Today is Samuel Langford’s birthday. ESPN called him the “Greatest Fighter Nobody Knows.” I didn’t know who he was until I Googled him.
Sam Langford was a black Canadian boxer that fought in the early 1900s. Most agree he was one of the greatest fighters of all time. Aside from his short height of 5′ 7″ (which some argue was still an advantage), he had everything–speed, intelligence, wit, mobility, fast hands, long arms, and a great finish. Mike Silver, author of the Ring Boxing Almanac, wrote, “Langford’s every move embodied the technique of a studied master boxer.”
It’s said that at the beginning of one of his matches he addressed the crowd saying, “You’ll pardon me gentlemen if I make the fight short. I have a train to catch.” Sam then knocked his opponent out in the first round, left the venue, and caught his train.
Sam won more matches than George Foreman and Mike Tyson combined, but never won a World Championship. Due to his color and inability to raise the guarantee money for a fight, he was denied the opportunity to compete for a world title. Many thought he would have been a sure winner against anyone. The other top fighters of the time were afraid to face him.
After retirement, Sam ended up blind and broke, living in New York City. Fans heard about his situation in a sports article and set up a fund to help. Clay Moyle, Langford biographer, reported that Sam was “perfectly content with his lot in life,” and showed no bitterness over having been denied the chance to fight for the championship. His high spirits and optimism remained until the end.
Never give in to the bitterness.