1916-01-03 Sam Langford L-PTS20 Harry Wills [Tulane Athletic Club, New Orleans, LA, USA]

1916-01-03 The Daily States (New Orleans, LA) (page 11)

LANGFORD MEETS WILLS AT TULANE A. C. TONIGHT

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Negroes In Good Shape and Promise Fast Bout, Says Promoter Burns

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BY HARRY MARTINEZ

Harry Wills and Sam Langford will enter the ring at the Tulane Club arena Monday night in good condition to furnish the local boxing fans with the first negro heavyweight scrap seen here in several months, according to word forthcoming from the local promoters of the scheduled twenty-round bout.

When the two last met here, the bout only went ten rounds, the decision going to the local negro. This was more than a year ago. Since then the Boston "Tar Baby" dropped Wills for the count in a bout on the coast. In this last scrap Wills floored Langford twice before the Boston negro packed the fatal wallop.

While showing here in but very few bouts, Wills is said to have made a big improvement in the past year. His fight here with Battling Jim Johnson was too one-sided to determine whether or not he has improved to any great extent.

Sport writers from the various sections have boosted Wills and fans will see for themselves just how good he is when he meets the most experienced negro fighter in the game at the Howard street arena.

Langford has been fighting for years during which time he has bested some of the best in the heavyweight division. Of late, Wills seems to be the only fighter in his class to give him trouble. Langford has trained hard for this mill and is looked for to put up his best fight against the local negro. Wills has been made the favorite.


1916-01-03 The New Orleans Item (New Orleans, LA) (page 8)

Wills Has Chance To Show He's Best Of All the Heavies

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(By Ham.)

The assertion frequently is made that Harry Wills, either now or in a year from now, will be the world's best fighter--in other words, will stand just where Jack Johnson stood just after he defeated Jeffries.

Joe Woodman, manager of Sam Langford, will not admit that Wills has much of a chance to beat Langford in their 20-round fight Monday night, but he does say that in one more year Wills should beat Langford and the rest of the blacks, and he intimates very strongly that he believes Wills, if properly handled, will develop into a better man than Willard.

They have been saying such things about Wills for more than a year. He hasn't developed as rapidly as was expected of him, but now that Jim Buckley, the man who contributed largely to the making of a near-champion out of Gunboat Smith, has him, the New Orleans negro may show surprising improvement over his last fight here, which was with black Jim Johnson.

This Was a Bad One.

That fight, by the way, left a dark brown taste in the mouths of local fans. Johnson was hog fat and had to stall his way through. It takes two to make a fight and Wills had no chance to show anything that night.

Langford will enter the ring considerably to the fat himself, but Sambo has had three experiences with Wills and the last, which was a boxing session of ten rounds, was so much of a Wills nature that Sambo has taken no chance this time, and is said to have trained harder for this engagement than for any in a long time. Sam probably knows he's sliding, and knows that this tall young copper-shade will get him if he is not very careful.

But Sam knows how to be careful. He hasn't been in the game for nothing all these years, beating some of the best men in the ring. He went down five times before Wills in their Los Angeles fight, but Sam was crafty and Wills wasn't and the result was that Wills took the full count in the fourteenth round.

Black Hope Needed?

Many wise fans fight shy of the black squadron, knowing that a lot of stuff has been pulled in the past year that wouldn't bear close scrutiny. Most of it has been in the 10-round no-decision bouts, however, and Wills and Langford showed in Los Angeles what is likely to happen in a longer fight.

Wills has a chance to stop Langford if he keeps a cool head. If he doesn't Langford will stop him again. Either outcome would not be entirely unexpected.

If Langford is knocked out Joe Woodman will have to start a search for a black hope. The only classy negro of the old brigade left besides Langford is McVea, and he is going. Wills would have no real competition as he is the only young one coming up.


1916-01-04 The Daily States (New Orleans, LA) (page 12)

WILLS WINS BLACK TITLE

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WILLS BEATS 'BOSTON TAR BABY' FOR BLACK HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE

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Negroes Fight Fastest Twenty Rounds Seen In An Orleans Ring In Recent Years--Local Negro Is Now Top of His Race.

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By COL. CLUKE.

Jess Willard, heavyweight champion of the world, is fortunate Harry Wills of New Orleans and Sambo Langford of Boston are negroes. If they were any other color, the celebrated "wild west hero" would be forced to defend his title against either man with a possibility of being bumped off the Queensberry throne.

In earning a twenty-round decision over Langford Monday night at the Howard-street arena, Wills convinced a majority of the big assemblage he is championship material. Langford, too, showed himself a great fighter, for in keeping Wills busy from start to finish, the defeated negro put up a very creditable scrap.

The black men, contrary to the word passed down the line, "who's turn is it?" gave a corking-good crowd a run for its money. It is doubtful if any heavyweight scrap of recent years measured up to it for speed. And as for the blows traded, something more than a wallop is necessary to put Sambo down for the count of ten.

With the possible exception of the twelfth when Sambo tried every trick he knew to ease the dreamland wallop over and had Wills worried, and in the eighteenth, Wills sending the Boston black to his corner partly groggy, there was not the least semblance of a knockdown.

