By Don Colgan

This journey to a boxing epic features Jack Johnson defending his Heavyweight Championship against an old adversary during the era, Sam Langford. The rematch was rumored, discussed and even agreed to over a drink at a bar between Johnson and Langford.

JACK JOHNSON VS SAM LANGFORD: World’s Heavyweight Championship, October 11, 1911.

In the decade following the onset of the 20th Century pugilism, now conducted under the auspices of the Marquis of Queensbury rules, had begun to develop lines of improvement that witnessed the transition from the bare knuckle era of John L. Sullivan, Jake Kilrain and Peter Jackson to the polished boxer puncher style of Champion James J. Corbett. Succeeding Titleholders such as Bob Fitzsimmons, James J. Jeffries and Tommy Burns were more ferocity than refinement yet the era had arrived where title contests would occasionally go the limit and the time when championships would exchange hands on points was fast drawing near.

The emergence of great black heavyweights during the early years of the new century had served as a looming challenge to continued white domination of the World’s Heavyweight Championship. Certainly the caliber of black championship hopefuls was that of title quality and the emergence of Jackson, Sam McVey, Jack Johnson, Sam Langford and Joe Jeanette posed a threat that the white power structure in boxing could not permanently avoid.

By 1906, Tommy Burns had lifted the Heavyweight Championship from Marvin Hart, whose dubious claim to the title was based on an elimination contest with Jack Root organized by the retired Boilermaker, James J. Jeffries. Burns was a tiny dynamo who could wallop with either hand and for over two years solidified his championship claim with 11 title defenses which included several knockouts over Bill Squires and triumphs over Philadelphia Jack O’Brien, Gunner Moir, Jewey Smith and Jem Roach.

In 1908 Burns was close to crossing the color line when a match with Sam McVey was negotiated yet ultimately fell through. However, a shadow loomed over Burns in the form of Jack Johnson, the most formidable of the black title aspirants. Johnson, articulate and determined, chased Burns around the globe, hounding him for a championship bout.

Finally, he could be denied no longer and on December 25, 1909 Burns and Johnson met in Ruscutters Bay, Australia and Jack administered a horrific thrashing to Burns. Burns was battered for 13 rounds, knocked down twice and was brutally overmatched. Finally the police intervened and the color line had been crossed.

Johnson was a fighter for the ages. A powerful hitter when provoked his impenetrable defense, which made him virtually untouchable, enabled Jack to tower over the heavyweight class. Johnson defeated perennial contender Philadelphia Jack O’Brien, Tony Ross, Al Kaufman, knocked Stanley Ketchell unconscious after been dropped by the power punching Middleweight Champion and brushed aside the great Jeffries comeback attempt in 15 brutal, one-sided rounds. However, Johnson was reluctant to defend his championship against the elite black contenders although he had defeated Jeannette (whom he met numerous times), Langford and McVey prior to his stoppage of Burns.

Langford, a short, fast boxer with power in both fists and a strong chin posed the greatest threat to Johnson. Although Jack had defeated him handily in 1906 Lil Artha’ showed great reluctance to risk his title against Langford. Sam was persistent, following Johnson around the country much as Jack had Burns.

However, the Champion tantalized Langford, alluding often to a possible title shot for Sam yet never bringing the match to contract. Another factor impeding such a bout was the lack of public acceptance for a Heavyweight Championship Contest between two black men. The cry was on far and near for a "White Hope" to dethrone Johnson and the prospect of the Heavyweight Crown remaining in Negro hands no matter who the winner made such a match unpalatable for most of the American sporting public.

WHAT IF?

What if Johnson, ever in search of a payday and having cut a swath through the ranks of Caucasian Heavyweights, decided that, having whipped Sam once and put him on the canvas to boot, that risking the title against Langford was an acceptable risk worth taking. The 20 round bout was set for Paris, France on October 11, l911.

