It’s a tragic story, however a basic one, instructed many occasions in boxing: the proud, outdated king, refusing to bow gracefully to the passage of time, saddles up for one final battle towards a younger warrior simply coming into his personal. Sometimes the older man provides a callow youth a stern and painful lesson, however because the details of life are by no means simply overturned, and because the easy reality stays that youthful bodily specimens make for higher athletes, extra usually, youth is served. Such was the case when former gentle heavyweight champion Philadelphia Jack O’Brien, within the twilight of his extraordinary profession, confronted a major Sam Langford, aka “The Boston Bonecrusher,” in New York Metropolis in 1911.
O’Brien, a intelligent boxer who modeled his fashion after his idol, James J. Corbett, was identified for not drawing “the colour line” and gamely locking up with nearly anybody at any time. Considered one of his best ring feats was going six rounds with the good Jack Johnson whereas giving up some forty kilos in weight. Just like the Langford struggle, that match additionally befell years after O’Brien’s prime, and but it was reportedly a really shut affair. In response to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the referee thought the smaller man edged it, whereas the reporters readily available had been break up as to who was extra deserving, some arguing for O’Brien based mostly on “the luxurious displaying he made towards such an amazing bodily handicap.”
However with Langford, no such heroics befell. It have to be remembered that whereas O’Brien might and did compete with heavyweights occasionally, “The Boston Terror” made a dwelling battling the massive males, despite the fact that he too usually fought at a major weight drawback. He confronted formidable heavies resembling Harry Wills, “Fireman” Jim Flynn, “Massive” Invoice Tate, Sam McVea, and Joe Jeannette not a few times, however umpteen occasions, and when he wasn’t battering them into submission he was giving them shut and determined struggles. Langford, along with being a greater than succesful ringman from a technical standpoint, was just too robust and highly effective for O’Brien, particularly at this stage of the previous champion’s profession.
It’s value noting that Langford additionally fought “The Galveston Big” and, by most accounts, together with Sam himself, he endured a 15 spherical battering from the longer term heavyweight champion of the world. However recall that on the time of that encounter Langford was nonetheless a novice at skilled fisticuffs, and within the years that adopted Johnson refused to ever grant a rematch. Maybe Sam’s spectacular showings towards so many different prime heavyweights of the time had one thing to do with that.
Merely put, for a superb lengthy stretch, no fighter was extra feared than Langford. Years later Jack Dempsey admitted as a lot: “I feel Sam Langford was the best fighter we ever had. … Even at my greatest I don’t know whether or not I might lick him or not.” So kudos to courageous Jack O’Brien for having the heart to take him on.
The Twentieth Century Membership in New York Metropolis hosted the Langford vs O’Brien tilt and, in response to all stories, it was an eventful although largely one-sided affair. Yours really now steps apart to permit a first-hand description of the historic encounter to take heart stage. Herewith, an abridged model of the account from the September 2, 1911 version of Mirror and Sport journal. To cite:
“Langford was sort to the Philadelphia dancing grasp in allowing him to remain so long as he did, for he confirmed by each his energy and his velocity that if he had cared to placed on the accelerator the white man would have been fortunate to have lasted greater than the primary spherical. Though Sam was not hitting as exhausting or as usually as he can, by the point that the fifth opened O’Brien was working across the ring for pricey life and holding on at any time when he might.
“Langford sounded faucets on the white man within the fifth when he sunk one into the abdomen and when O’Brien was bending over from the results of the affect. Langford dropped over a brief left hook to the jaw, and it was farewell for O’Brien. He went down on his haunches half by the ropes after which dropped over. Charley White, the referee, began the depend and when he noticed what a helpless situation the Quaker was in, he waved the Negro away. Langford, knew, although, that his work had been accomplished very expeditiously and wanted no warning to stop hostilities.
“Due to earlier issues that these two boxers had accomplished within the ring there have been many remarks to the impact that the pair had been faking it. To be completely honest, nevertheless, with each, the struggle regarded completely on its deserves.
“O’Brien began at a quick tempo and he saved up a merry tattoo on Sam. The blows that he landed had been gentle and wouldn’t have accomplished any nice injury to a featherweight. He saved Langford chasing him, however Sam developed some velocity within the sprinting line himself, to the shock of the gang, and by no means let the white man get very far. One straight left to the face that despatched O’Brien reeling for a second was the one exhausting blow within the first spherical, and there have been all kinds of murmurings about the entire thing being prearranged.
“The Quaker was capable of proceed his fancy stuff within the second. Langford began for the abdomen and Jack started to grunt as if he would love nearly something higher. Early within the spherical Sam poked a left to Jack’s nostril and a thick stream of crimson started to drip down over his lips. The Negro gave the impression to be simply warming up and all indicators pointed towards an early end.
“If Langford had been in any explicit hurry to catch a prepare again to Boston he might have settled Jack within the third spherical. Within the early a part of this era Sam hooked one into the abdomen together with his left and bounced it proper as much as the jaw. O’Brien went down with a thud, and the Negro turned his again and walked away as if he felt that it was throughout.
“O’Brien was capable of stand up, and for the primary time the Negro smiled. As an alternative of going after Jack … he intentionally toyed with the white man. O’Brien held on for all he was value, and Langford gave him an terrible beating on the kidneys when he wouldn’t let go. A sudden left to the jaw despatched Jack staggering again towards the ropes, after which Sam gave the Quaker a tough battering. O’Brien was very wobbly underneath the fusillade. A pointy left hook that sunk into Jack’s abdomen lifted him up off the ground and despatched him sitting flatly. He crawled over and took the depend of 9 and was capable of final solely as a result of the bell rang in time to save lots of him. He was very groggy when he went to his nook.
“[In round four], after feinting and dancing together with his rival for a time, the Negro plunged a terrific proper into the pit of the white man’s abdomen, and the latter howled aloud from the ache of it. The Negro gave him a tough pounding and all of the talent that [O’Brien] might marshal didn’t avail him. Simply earlier than the bell Langford hooked a left to O’Brien’s chin and despatched him reeling to his stool.
“O’Brien made pretty much as good a displaying as is likely to be anticipated of him, after the very long time since he has fought a superb man. He landed many punches on the Negro, however they’d no snap to them and he would possibly simply as properly have been throwing chook shot towards a metal turret. His lightning jabs within the early phases raised somewhat bump over Langford’s eye, however past that the Negro hardly knew that he was within the struggle. After O’Brien was introduced spherical all he mentioned was that the ‘different fellow was somewhat an excessive amount of for me.’” — Robert Portis
