One more phenomenal write up on Sam Langford before we move on, he is such a legend in this sport that it's impossible not to want to devour everything written about him.
Sam Langford, The Boston Terror…“Unbeatable In His Prime.”
Sam Langford, known as the “Boston Terror” or the more popular nickname of "The Boston Tar Baby," is considerd to be the greatest fighter to never win a world boxing championship. The reason is simple. He was the most avoided fighter in the illustrious history of boxing. Despite often being outweighed by 20 to 50 pounds in many of his fights, he scored more knockouts than George Foreman and Mike Tyson combined. Fighting from lightweight to heavyweight Sam Langford took on all the best fighters of the first two decades of 20th century. He spent the last years of his fighting career virtually blind where the bulk of his losses occurred, although he still won a number of fights impressively by knockout. He was an amazing fighter. His record was 214-46-44 16 ND 3NC with 138 Kayo's, according to research by historian Tim Leone.
Sam was powerfully built. His measurements were 5’6 ½’ with a 17” neck, 15” biceps, a 42 ½” inch chest and a 73” reach. He spent much of his prime career at middleweight, with his best weight about 165 pounds, by age 27 he was a small heavyweight weighing around 180 pounds. If he were fighting today he would have contended for titles from welterweight to light-heavyweight. He eventually weighed around 190 pounds and may have challenged heavyweights as he did in his own time.
Langford was a short, stocky, long armed and powerful puncher. He had huge shoulders and massive back muscles. He was known for his quick hands, debilitating left jab, crushing hook, powerful right cross, smashing uppercut and devastating body punches. He was equally adept at punching from long range or short punches at close range. When he had his opponent hurt he was a deadly finisher.
He was master at the art of feinting. His ability as a feinter is easily described in his knockout over the “white hope” Gunboat Smith. The Oct. 21, 1914 Boston Globe reported, “A couple of stiff jabs on Smith’s chin sent him to the ropes. Langford kept forcing Smith about the ring and when the gunner was near his own corner Langford feinted and Smith dropped his guard, Sam then shooting the right under Smith’s ear.”
Sam was also an outstanding defensive fighter; a master at blocking an opponents leads with an open glove with the rear hand in proper position, a master glove blocker and counter puncher as well as a fighter who would duck and counter putting his whole body into his blows. Sam had the perfect balance, timing and leverage of a great puncher. He also had an outstanding chin and was able to absorb the punishing blows of much larger men. A terror on offense and a master of defense Sam could do it all.
Al Laney wrote, "This is the man competent critics said was the greatest fighter in ring history, the man the champions feared and would not fight, the man who was so good he was never given a chance to show how good he really was."
Mike Silver stated, that Sam was "Quite possibly the greatest fighter who ever lived, Langford mastered every punch. His short hook on the inside and his right cross and uppercut were particularly deadly. His punishing jab was also one of the best. He was a strategist who knew how to maneuver, with the ability to explode out of an offensive or defensive position. He could instantly stop when retreating, revert to the offensive, and in the blink of an eye render an opponent unconscious with trip-hammer blows thrown in four and five punch combinations. Langford's every move embodied the technique of a studied master boxer. During his prime he was rarely outfought, out-thought, or out-punched."
William Detloff wrote, "Langford wasn't simply an all out slugger. He was smart and crafty and knew how to out-think guys in the ring. He could fight inside or outside and was impossibly strong. He was decades ahead of his time."
Ring founder Nat Fleischer reported, in Black Dynamite Vol 4, “Langford was as quick and slippery as an eel in action, highly intelligent and made up of surprising dodges from head to heels. Sam used his bulky shoulders and clever blocking arms to avoid blows and his potent punching power stayed with him until the end of his career.”
Gilbert Odd penned, “Langford with his massive pair of shoulders and long arms was a danger to anyone. Although only a middleweight he gave weight and a beating to many heavyweights.”
R. Stockton stated, "Langford had all the attributes of a great fighter, speed, punching power, an amazingly elusive defense, the ability to absorb punishment, and unlimited endurance."
W. Diamond wrote, “Sam Langford was a great fighter in an age of great fighters. In proportion to his height and weight there never was a greater fighting man."
Norman Clark who saw Sam fight on his tour of England wrote,All in the Game 1935, “On the whole, I think Langford was the most tremendous hitter in the Ring at this time; for, whereas Johnson would not, as a rule, let the heavy stuff fly until he had worn the man down, Sam always waded right in and immediately let go punches heavy enough to drop anyone. Of course, he had to work up his punch to an extent, however, and this he usually did on the giant Negro, Bob Armstrong, whom he had training with him. As he sparred with Armstrong, every now and again he would give him a dig "downstairs" that would have the big fellow gasping, and, to keep moving, he would then shadow-box for a short time before coming back to resume operations. There would be a few more exchanges, then whop! In would go another one to the body, and exclaim, "Oh"! He's got cramp again", Sam would do a little more shadow-boxing: and so, and so on.”
Clark also marveled at Sam’s quickness, “For working up speed Langford had Jimmy Walsh, the bantamweight champion of the world, with him. The pair used to box together lightly, but at a great pace, and I was surprised to find that even in this sort of work Sam was every bit as fast and clever as Walsh himself.”
Harry Wills described in the February 1953 Boxing and Wrestling Magazine what his knockout losses to Langford were like. Wills said he was hit so hard each time that he doesn’t remember being knocked out! "I was knocked out three times in my career, twice by Langford and in my last fight by Paulino Uzcudun. I still don't know, except from hearsay, what punches Sam used to knock me out. The first time it happened was 1914. We were supposed to go twenty rounds, when the fourteenth began I was going easy. Sam was in a bad way. I backed him around the ring trying to set him up for a one punch finish. His eye was bleeding and the last thing I remember was having him against the ropes just about five feet from his corner. It must have happened right then.” The Nov 27 San Francisco Chronicle reported that it was “a left hook to the jaw” that “turned the trick.”
“Two years later,” continued Wills, “we were scheduled for another twenty rounder. In the eighteenth Sam was in a peck of trouble and once again I tried to set him up for a quick knockout. He finished the round okay and when the bell sounded for the start of the nineteenth I was after him again. I figured if I could get him in a corner I could finish the fight. That was all I could remember. He must have caught me as I rushed in." The Feb 13, 1916 New Orleans Times-Picayune said it was "Langford's mighty left hook." Wills stated, "I don't know how long I was unconscious but it must have been quite a while. He was marvelous as a fighting man, I'd venture to say unbeatable in his prime."
