
Sam Langford was born in March in 1883, ’84, ’85, or ’86 (there are conflicting records) in Weymouth Falls, Nova Scotia. He was a world-class boxer who became famous as “The Boston Tar-Baby”. Langford fought his first professional bout at age 16 and continued to fight professionally from 1902 to 1923.
The Canadian Press labeled him the “fighter of the Half-century”, while the New York Journal described him as “the greatest fighter, pound for pound, that ever lived.”
Langford was often referred to as the “Uncrowned Heavyweight Champion of the World.” He soundly defeated the world champions in both the middleweight and light-heavyweight classes. Unfortunately, he was never allowed the chance to challenge for the heavyweight championship title. World Heavyweight Champion Jack Johnson would not agree to a match with Langford, as Johnson and his promoters knew Johnson would make more money fighting white boxers.
With an official professional record of 252 fights, 99 knockouts and only 19 losses, he surely would have been a contender for the title. Langford has held several International Boxing Championships and was ranked by Ring Magazine as the seventh-best heavyweight in the history of boxing. He exhibited exceptional footwork and had tremendous punching power in both of his hands.
It is believed that, off the record, Langford fought between 500 and 600 bouts in his lifetime. Langford fought in five different weight classes during his career: Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, and Heavyweight. He started his career at 135 pounds, and finished at approximately 185 pounds.
It was said that Langford took punches like a rubber ball – he just kept bouncing back. In June of 1917, Langford was injured during a fight, suffering damage that left him blind in his left eye. And yet he fought on. In 1922, he scored a second-round knockout of future middleweight champ Tiger Flowers, despite an injury that all but blinded his remaining good eye. And still he fought on for another two years, winning fights on instinct and genius. Eventually, though, Langford could no longer disguise his ailment, and after he walked to the wrong corner during a fight in 1926, his license was revoked and he retired.
Sam Langford was elected to America’s Boxing Hall of Fame in 1955, as well as Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.
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• Known as “The Boston Tar-Baby”
• Fought his first professional bout at age 16
• Canadian Press: “Fighter of the Half-century”
• NY Journal: “The greatest fighter that ever lived”
• Defeated the light-weight world champion
• Defeated the middle-weight world champion
• 252 total fights, only 19 losses
• 7th best heavy-weight in the history of boxing
• Elected to America’s Boxing Hall of Fame, 1955
• Elected to Canada’s Sport Hall of Fame