The odd makers were quick to install Jack as a 9 to 6 favorite against Langford and Jack entered the ring looking in championship form. Flashing his famous smile he shouted over at Sam. "Mista Sam, you know you ain’t seein the 20th round now". Langford, serious and focused, ignores the Champion’s needle. Referee Huey Driscoll brought the combatants together for final instructions and Sam ignored the titleholder’s outstretched hand just prior to the opening bell.

Langford’s early strategy was centered upon using his hand and foot speed to befuddle Johnson and thwart his stellar defense. Langford missed with two fast lefts and banged a solid right off of the top of Johnson’s skull. Jack fought patiently, countering with right leads over Langford’s thrusts and managing to keep his challenger at arms length. Langford was excited and determined to land with authority on Jack.

Sam was short with a right hook and came right back with a hard left hook to the solar plexus. Jack jabbed hard at Sam, then scored with a right lead to the neck followed by a jolting left lead to the point of Langford’s chin. Sam returned to his corner realizing that the first round was a carbon copy of their previous contest, dominated by Jack.

Rounds two through four saw Jack continuing to frustrate Langford, outthinking the challenger and maintaining an iron defense against Sam’s rapider like combinations that too often sailed wide of the mark. Late in round three Langford feinted beautifully and jolted Jack with a smashing right to the chin. The champion held, then broke and retreated to clear his senses. With that exception, the first four rounds clearly belonged to the titleholder.

Rounds five and six told a different tale. Langford’s speed began to pay dividends as his solid jabs began to find the mark, connecting frequently with Johnson’s face. Although Jack still blocked a majority of these blows, it was apparent that Sam had discovered a mechanism to bother Jack. Johnson was content to smirk at Sam and taunt him through raise gloves. "You don’t belong in the same ring with me, Sam. You ought to know charity when you see it., Ol’ Jack is jes helpin you out.".

Early in round seven Johnson began to feint. Doing little else, his head fakes and defensive maneuvers began to anger Sam. "I’m whippin you Jack. You gonna be sorry you made me wait!". Langford landed a wide, glancing right lead off of Jack’s head, banged a short right to the body and hammered Jack about the shoulders and head with a series of blinding punches. With thirty seconds remaining in the round Johnson delivered a shoulder fake and Sam was wide open.

A Johnson right uppercut, delivered with power and telling accuracy, crashed under Sam’s chin and sent the challenger tumbling to the canvas. Rage in his eyes, Langford pulled himself to one knee and took the count of nine. Jack immediately delivered a punishing right to the body and crossed up Sam with a left uppercut that dropped Langford to one knee at the bell. Bounding to his feet, Sam wobbled to his stool, his eyes glazed. He had been hurt.

Johnson’s attack seemed to remind Sam that he was in with a foeman very worthy of his steel. Now cautious, Sam used round eight to recuperate as he reorganized his battle plan. Johnson, never overly aggressive, was confident he could land the big punch when circumstances required. Jabbing with increased frequency, Jack held Langford off during rounds nine and ten, parrying Sam’s solid right leads and bullish attempts at hurt Johnson to the body.

Early in round eleven Sam trapped Jack against the ropes. Confident, Johnson bobbed his massive frame and picked off two hard Langford right leads. Sam stepped smartly to his left, permitting Johnson an opening to escape to ring center. Taking the bait Johnson slid outward only to be staggered by a classic right cross that Sam buried into his jaw. Johnson stumbled into ring center, pursued by Langford with missed with two long rights, scoring with a left hook to the head and smashing three right leads into Johnson’s stomach.

Jack feinted, offered a right lead and attempted to surprise Sam with "Iron Mike", the killer right uppercut. Sam sidestepped the blow and countered with a perfect left hook to Johnson’s jaw. Down went Jack, flat on his back and he was badly dazed. Grasping for the lower rope his fell forward onto his face before forcing himself to his feet as the referee’s count tolled nine. Sam had a minute left to finish the job yet, seeing his first true opportunity in two bouts to stop Johnson, his eagerness to deliver the finis’ denied him a chance for the stoppage. Firing long right leads and bulling himself into Jack, trying to get inside, Sam found himself stymied by Johnson’s defense. Jack was hurt yet he knew how to survive. Tying Sam into knots the champion lasted the round.