Wills Loses Head When He Is Hurt.

Wills, however, is an improved fighter. He lacks experience to cope with a man of Langford's ability. His biggest fault is the same as when he fought McVey, losing his head when hurt. Langford peppered Wills with slashing rights and lefts to the jaw at different periods and in almost every instance, the native black opened up and narrowly escaped the deciding swing.

For the first ten rounds, and it is doubtful if two middleweights could have gone the same pace as the negroes, Wills, because of his advantage in height and reach, stabbed Langford with a left jab, using his right at times for a cross and hooking it to the wind. Wills showed a variety of punches that if used by Willard or some other fighter, would make him the best touted man in the heavyweight division.

In the second half of the scrap, though a trifle slower, excelled any black bout staged here in the past four years. Langford realized his only chance to earn the decision was by dropping his opponent to the cloth and the Tar Baby began a systematic attack, loafing one round and cutting loose with everything he had in the next.

Wills Shows Respect For Sambo's Left.

Wills continually retreated during the twenty periods and in the closing number hardly tried to land a blow. The local negro was also guilty of an unusual lot of holding, especially in the last half of the mill. Another referee would have probably penalized him for these tactics. It was evident throughout that Wills had a lot of respect for Langford's left, as every time the men locked, Harry tucked Sambo's southpaw lunchhook beneath his arm and held it as tight as if it were in a vise.

Just how much stamina Langford possesses, even though he is supposed to be a "fat old man" who has seen his best days in the ring, isn't difficult to imagine when he assimilated all of Wills' wallops to the midsection and continued to carry the fight to his opponent.

If Sambo is ready for the scrap heap, he surely must have been a great fighter when at his best.

In the preliminary mill, Young Kid Green lost a decision to Eddie Palmer.

According to the announcement made from the ringside, Langford and Wills fought for a $1,000 side bet. The currency posted was in the shape of a check. Tommy Burns handed it over to Wills at the conclusion of the mill.


1916-01-04 The New Orleans Item (New Orleans, LA) (page 8)

Wills Is Another Black Peril to White Heavies

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(BY HAM.)

The black squadron has an admiral. Another Jack Johnson has come out of the colored population of Louisiana and boxed himself to the front through the ranks of the Langfords, the Jeannettes and the McVeas--all good ringmen and better than the run of white heavyweights.

One or two of these still may be good enough to win a decision over Harry Wills, but his improvement, as shown in his 20-round victory over Sam Langford Monday night, means eventual command of the situation, and that very soon. He has been beaten by the entire trio of black rivals, but in his last three times out against them he has outboxed McVea in 12 rounds, and outpointed Langford both in ten and in twenty.

Langford has been the best of the negro fighters, Johnson excepted, for a long time, and a decisive victory over him even at this late day is quite enough for the fans of ebony hue in New Orleans and vicinity to rave about.

Will History Repeat?

Such a feat establishes Wills as the best heavyweight in the world, barring Jess Willard, and a little development may soon make him a better man than the white champion.

This comparison may be distasteful to many followers of fighting, but who knows that the time isn't far off when this brown-skinned negro of New Orleans and the giant of Kansas will meet to settle the supremacy of the races just as Jeffries and Johnson did--when the black man won?

It doesn't take a great stretch of the imagination to picture this in the face of ring history that is not seven years old. The then invincible Jeffries retired and bestowed his title on another white man, Tommy Burns, who refereed last night's fight, came along and won it.

How Demands Started.

Burns was a good fighter, but a small man. He would have been a great champion of light heavyweights. Everywhere the fight fans and experts of the game said there lived a better fighter than the champion himself. Eventually Burns agreed to defend his championship against the black man and the black man won.

Then the call for Jeffries to come out of retirement. The title must be restored to the white race. Wasn't Jeffries the real champion, anyway--only in retirement?

Public appeal and the false confidence that has carried nearly all champions to their defeat brought Jeffries out of retirement--but the black man won again. It took a young Lochinvar to come out of the west to restore the title.

Is It the Last?

Jack Johnson's reign was thorn enough in the sides of white men, but it was more odious because of his criminal character. An exile from the United States it was necessary for Willard to meet him in Cuba.

"Well, that's the last. There'll never be another fight between a white man and a negro for the championship," declared the sporting public with great relief from its agony.

Willard declared he would not meet a negro as long as he held the title, and recently when he signed for a championship fight here he demanded that the phrase "any white man" be inserted in the articles.

Let's hope sentiment will always stand as an effective barrier against "mixed fighting." If there should be a return to it for only a few matches there same condition that prevailed when Burns was champion might arise again. Wills probably could beat the Morans and Coffeys, and the fighting world doesn't yet look upon Willard as a great champion.

Wills Sambo's Master.

From the time Wills shot a straight right to Langford's nose in the first round and sent him half-way across the ring until the twentieth round, Wills was master of the situation. There were isolated instances of Langford's superiority, but it would be hard to give the Boston tar baby more than four rounds of the entire twenty.