In comparison to modern fighters Sam was similar to the experienced heavyweight version of James Toney in size, boxing skill and in his ability to take a punch. Sam also fought very relaxed like Toney did at his peak, but Sam had greater speed. In terms of punching power Sam approached that of Tyson. Imagine Toney with power coming close to that of Tyson and one has Sam Langford!
Sam story began when he left home in Nova Scotia, Canada, at an early age to escape an abusive father. At age 14 he was living as a tramp traveling from job to job when in Boston he walked into a small drug store and asked if he could get some work as he hadn't eaten for two days. Joe Woodman, the owner, fed him and gave him a job as janitor in the boxing gymnasium at the Lenox Athletic Club that he operated on the side. Sam watched the professional boxers train and studied their styles. Sam began to work as a sparring partner for some of the pro’s in the gym. Sam won the amateur featherweight championship of Boston at age 15 and turned pro the same year. He grew quickly and from age 16 he was a welterweight. Within a couple of years he was ready for the big time.
One can see how great a fighter Sam was by looking at his fights when he came in contact with world champions. In each account Sam won or was considered to be better. It is little wonder that no world champion wanted to face him.
Against the marvelous lightweight champion Joe Gans, Langford who had already grown into a welterweight, managed to catch the more experienced veteran champion fighting his second day in a row in different cities. Gans had to travel by train from Philadelphia to make the fight against Sam in Boston. Gans started off strong landing with a triple hook and a smashing right in the first round that stunned Sam. After that Langford showed strong defense blocking his opponent’s leads and countering. After five rounds the great champion began to slow from lag and Sam came on and won a 15 round decision. This fight is considered to be the only fight the real Gans lost in a period of more than 10 years.
The following year Sam got his chance at welterweight champion Joe Walcott, the Barbados Demon. The Sept 24, National Police Gazette reported, “Although the mill went the limit and was called a draw there were plenty present who thought Langford won. Up to the seventh round Walcott was unable to do anything with Langford. The latter (Langford) got away from his opponents leads and punched back with him. One of the swings, which caught Walcott on the jaw, almost put Joe out. In the tenth round Walcott, who was nettled because he could not catch Langford, began to slug. Langford though, was willing to mix it up and gave Walcott plenty to do, at the same time outboxing him.” Arthur Lumley, sports editor of the New York Illustrated News wrote, "My personal opinion is that Langford was entitled to the verdict, and should have been awarded the world's title." The 15 round “draw” was the only title shot Sam would ever get.
His only meaningful loss was to future heavyweight champion Jack Johnson in 1906. Langford was only a light-middleweight at the time against heavyweight Johnson. Langford would later admit that Jack “handed me the only real beating I ever took” (Fleischer p 141). Johnson floored Sam twice in winning a 15 round decision. Later as Sam grew in size, reputation, and experience and became a real threat to his heavyweight championship, Johnson refused to give Sam a shot at the title.
Langford was at his peak at middleweight when Stanley Ketchel was the world middleweight champion. Nat Fleischer wrote, “One hesitates to say that Ketchel, reknowned deservedly for his gameness, was afraid of Langford. But the fact remains that Stanley had refused several offers to meet Langford in a distance bout.”
They did finally meet in a 6 round no decision affair. The April 28, 1910 Philadelphia Bulletin reported “Sam Langford, of Boston, defeated Stanley Ketchel of Grand Rapids, Mich., in a 6 round bout at the National Club last night.” Langford established a superior jab in the first two rounds. In the third he “shook Ketchel badly with swings to the head.” In the fourth he “twice shook Ketchel with jaw punches and brought the blood from the mouth and nose with well timed jabs.” Langford let up in the last two rounds. “To sum it up, Langford was much the stronger and cleverer and his jabs had a disconcerting effect on Ketchel…the colored man looked to be in pretty good shape at the close, but Ketchel was tired and wild and the sound of the bell was a welcome interruption.” The newspaper verdict, contrary to some later published reports, was in favor of Langford.
Against light-heavyweight champion Philadelphia Jack O’Brien on Aug 15, 1911 Langford easily defeated the clever champion on a fifth round knockout. The New York Herald reported “Sam Langford, working on 3rd speed for most of the way, knocked out Jack O’Brien last night at the Twentieth Century A.C. in the first minute of the fifth round. The Negro was kind to the Philadelphia dancing master in permitting him to stay as long as he did, for he showed both by his power and his speed that if he cared to put on the accelerator the white man would have been lucky to have lasted more than the first round.” The Herald described the end, “After feinting and dancing with his rival for a time the Negro plunged a terrific right into the pit of the white man’s stomach and the latter howled from the pain of it. The Negro gave him a hard pounding and all the skill that he could marshal could not avail him…when O’Brien was bending over from the result of the impact the Negro dropped over a short left hook to the jaw and it was farewell for O’Brien. He went down on his haunches half-way through the ropes and then rolled over.” The referee didn’t need to finish the count.
Langford sometimes called the round on his opponents. In 1910 a sports writer, Beany Walker, wrote that Langford had, in his opinion, lost a previous match to heavyweight "white hope" Fireman Jim Flynn and predicted that the American would defeat him in a rematch. Langford however sometimes carried opponents to secure interest in a rematch for financial reasons. In the second fight when Sam had Flynn all set up, he shouted to Mr. Walker, who sat in the first row, "Hey, Mr. Walker! Here comes your champion" and Langford blasted him clear out of the ring and right into Walker's lap!
From 1910 and throughout the teens, Langford's rare power accounted for nearly every top heavyweight of the period. During this decade Langford kayo’d heavyweights Klondike Haynes, Jeff Clark, Gunboat Smith, Fireman Jim Flynn, Big Bill Tate, Battling Jim Johnson, Kid Norfolk and John Lester Johnson. He fought numerous bouts against the other highly avoided black heavyweights of this time. He fought Joe Jeanette 13 times, Sam McVey 13 times, and Harry Wills 18 times. He scored knockout victories over each man at least once. He has a plus record against both Jeanette and McVey. Only Wills got the better of their series, but their first fight did not occur until Langford was 31 years old.
