Sam Langford Fights Stanley Ketchel

Op woensdag, April 27, 1910, reigning World Middleweight Boxing Champion Stanley Ketchel fought a six-round, non-title match with African American boxer Sam Langford. Langford is one of the greatest boxers of all-time. Echter, Langford found himself frozen out of world title fights by promoters and boxers adhering to the “color line.”

Promoters and boxers used the “color line” to prevent African American boxers in the late 19th and early 20th century from receiving the title shots they so richly deserved. Ketchel at least fought Langford. Most champions showed their cowardice by even refusing to fight some of the great African American boxers like Langford and Sam McVey.

Born in Nova Scotia, Canada on March 4th, in either 1883 of 1886, Langford stood five feet, six inches tall and weighed 185 pounds as a heavyweight. Langford fought from lightweight to heavyweight. For this fight, Langford had to cut down to the middleweight limit of 160 pond.

Stanley Ketchel, “The Michigan Assassin”, was born on September 14, 1886, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ketchel feared no man. After agreeing to go easy in a 1909 exhibition match with World Heavyweight Champion Jack Johnson, Ketchel tried to double-cross Johnson and knock Johnson out in the 12th round of the twelve-round exhibition.

Ketchel was powerful but only knocked Johnson down. Johnson unleashed an uppercut that knocked Ketchel out cold. Johnson’s seconds found two of Ketchel’s teeth embedded in Johnson’s glove.

When Ketchel fought Langford at the National Athletic Club in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ketchel was two months away from a fall vacation at his friend, J. P. Dickerson’s, home near Conway, Missouri. Ketchel’s constant fight schedule had started to wear him down.

Ketchel could not use activity as an excuse when Ketchel fought Langford. Langford versus Ketchel was Langford’s sixth fight in the first four months of 1910.

Both Ketchel and Langford started slowly with Langford landing the most blows. Ringside reporters said the fight looked more like a gym sparring match. The spectators booed both men to end the first round.

Ketchel and Langford picked up the pace in the second round. Langford jabbed Ketchel in the face repeatedly in between Ketchel’s hooks and wild right hands. Ketchel did land a handful of powerful punches. Reporters scored the round even.

Ketchel started round three by landing a left hook to Langford’s head. Langford replied with two lefts and a right. Both Langford and Ketchel struck powerful right hands to the body. Langford’s frequent jabbing put him a little bit ahead. Langford takes the third round.

Langford continued jabbing in the fourth round. Langford threw a right cross to bloody Ketchel’s nose. Ketchel showed fatigue as Langford jabbed freely. Langford scored with a right to the chin to put the exclamation point on the round.

Ketchel showed a second wind as Ketchel came out swinging. Ketchel hit Langford with a right cross to Langford’s ear. Langford responded with the jab while using his superior defense to avoid most of Ketchel’s offense. Ketchel did hit Langford with two good left hooks to the body. Langford swung wildly back at Ketchel with a left hook, but Langford slipped on the canvas and fell. Ringside reporters still gave the fifth round to Langford.

Langford and Ketchel shook hands to start the sixth round. Being the last round, both Langford and Ketchel swung freely. Langford jabbed and hooked. Ketchel threw right cross-left hook combinations. The fighters ended the round throwing power punches at center ring in the first even round since the second. The fans cheered the end of the fight.

While the bout would officially be a no contest or draw, Langford won the newspaper decision of the reporters covering the fight. Before the 1910s, if a fight ended within the regulation time the fight was declared a draw or no-decision. Referees, and later judges, did not start deciding the winner of the fight until the 1910s and 1920s.

Langford so impressed Ketchel that Ketchel intended to break the “color line” and defend his title against Langford. Ketchel intended to fight Langford after his vacation. Unfortunately for both, a ranch hand with a criminal background murdered Ketchel at Dickinson’s farm during October 1910.

Sam Langford never won a world title outside of the World Colored Heavyweight Boxing Championship. Langford won this title five times. Op augustus 13, 2020, the World Boxing Council granted Langford an honorary world championship addressing a great injustice from the past.

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Sources: The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) April 28, 1910, p. 10

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