Though in the early rounds Langford's hitting was the cleaner, and though he carried the fight in the majority of rounds, Wills scored point after point when his shorter opponent was unable to reach him at all. It suited Wills for Langford to carry the battle to him. Inexperience might have led the local negro into many an error had he been compelled to force the fighting.

Sam Can't Put It Over.

Langford had only one effective weapon in his attack, and that was a vicious lightning left hook, which sometimes rocked Wills' head, but more often was dodged or blocked. Wills surprised the ringsiders several times by ducking under this blow, and Langford had trouble measuring it.

The tar baby sacrificed boxing and all else to land a knockout via this punch. He took blow after blow hoping to "get one over." Had he landed half the punches that Wills scored the local negro never could have weathered the 20 rounds.

Wills was content with his boxing, and only now and then traded blow for blow. His long left, which he sometimes used in a sort of corkscrew jab, worried Sambo considerably, but Harry's only drive of any force was his straight right, which would have been more punishing had he not drawn his body from it as he shot it.

There was no lack of speed or action. It was the fastest and best heavyweight fight staged in any New Orleans ring in years.


1916-01-04 The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA) (page 11)

HARRY WILLS WINS GREAT BATTLE WITH 'SAMBO' LANGFORD

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Local Negro Proves Himself Peer of All Fighters of His Color.

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After one of the greatest ring contests ever seen in New Orleans, Harry Wills, local negro heavyweight, was awarded the decision over Sam Langford, of Boston, in twenty rounds at the Tulane Athletic Club last night, and thereby established himself as the peer of all negro heavyweights.

Wills earned eleven of the twenty rounds, while Langford could claim but five. And when the final gong sounded the end of what probably was the fastest heavyweight battle ever held in a roped arena, there was not one of the 4000 spectators that packed the arena who was not of the opinion that the verdict of Referee Tommy Burns was a just one.

None was more convinced of Wills' right to the victory than the veteran fighting machine, Langford, who showed as early as the twelfth round that he realized his only chance of winning lay in a knockout. This frank admission on the part of the great little Boston fighter, coming in the form of a throwing off of all intentions of trying to win on points, was well received by the fans, who appreciated that "Short Sam" was acknowledging that he must win by a knockout or lose.

For twelve rounds Langford used every bit of his remarkable boring-in defense to cover him while he attempted to penetrate Wills' guard, with unsatisfactory results. The giant New Orleans negro was Langford's master at the finer points of the game, and the Boston "Tar Baby," whose experience as a ring gladiator extends through nearly fourteen years, made no attempt to evade the issue by hiding the fact that he knew he was being outpointed.

ALWAYS GOING IN

And it was this willingness on Langford's part to toss aside the chance of getting a draw anyhow by slowing up and making Wills lead, which made the struggle one which long will be remembered by those who saw it. Throughout the entire twenty rounds the Boston negro kept after Wills with bull dog tenacity, forcing the fighting as fast after he dropped his guard as when he was picking off Wills' blows coming in.

At the end of the twenty rounds, Langford was beaten, but not disgraced.

There were no knockdowns, but this must not be taken to mean that there were no hard blows landed. There hardly was a second during the whole contest when mighty blows were not being exchanged, in the clinches, which were few and of short duration, as well as out of them. That there were no knockdowns, can be attributed to the fact that both men were in remarkable condition.

Never did Harry Wills fight as he fought last night. Only once during the whole battle did he appear to be facing defeat. This was in the twelfth round, when Langford shook him up considerably with a stinging left hook and a mighty right cross to the jaw, causing Wills' knees to sag.

Outside of that spell, however, the local heavyweight seemed one of the most confident fighters in the world, and though there were other rounds in which he was bested by his stocky antagonist, he always walked to his corner with the bearing of one who was sure of victory.

Seldom missing his punches, Wills pecked away at Langford's guard in the early rounds, sometimes raining ineffective fusillades on Langford's gloves and arms, but at other times beating down the Easterner's defense and peppering Langford's face with left jabs and hooks and right crosses and uppercuts.

WILLS ALWAYS AT EVENS

While in the clinches and in most of the toe-to-toe bees, Wills held his own in the majority of cases and in some fought the ever-coming Boston negro to a standstill and momentarily checked "Short Sam's" advance.

Langford could have made a better showing if he had cared to wait for Wills to come for him. He could have kept covered for twenty rounds and probably would not have been outpointed so far.

But the Boston negro considered himself champion fighter of the negro heavyweights, and he was out to prove it. He had knocked Wills out once, and he was anxious to show that this victory was no fluke, and though he did not accomplish his end, he at least proved that it was through no fault of his own but solely because in the Wills of last night he met a greatly improved fighter from the Wills he knocked out in fourteen rounds at Los Angeles, and because the Wills of last night proved himself one of the greatest heavyweight fighters the ring has known in recent years.

As has been said, the end of the twelfth round found Langford with a little the worst of things as far as points were concerned, though he had been the aggressor throughout.

At this stage of the game, the Boston "Tar Baby" decided he had waited long enough to begin his real battle.

So he bored in even faster than he did before, only he decided to devote more of his attention to landing blows than to blocking them.