A great example of Sam’s ability can be seen in Fleischer’s description of his bout with arch-rival Joe Jeannette, “Sam’s crowning triumph, the one that proved beyond a doubt that he was Joe’s master was on May 12, 1916 at Hoboken, NJ when he put Jeannette down for a clean knockout in the seventh round of a hurricane battle. Jeannette was lightning fast the first three rounds, his lefts continually flicking his opponent’s features, and again and again he dodged Langford’s wicked swings. But in the fourth, Sam slammed a terrific right to the stomach that made Jeannette bend over with a distinct gasp. The body punch seemed to have taken most of the steam out of Joe’s blows, and he never really recovered from its effects. In the seventh, Langford let go a right hand feint for the body. Joe fell into the trap and dropped his guard. Like a flash, Sam sent over a vicious left hook that landed flush on the point of the chin. Jeannette fell heavily, face forward. He rolled over and and was vainly trying to regain his feet when referee Cawley counted him out.”
In trying to determine when and how Sam went blind one can venture a guess that he suffered from a detached retina which is the most common way for blindness to occur from injury for a fighter. One may recall that Sugar Ray Leonard had surgery for a detached retina in 1982. Unfortunately for Sam the medical science of the early 20th century held little hope for him. According to the Nov. 22, 1935 Digby Weekly Courier, "Langford has been virtually blind since he fought Fred Fulton in 1917." This is when the first eye injury occured. The June 20, 1917 Boston Globe reported that Sam quit due to injury failing to come out for the seventh round and noted that "When Sam quit his eye was closed tightly." It was Sam's left eye that was injured first. This is astonishing, since he would have trouble seeing right hands ever after.
On June 5, 1922, at age 39, he fought future Middleweight champion Tiger Flowers. In this fight Sam was blinded in his remaining good right eye. He looked for Flowers but couldn't see him. Everything before him was blurred. The ring floor, the referee and his opponent weren't there! "There was something the matter for the moment with my eyes." Sam kept cool "I'll let Flowers come and get me." Flowers obliged and when in close, Sam put all he had behind one punch. He heard a gasp and then a thud, Flowers was flat on his back! (Boston Terror Website). The Atlanta Constitution Jun. 6, 1922, reported, "The fatal clout was a right chop that travelled something more than six inches." It was a second round knockout victory for the blind fighter. The doctors warned Sam that the optic nerve had been severely injured that one eye was blind and the other so badly damaged that If he didn't stop fighting he would lose the sight of that one, also. But Langford was broke and continued fighting.
"I went down to Mexico in 1922 with this here left eye completely gone and the right just seeing shadows. It was a cataract. They matched me up with Kid Savage for the title. I was bluffing through that I could see but I gave myself away. They bet awful heavy on the kid when the word got round. I just felt my way around and then, wham, I got home. He forgot to duck and so I was heavy weight champion of Mexico." (Weymouth Courier, Friday May 3, 1935). Sam's left eye injury and cataract in his right eye left him almost completely blind the last years of his fighting career.
In 1924, at age 41, "Sam was taken to French Hospital and one Dr Smith operated to draw together a muscular fold in the retina of this 'good' right eye. The operation was believed a success. But over the next eleven years Sam's seeing' eye again lost its sight." Weymouth Courier, Friday Apr 5, 1935. He retired from the ring for good at age 43. Sam eventually went totally blind.
Sam was living destitute in Harlem when newspaperman Al Laney of the New York Herald Tribune tracked him down and wrote a short series of stories on him in 1944. A sportswriter’s fund was established for Sam that cared for him until his death at the age of 72 on Jan. 12, 1956.
Sam was rated as the # 7 heavyweight of all time in 1958 by Nat Fleischer. Charley Rose, who saw Sam fight and greatly admired him, ranked him as his # 1 all time heavyweight. Herbert Goldman, in his 1987 ratings rated Langford # 2 at light-heavyweight. Cox's Corner considers him the # 1 all time light-heavyweight.
Just imagine—he was outmatched by a lightweight who was clearly past his prime.
@doubledragon said:
This is another one of my favorite boxers, Iran "the blade" Barkley, middleweight. He was an ex-New York gang member. He was a throwback to the 1950s, guys like Gene Fullmer and Carmen Basilio, tough as nails. Fearless in the ring, he would fight anyone at anytime, win or lose he came to fight and always went out on his shield. He had two of the greatest fights ever with Tommy Hearns, winning both. The first fight saw Hearns land some big shots and bust Barkley up pretty bad, until Barkley turned the tables on Hearns and stopped him. The second fight, Hearns came prepared for revenge and fought one hell of a fight, but the relentless pressure of Barkley was too much, he broke Hearns's nose with a left hook and just kept going after Hearns and took the decision, he was Tommy Hearns kryptonite for sure. He also had one heck of a war with Roberto Duran, but the seasoned veteran Duran took the decision. I honestly wish every fighter was like Barkley, didn't duck anyone, always came to fight.
Duran was a lightweight and past his prime. when he faced Marvin. As per Marvin, the best overall fighter he faced was Duran. Duran fought Sugar Ray Leonard, Tommy Hearns, and Marvin Hagler, all after his prime. That is why Duran is considered, pound for pound, the best fighter of all time.
@doubledragon said:
This is an interview with Marvelous Marvin Hagler done a while before he passed away, he talks about his career and the best he faced in the ring.
Marvin Hagler lived up to what became his legal name: “Marvelous”. Hagler was a hurting machine at his best, a very good, aggressive boxer with tremendous punching power and one of the best chins of all time. He insisted the only knockdown of his career, against Juan Roldan, was a slip.
Hagler lost two times relatively early in his career but then went 36-0-1, the blemish being a controversial 1979 draw against Vito Antuofermo in his first title fight.
Some considered Hagler the best middleweight in the world even before September 1980 when he fought Alan Minter for the undisputed championship in London. Hagler won when Minter could not go on because of a cut, marking the beginning of one of the division’s greatest runs.
Hagler made 12 successful defenses over five-plus years, 11 by knockout, and also picked up the IBF title along the way. Among his victims: Roberto Duran (UD 15), Thomas Hearns (TKO 3) and John Mugabi (KO 11).
Hagler closed well to outpoint the legendary Roberto Duran in 1983. Photo from The Ring archive
The Hearns fight is remembered as one of the greatest of all time, as the principals exchanged murderous punches at a frenetic pace from the opening bell. Hagler sustained a deep cut to his forehead but continued to press Hearns until finally hammering his adversary to the canvas at 1:52 of the third round.
“With Tommy Hearns, finally they gave me what I’m looking for,” Hagler told The Ring. “I knew it was going to be that kind of a fight because [during] the buildup to the fight, he didn’t like me, I didn’t like him.”
Hagler would be named The Ring Fighter of the Year in 1983 and 1985. His victory over Mugabi in 1986 set up a showdown the following year against Sugar Ray Leonard, who was making a comeback after almost three years out of the ring.
