SAM LANGFORD WHIPPED.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVIII, Issue 1048, 7 April 1910, Page 12

SAM LANGFORD WHIPPED.

FIREMAN DEFEATS NEGRO. Last week a cable announced that Tommy Burns, ex-cnampion heavyweight, has accepted a challenge to fight Sam Langford, the negro boxer, at Richmond, near Oaklands, California, on September 25 for a purse of 25,000 dollars (£5,000). Sam Langford has always been looked upon as invincible, and many boxing authorities hold the opinion that if given a fair chance Langford would undoubtedly win the world’s championship. Many of the best heavyweights of the present day are said to have sidestepped the stalwart negro who first came into prominence by beating lan Hague, the English boxer in such quick time. The battle between Langford and Johnson in April 1906, which is described in these columns this week, was one of the fiercest ever fought, and as that took place four years ago, since when Langford has improved greatly as a fighter, it is easily seen that Hague’s conqueror is a power to be settled with in the ring. Langford, who is short in stature compared to Johnson is a finely proportioned pugilist, and Burns will certainly find him a very tough customer. However, it has always been said that the floor or the prize-ring is paved with surprises. The truth of this was brought home to us when the wires flashed the news that Sam Langford had been hammered to a standstill by Fireman Jim Flynn at Los Angeles on the night of February 9. It was a ten round affair, and, according to the ringside reports, Langford was off balance the whole time. One correspondent > says: “Flynn fought the master battle of his life, whipped Sam Langford, the black wonder, decisively, and turned the boxing world topsy-turvy.” Another said that Flynn’s plan of battle was to press in close, with his face covered, until he had drawn Langford’s fire. Then he fell upon Sam, carrying him to the ropes, and raining blows on both head and body. They say that at the finish of two rounds Langford was pinned in his own angle of the ring, while Flynn hammered him mercilessly. In some of the rallies the black ceased fighting and held Flynn around the neck, his knees bending the while. It was ten rounds of heart-breaking work, but at that Flynn failed to score a knock-down.

FIGHT VIEWED WITH SUSPICION. In San Francisco, the affair was viewed with suspicion. It was recalled when Flynn and Langford met once before in this city Langford disposed of- Flynn with a couple of wellplaced punches. Flynn on the occasion referred to entered the ring looking every inch a loser, and there was a strong suspicion that he threw himself upon the spears at the first chance that presented itself. For Flynn to turn around and make a punching-bag of Langford seemed, to San Francisco, a startling reversal of form. : The Los Angeles critics and Flynn’s friends generally in Los Angeles were very sore at the stand San Francisco took in the matter. The Southerners claim that Flynn licked Langford

fairly—that black Sam was out-slug-ged during every second of the fray. Who knows? It was brought up San Francisco way that Langford kept himself under wraps for the purpose of coaxing Stanley Ketchel into a match. Langford has been after the Michigan Boy for a coupie of years, and still has hopes of landing him. Ketchel says he is going over to England to tackle Tom Thomas, the English champion, if he is successful in his affair with Klaus —A new middleweight