While he did not altogether quit picking off all the dangerous wallops he could, Langford obviously showed that he was out to land a decisive wallop if he had to take a hundred. And right here let it be said that Joe Woodman's veteran battler stopped many a blow with his face during those last eight rounds. His left eye, which had been badly puffed since the early innings, closed altogether in the fourteenth, while his right eye, lips and nose were considerably battered up.

From the thirteenth round on, every move of Langford's was pointed toward one goal--a knockout. His vicious left hooks to the body, and his right and left hooks to the head carried worlds of steam, and once or twice he rocked Wills.

But Wills remained cool and collected, and showed lots of stamina in assimilating Langford's hardest punches, at the same time keeping a volley of left jabs and right crosses in Langford's face as he stepped around and landing many a terrific right swing and uppercut to Langford's kidneys and ribs in the clinches.

So anxious was Langford to turn the tide of battle that as the rounds wore on he became wild, and Wills' advantage stood out in stronger contrast.

Wills enjoyed every physical advantage, being more than a head taller than his opponent, and thereby being able to reach over Langford's shoulder and deal telling blows to Sam's kidneys.

Langford was much faster than when he fought Wills here before, sometimes dancing in like a flash with a left jab to the wind, and with left hooks to the jaw.

Wills weighed about 210 pounds, while Langford scaled in around 190.

The men fought for a side bet of $1000, which was handed to the winner by Tommy Burns after the fight.

1916-05-19 Harry Wills W-PTS20 Jeff Clark [Louisiana Auditorium, New Orleans, LA, USA]

1916-05-20 The Daily States (New Orleans, LA) (page 7)

WILLS OUTCLASSES CLARKE; QUALIFIES FOR M'VEY ON JUNE 2
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Missouri Cinder Manages To Stay Limit By Holding Opponent; Wills Makes Very Poor Fight; Spectators Hiss Negroes For Tame Bout.
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BY COL. CLUKE.

Harry Wills, giant New Orleans negro heavyweight, earned the right to meet Sam McVey in a 20-round bout at the Louisiana Auditorium on June 2, by decisively defeating Jeff Clarke, a Missouri cinder Friday night, in a one-sided contest.

The bout was a typical negro affair. It was evident from the outset Clarke's only excuse for entering the ring was to stay the limit. He was outclassed, outweighed and lacked a foot or more in height. By clinching at every opportunity and holding Wills around the waist, he managed to answer the last gong.

From a Queensberry standpoint, the scrap was by far the poorest ever staged at the Carrollton Avenue arena. At times it seemed as though Wills was allowing his opponent to stay twenty rounds. Wills fought very poorly, rarely ever attempting a jab, using his right hand to club Clarke on the back.

The only interesting part of the mill was Wills' superior wrestling tactics. In the ninth round the local negro picked his undersized opponent up and dashed him to the ropes and floor. For a time it looked as though Clarke would land among the spectators. There was such a great difference in strength that Wills could have thrown his opponent out of the arena entirely had he so wished.

Crowd Hisses Fighters; Wills Makes Poor Showing.

The spectators hissed Wills for slamming Clarke to the floor. At times some of the crowd yelled "Fake!" Wills did not fight within fifty per cent of his last bout with Langford. Had he done so the contest would have hardly gone more than three or four rounds.

An amusing incident occurred in the twelfth round. Clarke darted across the ring and slipped down in Wills' corner. He seemed to injure his knee or hip and limped a minute or so. When the bell sounded his second started rubbing the game leg, one of the spectators shouting: "You've got the wrong leg; he hurt the other one."

The only knockdown, and there is considerable doubt as to its legitimacy, occurred in the fourteenth frame. Clarke suddenly sank to the canvas and rested while Referee Fay tolled off seven. Wills seemed to push his opponent to the floor, the spectators snickering at the Missouri negro as he appeared to be in great distress.

Nearly every round was a repetition of the other. Wills would have probably fought had Clarke shown a disposition to trade blows. Clarke, however, preferred to stay twenty rounds and take his percentage of the gate receipts, avoiding as much punishment as possible.

As a negro heavyweight fighter, Clarke doesn't belong in the celebrated Tan League at all. He is a busher pure and simple in comparison to the McVey, Langford, Johnson and Wills combination. Clarke and his manager will do well to make their share of the purse last a long time, for it isn't likely a New Orleans audience will tolerate a repetition of the contest.

Johnny Brown defeated Young Joe Gans in the ten-round semi-final, and the battle royal was awarded to a negro called the Pullman Cinder. The negro orchestra entertained the spectators twice as much as the entire fleet of fighters Matchmaker Tortorich mobilized.


1916-05-20 The New Orleans Item (New Orleans, LA) (page 8)

WILLS CAN'T MEASURE CLARKE AND MAKES A SORRY SHOWING THOUGH HE WINS DECISION
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(By Joe Carter.)

It's not often that a pugilist is handicapped by the smallness of his opponent, but this is just what occurred in the black heavyweight contest at the Louisiana Auditorium Friday night. Harry Wills, local negro, met Jeff Clarke, the "fighting ghost" from Joplin, Mo., in 20 rounds, and made probably his poorest showing since graduating from the preliminary ranks down at the old Northside Athletic Club, although he won the decision.