Hagler found his groove after a slow start but it wasn’t enough to prevent Leonard from winning a split decision, which Hagler still disputes today.
“I didn’t really feel I lost,” said Hagler, who then mentioned his early setbacks – both of which he avenged by knockout – and Leonard’s refusal to give him a rematch. “… They were a learning experience, they put a lot of hatred into my war game. I think Leonard looked at my record and said, ‘Hagler, forget you man! You think I’m crazy?’
“If the shoe was on the other foot, I’d have gave him a rematch because it shows the mark of a champion.”
Hagler (62-3-2, 52 knockouts) retired from boxing following the Leonard fight. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1993.
“Why do you want to hang around after all your hard work and let someone get lucky and destroy your record?” he asked. “After I had nothing to prove to myself, it was the best thing to walk away.”
Hagler wishes he could’ve faced fellow legend Carlos Monzon. The great Argentine retired in 1977, when Hagler was becoming a contender.
“I think it would have been an interesting fight if I had fought Carlos Monzon,” he said. “I think he was a great champion. I believe I would have caused some sort of problem for him.”
Hagler, who turns 60 in May, lives primarily in Italy. He took time out of his busy schedule to speak with The Ring about the best fighters he fought in a variety of categories.
BEST JAB
Thomas Hearns: He was a person who was trying to stick and move, he used his jab a lot. He had a great jab.
BEST DEFENSE
Sugar Ray Leonard: He didn’t come to fight, he came to last. He came to go the distance, he didn’t come to knock me out. He just wanted to survive, so I would have to say he used his best defense to survive.
FASTEST HANDS
Roberto Duran: He caught me for three rounds at the start of the fight, which I didn’t understand. He caught me with an overhand right. As soon as I would jab, he’d throw the right hand. It didn’t hurt me too much, but it was annoying, aggravating. I really didn’t know what was happening, so I went back to the corner and asked my cornerman. I said, “What’s happening?” He said, “Marv, what he’s doing is that he’s timing you. Every time you shoot that jab out, he’ll go over with a right hand.” After [that], I started faking instead of just throwing it, and I started getting a better offense going.
FASTEST FEET
Leonard: You would have to say Leonard because he didn’t [just] move, he ran. It was hard to catch him. I wanted to fight because that’s what I am, I’m a champion. I’m a fighter and came to fight. I believe in that fight, I came in as an underdog. This guy didn’t want to take away my title, he wanted to survive, and it’s hard to beat a guy who just wants to survive.
BEST CHIN
Alan Minter: Believe it or not, I have to give it to Alan Minter because he was champion and he didn’t want to lose. I hit this guy with a lot of punches and he took a couple on the chin. I was amazed. I knew this was what I wanted, and I wasn’t going to stop. Unfortunately he bled early. I was still trying to knock him out with every shot. He took a lot of punishment.
SMARTEST
All of them (laughs): Because when they stepped in the ring with me, they already knew the deal: It was going to be a tough fight. They had to use their skills, their brain, their physical and mental attitude against me because I was very unorthodox. I could fight on the left-hand side and right-hand side. So they had to probably train harder to adapt to my style. But every fighter I fought, I never fought the same way. Each fight I had I was always in better condition than I was before.
STRONGEST
Mugabi and Tony Sibson: I remember seeing Tony Sibson at the weigh-in. This guy was strong. I remember when he hit me on the chest, he looked much stronger and bigger than me, and he’s supposed to be a middleweight. Mugabi, I believe he put on more weight before the fight. I could feel his body against me. He felt like a light heavyweight, he didn’t feel like a middleweight. When he threw punches, they were all deadly, very hard punches. This guy felt like a light heavyweight to me, so I had to wear him down, to take away some of that strength.
BEST PUNCHER
John Mugabi and Hearns: Because they came to fight. They came to take my title from me. Mugabi hit me with an uppercut. It didn’t hurt, but it was a hard punch, and I learned something from that. I had to regroup and come up with a different strategy. Also, with Tommy Hearns, he hit me with one good right hand, a good shot. I knew then that was his hardest punch, and I wanted more. I got more aggressive. I realized I had to keep the pressure on him, make him move and make him throw that right hand so he would leave an opening for me.
BOXING SKILLS
Duran: I would still say Roberto Duran. I loved that fight the most because between the both of us it brought out our skill, our talent. For me wanting to defend my title, for him wanting the fourth title, I mean it became a cat and mouse game. I enjoyed that fight, it was exciting.
BEST OVERALL
Duran: I would say Roberto Duran was very experienced, plus he was a three-time world champion when I fought him. I gave him the opportunity to win a fourth, which didn’t happen (laughs).
@Panama Mutiny (Formerly lawyer05) said:
Duran was a lightweight and past his prime. when he faced Marvin. As per Marvin, the best overall fighter he faced was Duran. Duran fought Sugar Ray Leonard, Tommy Hearns, and Marvin Hagler, all after his prime. That is why Duran is considered, pound for pound, the best fighter of all time.
@doubledragon said:
This is an interview with Marvelous Marvin Hagler done a while before he passed away, he talks about his career and the best he faced in the ring.
Marvin Hagler lived up to what became his legal name: “Marvelous”. Hagler was a hurting machine at his best, a very good, aggressive boxer with tremendous punching power and one of the best chins of all time. He insisted the only knockdown of his career, against Juan Roldan, was a slip.
Hagler lost two times relatively early in his career but then went 36-0-1, the blemish being a controversial 1979 draw against Vito Antuofermo in his first title fight.
Some considered Hagler the best middleweight in the world even before September 1980 when he fought Alan Minter for the undisputed championship in London. Hagler won when Minter could not go on because of a cut, marking the beginning of one of the division’s greatest runs.
Hagler made 12 successful defenses over five-plus years, 11 by knockout, and also picked up the IBF title along the way. Among his victims: Roberto Duran (UD 15), Thomas Hearns (TKO 3) and John Mugabi (KO 11).
Hagler closed well to outpoint the legendary Roberto Duran in 1983. Photo from The Ring archive
The Hearns fight is remembered as one of the greatest of all time, as the principals exchanged murderous punches at a frenetic pace from the opening bell. Hagler sustained a deep cut to his forehead but continued to press Hearns until finally hammering his adversary to the canvas at 1:52 of the third round.
“With Tommy Hearns, finally they gave me what I’m looking for,” Hagler told The Ring. “I knew it was going to be that kind of a fight because [during] the buildup to the fight, he didn’t like me, I didn’t like him.”
