LANGFORD AND JOHNSON.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVIII, Issue 1048, 7 April 1910, Page 13

LANGFORD AND JOHNSON.

As is well known to ring followers, Johnson and Langford have already met within ropes. The fight which was one of the hardest that either of the negroes have ever engaged in, took place on the evening of April 26, 1906, in the arena of the former Douglas A.C., Chelsea, Mass. Johnson won the decision at the end of fifteen rounds, the last half-dozen of which were all in his favour by a wide margin. It was the most terrific mill one is likely to see in a lifetime, and as for the yellow in a negro, neither man showed as much as a needle point in their whole make-up. No one who saw that battle has ever come forward since with any silly nonsense that Johnson can only use one hand, has only an uppercut, cannot punch, etc., for he demonstrated on that night that he is a firstrate pugilist in every department, and any boxer who meets him is running an excellent chance of getting hurt. Sam entered the ring weighing about 150 pounds, while Johnson had more than 30 pounds to the good on him, he tipped the scales in the near vicinity of 190 pounds. The exact weight of the men, if it were taken at the time, I have forgotten. In the first three rounds Johnson started to play with Sam, as is his custom, but he was soon forced to change his tactics as Langford got in some terrific clips that could be heard all over the building. To the sixth round Sam was coming splendidly, doing about all the aggressive work and forcing Johnson to break ground continually. In the sixth round, however, Sam got a straight left in the head that boosted him into the air like a toy balloon and down he came with a thud that would have taken the fight out of a half dozen Ketchels. Up to the count of eight Sam gave as good an imitation of a dead man as one can see outside of the real article. At ten, however, he was on his feet again, fighting like a very demon. So was Johnson, and an instant later he caught Langford with a fierce uppercut that would have killed an ordinary man. Poor Sam did a cartwheel in landing and this time the count went nine. He barely got by—but he did, and what’s more, on the come-up landed a right swing over Johnson’s heart that made the present black champion drop his hands and all but go down. Another punch like that and Sam would have won the fight, but Langford had been too severely punished himself to follow up the advantage. The bell ended the round with both men very tired. The remaining rounds of the battle were all Johnson’s, and while Sam now and then got in a blow, he was terribly punished, and was frequently forced to clinch to save himself from being beaten to the floor. It was a game but hopeless battle, so far as the Bostonian was concerned, and would never have been allowed to take place had Sam not insisted upon it because of a personal grievance he had against Johnson.