Clarke is probably a foot shorter than Wills and had little trouble ducking Wills' right leads at the head. The only punch that Wills could have used to reach Clarke's stomach is an uppercut, and this he didn't try because Jeff kept well covered. The visiting pug fought only a defensive fight and when he went into his shell the local negro was unable to land on a vulnerable spot. Whenever Wills started a right cross he found his opponent already in close out of harm's way. Wills realized it was next to impossible to reach his smaller foe's jaw and after the first five rounds was content to wrestle and wait for an opening. Had Clarke been a foot taller whereby the local negro could have measured him off with some accuracy, it is probable that the fight would have ended before the 20 rounds.

Several times during the melee Clarke went to the mat but only twice was he knocked down. Twice he slipped and several times he was wrestled to the canvas. Never once during the fight did he have the least semblance of a chance. He cut loose several wild swings but they all missed their mark by several inches.

Joe Gans wasted a greater portion of his time in the preliminary with Johnny Brown, showing Johnny some of the latest steps in dancing and when the gong sounded which ended the fracas the decision went to his opponent. Gans made a poor fight and is not as good as when he was fighting Leo Johnson and other top notch colored lightweights.

The battle royal furnished plenty of amusement. The other bouts were very ordinary.


1916-05-20 The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA) (page 16)

WILLS LETS CLARK STAY THE LIMIT
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Local Negro Gets Decision at the End of Twenty Slow Rounds.
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Harry Wills was under triple raps Friday night at the Louisiana Auditorium, and that spells the reason why Jeff Clark, the so-called "Fighting Ghost" of Joplin, Mo., went twenty rounds. Of course, Wills got the decision at the end of the slow and uninteresting affair. There was no doubt about it. Nothing but Wills all the way.

Just why the local negro heavyweight refused time and again to follow up advantages when he had the spook on the verge of a knockout is a question which had the majority of those present guessing.

But a little light may be let in. Harry and Jeff--or Mutt and Jeff sounds better after Friday night's fracas--are signed to meet in Pensacola a week or two hence. Twitch! And everything is illuminated.

Wills did not "lay down." Neither did Clark. Wills was a top-heavy favorite to win, and he did win. There could be no room for doubt as to the honesty of his intentions. He intended to win. But at the same time he didn't intend to do any "levelling," because "levelling" might have killed that Pensacola match.

As to the passage of arms in the roped arena, it was "duck, rush and clinch" on Clark's part, and "wait, swing and be-careful-not-to-hit-too-hard" on the part of the big local spade.

Twice Wills knocked the "fighting ghost" down. He was careful not to knock him down again, and refrained from sinking those mighty right uppercuts into Jeff's body after half a dozen rounds. Once or twice Wills threw Jefferson down, while once or twice the Joplin goblin slipped.

It was a very poor fight. Had it not been for the presence of a "brown skin" orchestra, the entertainment at the L. A. Friday night would have fallen flat, as Young Joe Gans and Johnnie Brown gave a miserable demonstration of the Queensbury art. Brown got the decision.

1914-05-01 Sam Langford ND10 Harry Wills [National Baseball Park, New Orleans, LA, USA]

1914-05-02 The New Orleans Item (New Orleans, LA) (page 7)

Sam Langford Wins, but Wills Makes Good Showing in 10 Rounds
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LANGFORD WINNER BY SMALL MARGIN
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New Orleans Negro Shows Great Promise in Defeat by Best Light Heavy.
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Wills Makes Great Fight of It and Has the Better of Three Rounds.
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(BY WILL HAMILTON.)

New Orleans is now advertising to the sporting world a new hope of the black race. As a result of a hard fought 10 round bout between Sam Langford, best light heavyweight in the world, and Harry Wills, which was so closely contested that there is wide difference of opinion as to the proper verdict, Wills is now conceded to be one of the best heavy men in the ring. He is a more formidable opponent right now, perhaps, than many of the widely advertised white hopes, and the superior of all negroes save Johnson, Langford and Jeanette, all of whom are "going back," while Wills is just now peering out of the oblivion of inexperience and lack of opportunity.

Friday night's decision belongs to Langford unless one wants to be so liberal as to give a deserving "under dog" the benefit of a draw. Langford's margin was indeed small, but it was margin enough, for a carefully kept score shows that he outfought Wills in four out of 10 rounds, and three were even, leaving three to the local negro's credit.

Wills Makes a Creditable Showing in Many Rounds.

Wills made a highly creditable showing. He was far more courageous than the majority of Langford's opponents are, and showed flashes of boxing skill which gave a favorable glimpse into his future. He appeared to advantage in the accuracy, more than in the force of his blows. He used almost exclusively a straight right, which frequently found Langford's jaw.

There were many imperfections in Wills' style of fighting, though. He failed to take advantage of his physical superiority. Standing several inches over six feet, he is a good head taller than the low and stocky black man from the East. His arms are longer, and in the open he had every chance to hit and get away without return. Instead of this, though, Wills continually permitted Langford to work in close quarters, the only way a man of his stature can work effectively against one so much larger.

Local Negro Fails to Follow Up His Advantages.