Hagler would be named The Ring Fighter of the Year in 1983 and 1985. His victory over Mugabi in 1986 set up a showdown the following year against Sugar Ray Leonard, who was making a comeback after almost three years out of the ring.
Hagler found his groove after a slow start but it wasn’t enough to prevent Leonard from winning a split decision, which Hagler still disputes today.
“I didn’t really feel I lost,” said Hagler, who then mentioned his early setbacks – both of which he avenged by knockout – and Leonard’s refusal to give him a rematch. “… They were a learning experience, they put a lot of hatred into my war game. I think Leonard looked at my record and said, ‘Hagler, forget you man! You think I’m crazy?’
“If the shoe was on the other foot, I’d have gave him a rematch because it shows the mark of a champion.”
Hagler (62-3-2, 52 knockouts) retired from boxing following the Leonard fight. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1993.
“Why do you want to hang around after all your hard work and let someone get lucky and destroy your record?” he asked. “After I had nothing to prove to myself, it was the best thing to walk away.”
Hagler wishes he could’ve faced fellow legend Carlos Monzon. The great Argentine retired in 1977, when Hagler was becoming a contender.
“I think it would have been an interesting fight if I had fought Carlos Monzon,” he said. “I think he was a great champion. I believe I would have caused some sort of problem for him.”
Hagler, who turns 60 in May, lives primarily in Italy. He took time out of his busy schedule to speak with The Ring about the best fighters he fought in a variety of categories.
BEST JAB
Thomas Hearns: He was a person who was trying to stick and move, he used his jab a lot. He had a great jab.
BEST DEFENSE
Sugar Ray Leonard: He didn’t come to fight, he came to last. He came to go the distance, he didn’t come to knock me out. He just wanted to survive, so I would have to say he used his best defense to survive.
FASTEST HANDS
Roberto Duran: He caught me for three rounds at the start of the fight, which I didn’t understand. He caught me with an overhand right. As soon as I would jab, he’d throw the right hand. It didn’t hurt me too much, but it was annoying, aggravating. I really didn’t know what was happening, so I went back to the corner and asked my cornerman. I said, “What’s happening?” He said, “Marv, what he’s doing is that he’s timing you. Every time you shoot that jab out, he’ll go over with a right hand.” After [that], I started faking instead of just throwing it, and I started getting a better offense going.
FASTEST FEET
Leonard: You would have to say Leonard because he didn’t [just] move, he ran. It was hard to catch him. I wanted to fight because that’s what I am, I’m a champion. I’m a fighter and came to fight. I believe in that fight, I came in as an underdog. This guy didn’t want to take away my title, he wanted to survive, and it’s hard to beat a guy who just wants to survive.
BEST CHIN
Alan Minter: Believe it or not, I have to give it to Alan Minter because he was champion and he didn’t want to lose. I hit this guy with a lot of punches and he took a couple on the chin. I was amazed. I knew this was what I wanted, and I wasn’t going to stop. Unfortunately he bled early. I was still trying to knock him out with every shot. He took a lot of punishment.
SMARTEST
All of them (laughs): Because when they stepped in the ring with me, they already knew the deal: It was going to be a tough fight. They had to use their skills, their brain, their physical and mental attitude against me because I was very unorthodox. I could fight on the left-hand side and right-hand side. So they had to probably train harder to adapt to my style. But every fighter I fought, I never fought the same way. Each fight I had I was always in better condition than I was before.
STRONGEST
Mugabi and Tony Sibson: I remember seeing Tony Sibson at the weigh-in. This guy was strong. I remember when he hit me on the chest, he looked much stronger and bigger than me, and he’s supposed to be a middleweight. Mugabi, I believe he put on more weight before the fight. I could feel his body against me. He felt like a light heavyweight, he didn’t feel like a middleweight. When he threw punches, they were all deadly, very hard punches. This guy felt like a light heavyweight to me, so I had to wear him down, to take away some of that strength.
BEST PUNCHER
John Mugabi and Hearns: Because they came to fight. They came to take my title from me. Mugabi hit me with an uppercut. It didn’t hurt, but it was a hard punch, and I learned something from that. I had to regroup and come up with a different strategy. Also, with Tommy Hearns, he hit me with one good right hand, a good shot. I knew then that was his hardest punch, and I wanted more. I got more aggressive. I realized I had to keep the pressure on him, make him move and make him throw that right hand so he would leave an opening for me.
BOXING SKILLS
Duran: I would still say Roberto Duran. I loved that fight the most because between the both of us it brought out our skill, our talent. For me wanting to defend my title, for him wanting the fourth title, I mean it became a cat and mouse game. I enjoyed that fight, it was exciting.
BEST OVERALL
Duran: I would say Roberto Duran was very experienced, plus he was a three-time world champion when I fought him. I gave him the opportunity to win a fourth, which didn’t happen (laughs).
I realize that you're a huge Roberto Duran fan, and he was a great fighter, but every hardcore boxing fan knows that Sugar Ray Robinson is the greatest pound for pound fighter that ever lived, you'd be hard-pressed to find many P4P lists that don't have Robinson at number 1.
Now if you'll excuse me, I don't want to hang out around the sports forum no longer than necessary, I'm not very liked around here anymore and it's a shame because I really could contribute to this place, I got a million thread ideas and boatload of humor. By the way, congratulations to Oleksandr Usyk for beating Tyson Fury yet again last night despite being disadvantaged in every possible way imaginable, height, reach, weight, it's truly incredible to witness such Heart from a fighter, the Ukrainian fighting spirit, and I know it means a lot to the people of Ukraine who are fighting for their very right to exist and live their lives as they see fit. It's going to be a real shame to watch Ukraine be handed over to Russia in 2025 and have to live on their knees. Anyway, congrats to a great fighter. 👍
@Neanderthal said:
Now if you'll excuse me, I don't want to hang out around the sports forum no longer than necessary, I'm not very liked around here anymore and it's a shame because I really could contribute to this place, I got a million thread ideas and boatload of humor. By the way, congratulations to Oleksandr Usyk for beating Tyson Fury yet again last night despite being disadvantaged in every possible way imaginable, height, reach, weight, it's truly incredible to witness such Heart from a fighter, the Ukrainian fighting spirit, and I know it means a lot to the people of Ukraine who are fighting for their very right to exist and live their lives as they see fit. It's going to be a real shame to watch Ukraine be handed over to Russia in 2025 and have to live on their knees. Anyway, congrats to a great fighter. 👍
"I'm not very liked around here"
You've only got 39 posts, but you've already racked up 46 Likes. Doesn't seem to me that you're not very liked.
