Sam Langford
The greatest fighter never to wear a world crown
- Born
- March 4, 1886, Weymouth Falls, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Died
- January 12, 1956 (aged 69)
- Nationality
Canada- Height
- 169 cm (5′7″)
- Reach
- 188 cm (6′2″)
- Stance
- Orthodox
- Style
- Clever power puncher
- Weight
- Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, Light heavyweight, Heavyweight
- Active
- 1902–1926
The record
Professional; Wikipedia infobox figure, which counts newspaper decisions (314 bouts). IBHOF lists 167-38-37, 48 ND, 3 NC (117 KO) in 293 bouts; records from this era are incomplete
The story
am Langford left an abusive home in Weymouth Falls, Nova Scotia, as a boy and found work as a janitor in a Boston boxing gym, where sparring with the professionals started his career. He turned pro in 1902 and a year later outpointed lightweight champion Joe Gans over 15 rounds. Short for a heavyweight, he fought in every division from lightweight up, drew with welterweight champion Joe Walcott in 1904 and lost a 15-round decision to Jack Johnson in 1906. Once Johnson became champion he refused a rematch, and the colour bar kept Langford out of title fights, so he met the other top Black heavyweights again and again, winning the World Colored Heavyweight title five times. Going blind, he retired in 1926 and died in 1956.
Tap a technique with an arrow to learn how it works.
- World Colored Heavyweight champion (5 reigns, 1910–1918)
- World Colored Middleweight champion (1907)
- Mexican heavyweight champion (1923)
- WBC honorary world champion (2020)
- International Boxing Hall of Fame (1990)
- Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (1955)
- The Ring Hall of Fame (1955)
- No. 2 on The Ring's 100 greatest punchers (2003)
Defining fights
- 1903WINvs Joe Gans (PTS 15, Boston, non-title)
- 1904DRAWvs Barbados Joe Walcott (15 rounds, world welterweight title)
- 1906LOSSvs Jack Johnson (PTS 15)
- 1911WINvs Philadelphia Jack O'Brien (TKO 5)
- 1922WINvs Tiger Flowers (KO 2)
Langford beat much bigger men by getting inside their reach and punching with full power at short range; a hard left hook finished Philadelphia Jack O'Brien. Practise slipping a taller partner's jab, stepping in and landing short hooks to the head and body before they can tie you up.