Footwork was lacking in Wills' repertoire. He was awkward--perhaps due somewhat to the smallness of his adversary--and he failed to follow what would have been in his case the more effectual system of stepping around his opponent, in and out, as he brought into play all of his reach and jabbing skill.

In short, Wills fought in many rounds a "sucker" fight, just the kind that Langford wanted, though there was never a round in which Langford could show some of the skill for which he is famous. Wills hit and clinched, hit and clinched, and while this would have been all right as a change in style, it was playing right into Langford's hands for the simple reason that Langford's chief hope of doing damage to his larger opponent was to get in as close as possible. As an infighter Langford is far superior, and as a hitter at close range he is Wills' master. A man with long arms can't well hit a man who is hugging him tight, but a man with short arms, if he is a good infighter, can get in his very best work under these conditions.

Wills Shows Much Better When Fighting in Open.

For instance, the description of rounds shows that when in the open Wills was always the better, for he could land on Sam without the fear of a return of a clean blow because his opponent couldn't reach him; while in the clinches and in close quarters Langford was much the better because he could use his short arms as a battering ram to the body, or bring his glove up from either side for a jolt to the jaw.

This bringing of either hand up to the point of the jaw, while holding his opponent's body close in a vise-like hug with the other arm, is Langford's specialty in fighting large men. That, as much as anything else, has been responsible for Sam's success. In other words, he long ago learned to make his low stature count in his favor. Compared to his height, Langford has long arms, as they reach just enough to hold his man so that he can neither wiggle nor squirm, nor use his own hands with any degree of force.

Best Blow of the Fight Nearly Puts Wills Down.

At this style of fighting Wills frequently hung his head over Langford's shoulders to avoid these elevated punches to the face and jaw. There was no chance for him to use his own hands as long as he was enveloped in Sambo's grip.

Langford was slow starting. Wills had much the better of the first two rounds. Sam had looked over his man by this time, though, and began to show something in the third. The fourth found him leading, and he kept this up through the eighth.

The best blow of the fight was delivered by Langford in the seventh. It was a left to Wills' jaw, just after they had broken from a clinch. Wills caught it full force, and he wobbled and shook at the knees for a second as though he would crumple.

Langford Stops Scores of Blows With Gloves.

The continual working of straight rights to the face by Wills had a large part of the big crowd, whose sympathy was with Wills, thinking that Harry was always scoring cleanly. They did not understand, perhaps, that the majority of these blows were being stopped by Langford's gloves.

In the protection of both face and body Langford was a master. It was just like picking berries, as George Siler used to say, the way Sam would ward off blows as they were rained at his face and head.

Yet Wills seldom varied his attack. There was Sam's big stomach, a much more attractive target for one of Wills' long reach, but Harry never trained his guns in that direction. Sam was very careful about his body, too. Several times when he thought he was about to be attacked at that, his most vulnerable point, he dropped his guard there for protection, but always bringing it up again in time.

Sambo Fat, and Wears Wide Stomach Bandage.

Sambo is much fatter than he was a couple of years ago. He is as round as a butter-ball, and wore a wide, thick bandage to keep his stomach from impeding his movements, and also as a protective measure. This "belly band" is always one of the first signs that an aging athlete or one of such build as Langford exhibits when the time has come that he cannot train off the superfluous weight.

This is not to say that Langford was out of condition. He was perhaps in as good condition as he can get in. His flesh was not softy and flabby. He appeared hard even in the regions of fat. Sam is almost as thick through and through as he is tall, and as he is always set squarely on his feet it takes almost superhuman strength to stagger him. The only time that Wills shook Sam up at all was when he caught his opponent on the point of the chin with a right cross.

A few months from now Wills should be on a footing with the best of heavyweights. It won't be long before he will be the declining Langford's master.

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Not since the Mandot-Wolgast bout at Pelican Park in 1912 have so many fight fans witnessed a local ring event as were at the Langford-Wills fight Friday night. The attendance was close to 4000. Nearly 1000 were refused admission. The gate receipts were over $5000.

The bout was staged at the National ball park, an ideal place for an event of this character except for its location.

Two big stands, one covered, the other in the open, were filled with negroes, and several hundred ringside seats in a section reserved especially for them were occupied.

Three other stands and three sections of ringside seats were occupied by whites, and hundreds stood.

It was an all-negro show, and the only departure from the colored scheme was in the announcer and referee of the main event. "Buddy" Griffin was the referee, and he made a good job of it despite the fact that he is many pounds lighter than either contestant. A negro band played, little negroes and larger negroes fought in the preliminaries.

Around the ring, though, were congregated many men whose names are familiar all over Louisiana in commercial and political life. More than 100 taxicabs, touring cars and limousines brought the more opulent fight fans. The gates were opened early in the evening and all the space for negroes was taken a little after seven o'clock. The seating arrangements were splendid.

That section of the city has seldom been accustomed to so much excitement, but the crowd was well-behaved and well-handled by the police.