I think it took me over 10,000 posts before I finally got up to 46 Likes. 😉
i like you bro, and you should absolutely mix it up more often. just remember, no one here is infallible. we're just a bunch of knuckleheads discussing sports, and occasionally we delve into tangential subjects. there are a couple of regulars whose hands i'd love to dunk in warm water while they are sleeping, but i guarantee you i'd buy those same peeps as many beers as they wanted if we bellied up to a bar together.
i say run it back, but try not to allow individualistic styles to get to you
Comments
Langford's devastating power on display.
Langford threw brutal shots at his opponents.
Langford poses with cigar in hand.
Great book about Langford.
Langford poses with hat in hand.
One more phenomenal write up on Sam Langford before we move on, he is such a legend in this sport that it's impossible not to want to devour everything written about him.
Sam Langford, The Boston Terror…“Unbeatable In His Prime.”
Sam Langford, known as the “Boston Terror” or the more popular nickname of "The Boston Tar Baby," is considerd to be the greatest fighter to never win a world boxing championship. The reason is simple. He was the most avoided fighter in the illustrious history of boxing. Despite often being outweighed by 20 to 50 pounds in many of his fights, he scored more knockouts than George Foreman and Mike Tyson combined. Fighting from lightweight to heavyweight Sam Langford took on all the best fighters of the first two decades of 20th century. He spent the last years of his fighting career virtually blind where the bulk of his losses occurred, although he still won a number of fights impressively by knockout. He was an amazing fighter. His record was 214-46-44 16 ND 3NC with 138 Kayo's, according to research by historian Tim Leone.
Sam was powerfully built. His measurements were 5’6 ½’ with a 17” neck, 15” biceps, a 42 ½” inch chest and a 73” reach. He spent much of his prime career at middleweight, with his best weight about 165 pounds, by age 27 he was a small heavyweight weighing around 180 pounds. If he were fighting today he would have contended for titles from welterweight to light-heavyweight. He eventually weighed around 190 pounds and may have challenged heavyweights as he did in his own time.
Langford was a short, stocky, long armed and powerful puncher. He had huge shoulders and massive back muscles. He was known for his quick hands, debilitating left jab, crushing hook, powerful right cross, smashing uppercut and devastating body punches. He was equally adept at punching from long range or short punches at close range. When he had his opponent hurt he was a deadly finisher.
He was master at the art of feinting. His ability as a feinter is easily described in his knockout over the “white hope” Gunboat Smith. The Oct. 21, 1914 Boston Globe reported, “A couple of stiff jabs on Smith’s chin sent him to the ropes. Langford kept forcing Smith about the ring and when the gunner was near his own corner Langford feinted and Smith dropped his guard, Sam then shooting the right under Smith’s ear.”
Sam was also an outstanding defensive fighter; a master at blocking an opponents leads with an open glove with the rear hand in proper position, a master glove blocker and counter puncher as well as a fighter who would duck and counter putting his whole body into his blows. Sam had the perfect balance, timing and leverage of a great puncher. He also had an outstanding chin and was able to absorb the punishing blows of much larger men. A terror on offense and a master of defense Sam could do it all.
Al Laney wrote, "This is the man competent critics said was the greatest fighter in ring history, the man the champions feared and would not fight, the man who was so good he was never given a chance to show how good he really was."
Mike Silver stated, that Sam was "Quite possibly the greatest fighter who ever lived, Langford mastered every punch. His short hook on the inside and his right cross and uppercut were particularly deadly. His punishing jab was also one of the best. He was a strategist who knew how to maneuver, with the ability to explode out of an offensive or defensive position. He could instantly stop when retreating, revert to the offensive, and in the blink of an eye render an opponent unconscious with trip-hammer blows thrown in four and five punch combinations. Langford's every move embodied the technique of a studied master boxer. During his prime he was rarely outfought, out-thought, or out-punched."
William Detloff wrote, "Langford wasn't simply an all out slugger. He was smart and crafty and knew how to out-think guys in the ring. He could fight inside or outside and was impossibly strong. He was decades ahead of his time."
Ring founder Nat Fleischer reported, in Black Dynamite Vol 4, “Langford was as quick and slippery as an eel in action, highly intelligent and made up of surprising dodges from head to heels. Sam used his bulky shoulders and clever blocking arms to avoid blows and his potent punching power stayed with him until the end of his career.”
Gilbert Odd penned, “Langford with his massive pair of shoulders and long arms was a danger to anyone. Although only a middleweight he gave weight and a beating to many heavyweights.”
R. Stockton stated, "Langford had all the attributes of a great fighter, speed, punching power, an amazingly elusive defense, the ability to absorb punishment, and unlimited endurance."
W. Diamond wrote, “Sam Langford was a great fighter in an age of great fighters. In proportion to his height and weight there never was a greater fighting man."
Norman Clark who saw Sam fight on his tour of England wrote,All in the Game 1935, “On the whole, I think Langford was the most tremendous hitter in the Ring at this time; for, whereas Johnson would not, as a rule, let the heavy stuff fly until he had worn the man down, Sam always waded right in and immediately let go punches heavy enough to drop anyone. Of course, he had to work up his punch to an extent, however, and this he usually did on the giant Negro, Bob Armstrong, whom he had training with him. As he sparred with Armstrong, every now and again he would give him a dig "downstairs" that would have the big fellow gasping, and, to keep moving, he would then shadow-box for a short time before coming back to resume operations. There would be a few more exchanges, then whop! In would go another one to the body, and exclaim, "Oh"! He's got cramp again", Sam would do a little more shadow-boxing: and so, and so on.”
Clark also marveled at Sam’s quickness, “For working up speed Langford had Jimmy Walsh, the bantamweight champion of the world, with him. The pair used to box together lightly, but at a great pace, and I was surprised to find that even in this sort of work Sam was every bit as fast and clever as Walsh himself.”
Harry Wills described in the February 1953 Boxing and Wrestling Magazine what his knockout losses to Langford were like. Wills said he was hit so hard each time that he doesn’t remember being knocked out! "I was knocked out three times in my career, twice by Langford and in my last fight by Paulino Uzcudun. I still don't know, except from hearsay, what punches Sam used to knock me out. The first time it happened was 1914. We were supposed to go twenty rounds, when the fourteenth began I was going easy. Sam was in a bad way. I backed him around the ring trying to set him up for a one punch finish. His eye was bleeding and the last thing I remember was having him against the ropes just about five feet from his corner. It must have happened right then.” The Nov 27 San Francisco Chronicle reported that it was “a left hook to the jaw” that “turned the trick.”
