizer the greatest fighter ever, would that close the issue on Ali's opinion of Frazier, or would we see it as Ali being gracious at that particular moment.

Look at Langford -- you guys alone have brought forth quotes of Dempsey calling Langford the greatest; of Langford calling Dempsey the greatest - of Langford calling Johnson the greatest; of Langfird claiming he was ducked by Johnson; of Johnson claiming Langford ducked him . . . And on and on . . . Quotes just don't mean that much when they are made to the public (newspapers).

[JAB5239]

Me thinks everybody puts too much emphasis (faith in) quotes. The reality is celebrities say things to fit their current circumstances.

If I can find a quote of Muhammad Ali calling Joe Fraizer the greatest fighter ever, would that close the issue on Ali's opinion of Frazier, or would we see it as Ali being gracious at that particular moment.

Look at Langford -- you guys alone have brought forth quotes of Dempsey calling Langford the greatest; of Langford calling Dempsey the greatest - of Langford calling Johnson the greatest; of Langfird claiming he was ducked by Johnson; of Johnson claiming Langford ducked him . . . And on and on . . . Quotes just don't mean that much when they are made to the public (newspapers).

I agree. It works about as well as triangle theories.

[HOUDINI563]

Note the below newspaper article from the time of the Johnson Langford fight.

[HOUDINI563]

Another. Note Langford was down twice in the 6th round with the bell saving him. No mention of Langford knocking down Johnson as it never occurred.

[travestyny]

Me thinks everybody puts too much emphasis (faith in) quotes. The reality is celebrities say things to fit their current circumstances.

If I can find a quote of Muhammad Ali calling Joe Fraizer the greatest fighter ever, would that close the issue on Ali's opinion of Frazier, or would we see it as Ali being gracious at that particular moment.

Look at Langford -- you guys alone have brought forth quotes of Dempsey calling Langford the greatest; of Langford calling Dempsey the greatest - of Langford calling Johnson the greatest; of Langfird claiming he was ducked by Johnson; of Johnson claiming Langford ducked him . . . And on and on . . . Quotes just don't mean that much when they are made to the public (newspapers).

Agree with this as well. It was kind of my point when noting some quotations. When discussing Wills and Dempsey (no I'm not trying to open up old wounds, friend), one of the last lines of "defense" is that Wills stated he didn't blame Dempsey. GhostofForgery told a lie that it was from the 1920's, when this quotation was near the time of his death decades later, simply showing he didn't become a bitter old man. In fact, he's quoted as saying the exact opposite during the time that these events were going down.

The quotations are usually simply opinions, and in some cases outright lies as this thread illustrates clearly (but God forbid anyone point out that men and women lie when the quotations fit the poster's agenda). Nothing more, nothing less. This is why I say we need to look deeper into what happened. Try to suss out the facts of what actually went down. I think this also applies to the word of historians. Show me the proof, and then you'll make a believer of me.

[travestyny]

Another. Note Langford was down twice in the 6th round with the bell saving him. No mention of Langford knocking down Johnson as it never occurred.

Right. It would have certainly been mentioned if Johnson was down for a count of 9 and saved by the bell, as was described. In fact, it was Langford who was down for a count of 9 and saved by the bell.

[GhostofDempsey]

Me thinks everybody puts too much emphasis (faith in) quotes. The reality is celebrities say things to fit their current circumstances.

If I can find a quote of Muhammad Ali calling Joe Fraizer the greatest fighter ever, would that close the issue on Ali's opinion of Frazier, or would we see it as Ali being gracious at that particular moment.

Look at Langford -- you guys alone have brought forth quotes of Dempsey calling Langford the greatest; of Langford calling Dempsey the greatest - of Langford calling Johnson the greatest; of Langfird claiming he was ducked by Johnson; of Johnson claiming Langford ducked him . . . And on and on . . . Quotes just don't mean that much when they are made to the public (newspapers).

It also depends on what is to be gained from those quotes. Ali calling Fraizer the greatest fighter ever was said so he could elevate his own status having defeated him twice.