Four bouts between negroes preceded the main go. In the first Jack Marshal defeated Kid McGill. Kid Green and Kid Harris fought a draw in the second mill, while Young McCoy stopped Kid Frenchy in the first session of the third bout. Frenchy claimed he was fouled, but a colored doctor said he wasn't. The preliminaries were brought to a close by a poor fight between Young Washington and Young Terry, which affair was declared a draw. "One Round" Charlie officiated as referee.

Score by Rounds, Which Shows Sam Winner by One
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1st--Wills.
2nd--Wills.
3rd--Even.
4th--Langford.
5th--Langford.
6th--Langford.
7th--Langford.
8th--Even.
9th--Wills.
10th--Even.

FIGHT BY ROUNDS
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First--Sambo struck the first blow, a light left, which reached Wills' jaw, and he followed it with a stomach jab with his right. Wills cut loose with a straight right to the point of the jaw. Sam rushed into a clinch and then brought his left up to the jaw. Breaking out of this, Wills backed away and then threw gloves at Sam as rapidly as he knew how. Some of these reached Sam's map, one in particular rocking Sam's head a little. Others were caught on his gloves. Langford crossed his left to the face lightly, and then missed. Wills had done most of the leading and clean fighting, and it was his round.

Second--After a good deal of hugging, in which Wills threw Langford around a bit in an effort to get into the open so he could hit, Langford led with his left and failed to reach Harry, taking a stiff left jab in the face. Harry put two straight rights to the vicinity of the nose. Langford scored with light left and right to each jaw. Wills turned loose a straight right, then a left to the face, and Langford retaliated with two lefts to face and a light tap on the stomach. Sam's face stopped another straight right. Wills.

Third--Langford brought his left up to the rangy Wills' jaw, but lightly. Each led and missed and Wills made Langford break ground. Langford snapped two lefts to Wills' face, and took a right. A swelling and bruise appeared under Wills' right eye as the result of butting by Langford as they came out of a clinch. Wills ended the round with a right to the jaw. Neither has an advantage.

Fourth--Wills again showed to advantage in boxing, using both mitts and landing a couple of times on Langford's face, but Sam didn't budge. It was apparent that Wills hadn't any steam. Harry landed with a left. Sam then began to work on Harry's midsection a bit, doing effective work in a clinch, and then delivering a hard left to the wind as they broke. Wills hit and clinched, and repeated after another break, this time connecting with a left jab. Langford brought his left up and over to the jaw hard, the best blow of the fight so far. Langford's round.

Fifth--Langford started with a left to the face, shaking up Harry a bit, and then put one behind it that was harder and shook Harry up still some more. Wills started boxing again, but was met with a hard left to the face. Wills landed a right swing on Sam's jaw. They clinched and Langford got in effective work, showing much better as an infighter. Wills let loose a light left and right. Langford was carefully protecting his stomach all through this round as though he expected a change of tactics on Wills' part, but Harry made no attempt at body blows. Langford's round.

Sixth--Langford started holding Harry so he couldn't hit. Wills complained. Now and then Sam worked a bit on Harry's stomach and put one or two hard blows to the side. After the breakaway Langford used his left effectively, one to the jaw, another to the nose. Wills poked two straight rights to Langford's face. Langford rammed his left to his opponent's side and then brought his right up to the jaw. Sam was working for close-range fighting. In the open he lunged at Harry with his left but didn't reach him. Wills missed two rights, and after failing to jaw with his left, fell into a clinch. He worked a short right to the face, and shifted with a left to the side. There was no force to any of Wills' blows in this round. Langford's.

Seventh--Langford got a regular grizzly hug around Harry with his left, and hit with his right. Wills was then ducking his head over Sam's shoulders to avoid blows to the point of the jaw, but he caught a light right there. In the open again Wills rushed Sam to the ropes. Sam's squeeze had angered Wills, and Sam wasn't in good humor himself, so they roughed it a bit. Langford then turned loose the best blow of the fight, a left to the jaw, that staggered Wills considerably and forced him into a clinch. It was the only time that a knockout seemed imminent. Recovering, Wills shot a hard right and left to Langford's jaw. Langford missed and clinched. Wills' right glanced Sam's face, then he led with his right to the face and clinched. A moment later Langford tried to reach Harry with a right and failed. Wills scored with three light left jabs as Langford came in. Langford's round.

Eighth--Langford reached his adversary's nose with his left. Wills hit with his right while going out of a clinch. Harry then hit and clinched, but practically all of his blows were blocked by Sam's gloves. Langford brought his left up again, and then took a left uppercut to the chin, one of the few blows of this character landed by Wills. Again Sam brought up his left and crossed with his right to the jaw. Wills struck Sam with a light glancing right and received a left to the body. Wills then peppered Sam with a left and right to the face. Langford scored with a clean left, and Wills got in both lefts and rights as the bell rang. Even.

Ninth--Harry got in hard left and two rights to the face, and rocked Sam's head with a right. He played the hit-and-get-away game to advantage, taking only a light left that doesn't reach him with all its force. Wills jabbed and backed away, and showed better than at any time since the second round of his boxing. Wills scored with straight right and took one in exchange. Harry got in two rights to the face without return. Langford rushed and landed hard left just before the gong. Wills' round.