“Two years later,” continued Wills, “we were scheduled for another twenty rounder. In the eighteenth Sam was in a peck of trouble and once again I tried to set him up for a quick knockout. He finished the round okay and when the bell sounded for the start of the nineteenth I was after him again. I figured if I could get him in a corner I could finish the fight. That was all I could remember. He must have caught me as I rushed in." The Feb 13, 1916 New Orleans Times-Picayune said it was "Langford's mighty left hook." Wills stated, "I don't know how long I was unconscious but it must have been quite a while. He was marvelous as a fighting man, I'd venture to say unbeatable in his prime."
In comparison to modern fighters Sam was similar to the experienced heavyweight version of James Toney in size, boxing skill and in his ability to take a punch. Sam also fought very relaxed like Toney did at his peak, but Sam had greater speed. In terms of punching power Sam approached that of Tyson. Imagine Toney with power coming close to that of Tyson and one has Sam Langford!
Sam story began when he left home in Nova Scotia, Canada, at an early age to escape an abusive father. At age 14 he was living as a tramp traveling from job to job when in Boston he walked into a small drug store and asked if he could get some work as he hadn't eaten for two days. Joe Woodman, the owner, fed him and gave him a job as janitor in the boxing gymnasium at the Lenox Athletic Club that he operated on the side. Sam watched the professional boxers train and studied their styles. Sam began to work as a sparring partner for some of the pro’s in the gym. Sam won the amateur featherweight championship of Boston at age 15 and turned pro the same year. He grew quickly and from age 16 he was a welterweight. Within a couple of years he was ready for the big time.
One can see how great a fighter Sam was by looking at his fights when he came in contact with world champions. In each account Sam won or was considered to be better. It is little wonder that no world champion wanted to face him.
Against the marvelous lightweight champion Joe Gans, Langford who had already grown into a welterweight, managed to catch the more experienced veteran champion fighting his second day in a row in different cities. Gans had to travel by train from Philadelphia to make the fight against Sam in Boston. Gans started off strong landing with a triple hook and a smashing right in the first round that stunned Sam. After that Langford showed strong defense blocking his opponent’s leads and countering. After five rounds the great champion began to slow from lag and Sam came on and won a 15 round decision. This fight is considered to be the only fight the real Gans lost in a period of more than 10 years.
The following year Sam got his chance at welterweight champion Joe Walcott, the Barbados Demon. The Sept 24, National Police Gazette reported, “Although the mill went the limit and was called a draw there were plenty present who thought Langford won. Up to the seventh round Walcott was unable to do anything with Langford. The latter (Langford) got away from his opponents leads and punched back with him. One of the swings, which caught Walcott on the jaw, almost put Joe out. In the tenth round Walcott, who was nettled because he could not catch Langford, began to slug. Langford though, was willing to mix it up and gave Walcott plenty to do, at the same time outboxing him.” Arthur Lumley, sports editor of the New York Illustrated News wrote, "My personal opinion is that Langford was entitled to the verdict, and should have been awarded the world's title." The 15 round “draw” was the only title shot Sam would ever get.
His only meaningful loss was to future heavyweight champion Jack Johnson in 1906. Langford was only a light-middleweight at the time against heavyweight Johnson. Langford would later admit that Jack “handed me the only real beating I ever took” (Fleischer p 141). Johnson floored Sam twice in winning a 15 round decision. Later as Sam grew in size, reputation, and experience and became a real threat to his heavyweight championship, Johnson refused to give Sam a shot at the title.
Langford was at his peak at middleweight when Stanley Ketchel was the world middleweight champion. Nat Fleischer wrote, “One hesitates to say that Ketchel, reknowned deservedly for his gameness, was afraid of Langford. But the fact remains that Stanley had refused several offers to meet Langford in a distance bout.”
They did finally meet in a 6 round no decision affair. The April 28, 1910 Philadelphia Bulletin reported “Sam Langford, of Boston, defeated Stanley Ketchel of Grand Rapids, Mich., in a 6 round bout at the National Club last night.” Langford established a superior jab in the first two rounds. In the third he “shook Ketchel badly with swings to the head.” In the fourth he “twice shook Ketchel with jaw punches and brought the blood from the mouth and nose with well timed jabs.” Langford let up in the last two rounds. “To sum it up, Langford was much the stronger and cleverer and his jabs had a disconcerting effect on Ketchel…the colored man looked to be in pretty good shape at the close, but Ketchel was tired and wild and the sound of the bell was a welcome interruption.” The newspaper verdict, contrary to some later published reports, was in favor of Langford.
Against light-heavyweight champion Philadelphia Jack O’Brien on Aug 15, 1911 Langford easily defeated the clever champion on a fifth round knockout. The New York Herald reported “Sam Langford, working on 3rd speed for most of the way, knocked out Jack O’Brien last night at the Twentieth Century A.C. in the first minute of the fifth round. The Negro was kind to the Philadelphia dancing master in permitting him to stay as long as he did, for he showed both by his power and his speed that if he cared to put on the accelerator the white man would have been lucky to have lasted more than the first round.” The Herald described the end, “After feinting and dancing with his rival for a time the Negro plunged a terrific right into the pit of the white man’s stomach and the latter howled from the pain of it. The Negro gave him a hard pounding and all the skill that he could marshal could not avail him…when O’Brien was bending over from the result of the impact the Negro dropped over a short left hook to the jaw and it was farewell for O’Brien. He went down on his haunches half-way through the ropes and then rolled over.” The referee didn’t need to finish the count.
Langford sometimes called the round on his opponents. In 1910 a sports writer, Beany Walker, wrote that Langford had, in his opinion, lost a previous match to heavyweight "white hope" Fireman Jim Flynn and predicted that the American would defeat him in a rematch. Langford however sometimes carried opponents to secure interest in a rematch for financial reasons. In the second fight when Sam had Flynn all set up, he shouted to Mr. Walker, who sat in the first row, "Hey, Mr. Walker! Here comes your champion" and Langford blasted him clear out of the ring and right into Walker's lap!
From 1910 and throughout the teens, Langford's rare power accounted for nearly every top heavyweight of the period. During this decade Langford kayo’d heavyweights Klondike Haynes, Jeff Clark, Gunboat Smith, Fireman Jim Flynn, Big Bill Tate, Battling Jim Johnson, Kid Norfolk and John Lester Johnson. He fought numerous bouts against the other highly avoided black heavyweights of this time. He fought Joe Jeanette 13 times, Sam McVey 13 times, and Harry Wills 18 times. He scored knockout victories over each man at least once. He has a plus record against both Jeanette and McVey. Only Wills got the better of their series, but their first fight did not occur until Langford was 31 years old.
