Post by Rob on Apr 28, 2021 4:19:55 GMT
Langford as he was moving up in weight fought Gans the LW champ,
Langford defeated World Lightweight Champion Joe Gans on December 8, 1903, via a 15-round decision. Gans' title was not on the line, however. The two would later become good friends. Langford considered Gans the pound for pound greatest fighter of all time.
The reason langford said and believed Gans was the greatest and better than him even though Sam won the fight, was simply because Gans was the better fighter, Joe had fought the day before fighting Langford, then got a train and rode several hours that evening to get to the fight the next day, just understand that by today's standards, imagine a champ fighting a full bout then boarding a train for several hours, arriving, having no time to sleep, train or barely get ready and prepare.
Also Gans had caught some type of Flu or Cold virus and entered the ring with Sam very sick with a Fever, that would be totally unimaginable today along with the fight the day before and the travel involved and no preparation.
Landford had trained was in shape and well rested and ready to go.
Yet Gans lost a 15 round decision and Sam could not KO or even TKO him under those conditions, also according to news reports from ringside, Gans won at least 4 or 5 of the 1st 6 rounds until he tired due to all the things wrong with him, the illness the lack of sleep and rest and the lack of recovery from a fight the day before.
It's pretty clear from all of this and the reports by news people and boxing experts at ringside and from Sam Langford's own comments that Gans would win if conditions for both fighters had been the same, Sam knew this and that's why he always claimed Joe Gans as the pound for pound best fighter.
Langford defeated World Lightweight Champion Joe Gans on December 8, 1903, via a 15-round decision. Gans' title was not on the line, however. The two would later become good friends. Langford considered Gans the pound for pound greatest fighter of all time.
The reason langford said and believed Gans was the greatest and better than him even though Sam won the fight, was simply because Gans was the better fighter, Joe had fought the day before fighting Langford, then got a train and rode several hours that evening to get to the fight the next day, just understand that by today's standards, imagine a champ fighting a full bout then boarding a train for several hours, arriving, having no time to sleep, train or barely get ready and prepare.
Also Gans had caught some type of Flu or Cold virus and entered the ring with Sam very sick with a Fever, that would be totally unimaginable today along with the fight the day before and the travel involved and no preparation.
Landford had trained was in shape and well rested and ready to go.
Yet Gans lost a 15 round decision and Sam could not KO or even TKO him under those conditions, also according to news reports from ringside, Gans won at least 4 or 5 of the 1st 6 rounds until he tired due to all the things wrong with him, the illness the lack of sleep and rest and the lack of recovery from a fight the day before.
It's pretty clear from all of this and the reports by news people and boxing experts at ringside and from Sam Langford's own comments that Gans would win if conditions for both fighters had been the same, Sam knew this and that's why he always claimed Joe Gans as the pound for pound best fighter.