Round 12, 13 and 14 saw the titleholder reduce the pace of the contest to a near standstill. Jack was no stranger to the canvas and having come within an eyelash of surrendering the championship in round 11 resurrected the Johnson’s tendency to box conservatively unless threatened. He snaked long jabs into Sam’s face and repeatedly tangled up his challenger in his long arms, forcing numerous time consuming clinches. By the end of round 14 the slow handclap had begun and Langford, his left eye badly swollen and claret dripped from his mouth, had begun to tire.

Early in round 15 Jack snarled at Langford. "Come on and take my title. It’s here for ya. Come on in and lets fight. Haven’t shown me a thing today". Langford, well schooled in how to prevail in a long contest and familiar with Johnson’s tantalizing, refused to take the bait. Yet Jack was clearly in control. Having absorbed Sam’s best shot four rounds earlier the Champion was content to deliver hard right hand leaders over Langford’s rushes and spear his opponent with powerful jabs. Jack aimed directly at Sam’s injured eye, landing several punishing combinations late in the round as Langford, tiring rapidly, smothered Jack in a clinch at the bell.

Johnson controlled rounds 16 and 17 by working exclusively on Langford’s body. Jack crashed three hard right crosses to Langford’s midsection early in the eighteenth, forcing Sam’s weary guard down just in time for a right hand bomb from Jack that decked Langford for the third time in the contest. Sam took the count of nine, barely lifting his knee off of the canvas before the fatal ten was tolled. Langford threw himself at Jack, winging wild right leads that bounced off of Jack’s impenetrable arms. With seconds remaining in the round Langford found Jack’s chin with a bludgeoning right cross, his best blow in six rounds. Jack merely laughed it as the bell concluded the round.

The Champion tried to take the 18th round off yet found his nemesis realizing that his one and only championship shot was on the threshold of failure. Bleeding, swollen and grunting Langford pinned Jack against the ropes and pounded the titleholder with a seemingly never ending volley of terrific right and left hand smashes to the body. Initially Jack dismissed the attack, confident he could feint his way out of the corner and into ring center. However, Sam was not buying it.

Pushing his tormentor against the ring apron Langford threw haymaker after haymaker and many of the blows exploded on Johnson’s chin and face. Eighteen rounds of combat had begun to dull Jack’s defense and for the first time in the bout a large mouse appeared over Jack’s left eye.

Johnson was visibly weary as the two combatants began the 19th round. Jack again tried to rest yet the rejuvenated Langford would have none of it, battering his way past Jack’s guard and again punishing the exhausted Champion brutally about the body. Midway through the round Sam landed a crushing straight right hand to the heart and Jack staggered into the ropes. Johnson grabbed the shorter Langford around the head and forced a desperate clinch. Jabbing hard, Jack would have no more of the challenger’s attack as he kept Sam at the end of his long arms for the final minute of the round.

The Champion extended his right glove at the beginning of the final round. "You’se kin fight, Sam. Mebbe I was wrong" smirked Jack as the two tapped gloves. Langford missed a wild right lead the caused him to lose balance and trip over his own feet, landing on the canvas. Johnson worked a stiff jab into Langford’s face over the first half of the round. Langford was short with a left and banged a right off of Johnson’s swollen face. Jack blocked a Langford right, countered with a stiff left to the nose and a terrific right lead to the body that caused Langford to gasp.

Both fighters were at the point of exhaustion as the contest entered its final minute. Jack blocked a Langford right and pulled his challenger into a lengthy clinch. Langford missed a hard right, then landed two light lefts to the ribcage. Jack jabbed Sam hard twice and took a solid Langford left hook to the jaw as the bell signaled the conclusion of the bout.

Sam extended his glove to Jack as the referee separated the pair. "Thanks for the chance," he grunted as he took his robe and turned towards his corner. Shortly Referee Driscoll held Jack’s hand high in the air. The newspaperman agreed. He had retained his championship in an epic contest against a foeman who refused to go as quietly as he had five years earlier.