A great example of Sam’s ability can be seen in Fleischer’s description of his bout with arch-rival Joe Jeannette, “Sam’s crowning triumph, the one that proved beyond a doubt that he was Joe’s master was on May 12, 1916 at Hoboken, NJ when he put Jeannette down for a clean knockout in the seventh round of a hurricane battle. Jeannette was lightning fast the first three rounds, his lefts continually flicking his opponent’s features, and again and again he dodged Langford’s wicked swings. But in the fourth, Sam slammed a terrific right to the stomach that made Jeannette bend over with a distinct gasp. The body punch seemed to have taken most of the steam out of Joe’s blows, and he never really recovered from its effects. In the seventh, Langford let go a right hand feint for the body. Joe fell into the trap and dropped his guard. Like a flash, Sam sent over a vicious left hook that landed flush on the point of the chin. Jeannette fell heavily, face forward. He rolled over and and was vainly trying to regain his feet when referee Cawley counted him out.”
In trying to determine when and how Sam went blind one can venture a guess that he suffered from a detached retina which is the most common way for blindness to occur from injury for a fighter. One may recall that Sugar Ray Leonard had surgery for a detached retina in 1982. Unfortunately for Sam the medical science of the early 20th century held little hope for him. According to the Nov. 22, 1935 Digby Weekly Courier, "Langford has been virtually blind since he fought Fred Fulton in 1917." This is when the first eye injury occured. The June 20, 1917 Boston Globe reported that Sam quit due to injury failing to come out for the seventh round and noted that "When Sam quit his eye was closed tightly." It was Sam's left eye that was injured first. This is astonishing, since he would have trouble seeing right hands ever after.
On June 5, 1922, at age 39, he fought future Middleweight champion Tiger Flowers. In this fight Sam was blinded in his remaining good right eye. He looked for Flowers but couldn't see him. Everything before him was blurred. The ring floor, the referee and his opponent weren't there! "There was something the matter for the moment with my eyes." Sam kept cool "I'll let Flowers come and get me." Flowers obliged and when in close, Sam put all he had behind one punch. He heard a gasp and then a thud, Flowers was flat on his back! (Boston Terror Website). The Atlanta Constitution Jun. 6, 1922, reported, "The fatal clout was a right chop that travelled something more than six inches." It was a second round knockout victory for the blind fighter. The doctors warned Sam that the optic nerve had been severely injured that one eye was blind and the other so badly damaged that If he didn't stop fighting he would lose the sight of that one, also. But Langford was broke and continued fighting.
"I went down to Mexico in 1922 with this here left eye completely gone and the right just seeing shadows. It was a cataract. They matched me up with Kid Savage for the title. I was bluffing through that I could see but I gave myself away. They bet awful heavy on the kid when the word got round. I just felt my way around and then, wham, I got home. He forgot to duck and so I was heavy weight champion of Mexico." (Weymouth Courier, Friday May 3, 1935). Sam's left eye injury and cataract in his right eye left him almost completely blind the last years of his fighting career.
In 1924, at age 41, "Sam was taken to French Hospital and one Dr Smith operated to draw together a muscular fold in the retina of this 'good' right eye. The operation was believed a success. But over the next eleven years Sam's seeing' eye again lost its sight." Weymouth Courier, Friday Apr 5, 1935. He retired from the ring for good at age 43. Sam eventually went totally blind.
Sam was living destitute in Harlem when newspaperman Al Laney of the New York Herald Tribune tracked him down and wrote a short series of stories on him in 1944. A sportswriter’s fund was established for Sam that cared for him until his death at the age of 72 on Jan. 12, 1956.
Sam was rated as the # 7 heavyweight of all time in 1958 by Nat Fleischer. Charley Rose, who saw Sam fight and greatly admired him, ranked him as his # 1 all time heavyweight. Herbert Goldman, in his 1987 ratings rated Langford # 2 at light-heavyweight. Cox's Corner considers him the # 1 all time light-heavyweight.
Two all-time greats, Sam Langford in his later years pictured with Joe Louis.
Sam Langford highlights. The salvaged black and white footage gives you the feeling that you're watching extinct mythical creatures, fascinating.
Just imagine—he was outmatched by a lightweight who was clearly past his prime.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Baseball_players_from_Panama
Duran was a lightweight and past his prime. when he faced Marvin. As per Marvin, the best overall fighter he faced was Duran. Duran fought Sugar Ray Leonard, Tommy Hearns, and Marvin Hagler, all after his prime. That is why Duran is considered, pound for pound, the best fighter of all time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Baseball_players_from_Panama
I realize that you're a huge Roberto Duran fan, and he was a great fighter, but every hardcore boxing fan knows that Sugar Ray Robinson is the greatest pound for pound fighter that ever lived, you'd be hard-pressed to find many P4P lists that don't have Robinson at number 1.
This sums it up pretty good.
Now if you'll excuse me, I don't want to hang out around the sports forum no longer than necessary, I'm not very liked around here anymore and it's a shame because I really could contribute to this place, I got a million thread ideas and boatload of humor. By the way, congratulations to Oleksandr Usyk for beating Tyson Fury yet again last night despite being disadvantaged in every possible way imaginable, height, reach, weight, it's truly incredible to witness such Heart from a fighter, the Ukrainian fighting spirit, and I know it means a lot to the people of Ukraine who are fighting for their very right to exist and live their lives as they see fit. It's going to be a real shame to watch Ukraine be handed over to Russia in 2025 and have to live on their knees. Anyway, congrats to a great fighter. 👍
"I'm not very liked around here"
You've only got 39 posts, but you've already racked up 46 Likes. Doesn't seem to me that you're not very liked.
I think it took me over 10,000 posts before I finally got up to 46 Likes. 😉
@Neanderthal
i like you bro, and you should absolutely mix it up more often. just remember, no one here is infallible. we're just a bunch of knuckleheads discussing sports, and occasionally we delve into tangential subjects. there are a couple of regulars whose hands i'd love to dunk in warm water while they are sleeping, but i guarantee you i'd buy those same peeps as many beers as they wanted if we bellied up to a bar together.
i say run it back, but try not to allow individualistic styles to get to you
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
Had to look up tangential…..
Also had to look up tangenital…..
1. Pertaining to or use of sun bathing while unclothed; being tanned in the nether regions