Was Sam Langford the Most Feared Boxer in the History of Boxing?

By Boxing News - 03/08/2022 - Comments

By Ken Hissner: Born in Nova Scotia in 1983 all-time great Sam Langford would work his way into the United States landing in Boston. He was given three nicknames such as “Boston Tar Baby”, “Boston Bone Crusher” and “the Boston Terror.”

Langford, 178-30-38, was only 5:07 ½, fighting from lightweight to heavyweight. He was 10-0-7 before he lost his first bout Danny Duane, 31-10-10, in June of 1903 having turned pro in April of 1902. In December of 1903, he fought to a draw with Jack Blackburn, 22-1-5, over 12 rounds, and the following month another draw over 6 rounds with him.

When Langford was 21-2-10 he got his first title fight drawing with welterweight champion Joe “Barbados Demon” Walcott, 87-15-17, in September of 1904. In December of 2005, he lost to Joe Jeannette, 9-8-1, but reversed it in April of the following year.

After the second Jennette fight, Langford was able to get a fight with heavyweight Jack “The Galveston Giant” Johnson, 35-5, for his Colored Title in April of 1906. Outweighed 185 to 156 in that fight was nothing unusual for Langford to give up weight to a bigger opponent.

In April of 1910, Langford fought middleweight champion Stanley “The Michigan Assassin” Ketchel, 48-5-4 winning a NWS6 decision in a non-title bout. In December of 2017, he knocked out Kid Norfolk, 41-13-5.

Langford fought Harry “Black Panther” Wills, 70-9-3 (56), 18 times, Sam “The Oxnard Cyclone” McVea, 74-14-10 (60), 15 times, Joe Jeanette, 84-10-9 (69), 14 times and Jim Johnson, 28-17-7 (23), 11 times, who had a D20 being the lone colored fighter to get a title fight with Jack Johnson.

In the early ’20s when Langford was half-blind he went to Jack Kearns, the manager of the world heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey, and asked for a shot at the world title. “Sam, we were looking for someone easier,” said Kearns. Dempsey himself said “There was one man….. I wouldn’t fight because I knew he would flatten me. I was afraid of Sam Langford.”

The Ring ranked Langford as the third greatest puncher of all time in 1997. Charley Rose, in the 1968 edition of The Ring Encyclopedia and Record Book, ranked Langford as the greatest heavyweight of all time.

When Jack Johnson won the heavyweight title and refused to fight Langford the latter claimed the Colored heavyweight title.
Langford is in the International Hall of Fame.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkylB57n2ms