Tenth--Langford, as in several other rounds, beat Harry to the first punch, which was a light left to the face. They exchanged blows but most of these were blocked by both men and no damage resulted. Wills' left glanced Sam's face. Langford then got in two lefts and a right to the face that had a sting to them. Wills landed two rights to the body. Wills then started raining rights in Sam's direction and the crowd cheered wildly, but not a blow reached Langford's face. All were cleverly stopped by his guard. In a clinch Langford brought his right up and over for the final blow. Even.


1914-05-02 The Times-Democrat and The Daily Picayune (New Orleans, LA) (page 13)

LOCAL NEGRO BESTS SAM LANGFORD IN FAST TEN-ROUND BOUT--GREAT CROWD PRESENT
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Sam Langford, Boston's world-famous negro heavyweight, started too late last night, and when he reached the wire after a ten-round sprint he was in the wake of Harry Wills, local negro heavyweight champion, who put up the greatest fight of his young career. Wills earned the decision on his work in the first four rounds of the fight, and though he did not win by much of a margin over Langford, he showed enough "stuff" in his fight last night to demonstrate that with a little more confidence he will be a hard man to beat.

Langford was too confident. He went into the ring under the impression that he was meeting another of the many "local" favorites he has polished off in his long career. The fact that he was beaten in the first round didn't change this idea. Nor did the second. He did not realize that he was up against it until the fourth round. By that time he had allowed his tall and shifty opponent to get a big lead over him.

On the other hand, Wills lacked confidence. Had Langford's great reputation not taken the big negro's nerve to a certain extent he undoubtedly would have put up a much better scrap. Even after he had the edge on Langford--after the first four rounds--he could not gain the confidence which he needed to continue fighting the experienced, cool and hard-hitting little "tar baby." And Wills held. Did a lot of holding and tried to blame it on Langford. He wrestled a lot, too.

WILLS LACKS CONFIDENCE.

If the local negro had just kept away; if he had only collected confidence enough to give him the idea that he was winning, and if he had kept his head at all times he would have pulled up with a much wider margin over his famous opponent. As it was, when Langford stung him with a smashing left hook in the fifth round he started to hold. And when the referee attempted to break them Wills made a "stall" about being held.

All Wills needs is a little more confidence, and his great showing against the Boston black should give him this.

Langford was in great shape, despite his "fat" appearance. Not once during the whole ten rounds was the little dwarf-like fighter hurt, even though Wills put his terrible right on his jaw time and again. Wills would knock him back, but each time Sam would counter, and was more dangerous after taking a hard one than he was at any other time. Several times he dropped his hands and allowed his huge opponent to swing away with both hands.

In the seventh round Langford did this. Deliberately dropped hands and Wills foolishly waded in. The next moment the big local spade nearly measured his six feet three inches on the canvas. He was caught with one of those world-famous left hooks, and his knees sagged under him, while his jaw dropped. It was plain to all that Langford's heavy punch had "found" him.

But he came back and fought hard. Except when he was in a clinch, he always was trying. He appeared tired at the end of the seventh round, with his eye cut and bleeding and his face puffed up. Langford, however, hardly seemed to draw a long breath during the whole fight, and the final gong found him fresh as a daisy, while Wills was obviously weakened somewhat from the grueling pace.

The fight was one of the best ten-round bouts seen here in months. Except in the clinches, there always was something doing, and in many of the clinches Langford made it interesting with his smashing right and left hooks to the jaw and his work to the body. It was either in or coming out of a clinch that Langford landed his best blows. Three different times during the ten rounds he nearly dropped Wills.

GREAT CROWD ON HAND.

One of the greatest crowds which has attended a ring contest here in recent years saw the two black heavyweights battle. The worst part about it was the fact that many persons went there with solid coin in their hands and couldn't get in. More than 5000 fans were packed in the National Baseball Park, where the bout was held, while there probably was a thousand more who didn't get in.

The general admission seats were sold out two hours before the first preliminary started. Anxious negroes were on the grounds as early as 6 o'clock. The stands went in a hurry and then the ringside seats were sold. Finally the gates were closed on a great mob eager to get in and a body of several hundred fans determined to get in threatened to break through the fence. There were not enough policemen on the grounds to handle the throng. According to Promoter Tortorich, he telephoned headquarters long before the rush, but got no more officers. When the crowd outside made actual demonstrations against the fence the gates were again thrown open, though Promoter Tortorich says his gatekeepers were instructed to tell every one that there was standing room only. Hundreds of fans, unwilling to miss the fight, packed the grounds between the ringside seats and the grand stands. It was an immense crowd.

Four preliminaries between local negro fighters were held and then the main bout fighters were ushered in. Langford was the first to enter the ring. He appeared too fat, though the fight which followed proved he was in great shape and substantiated the fact that he always does seem flabby. Wills kept him waiting, probably with the hope of getting his goat.

When the two negroes stood in the middle of the ring a shout of laughter went up. Wills towered his squatty little opponent, but Langford simply looked up at him and smiled. Sam had fought these kind before and the loftiness worried him not. The "tar baby" settled it in his mind that Wills would fall hard. Wills weighed about 210, Langford about 190 pounds.

THE ROUNDS.

Round 1.--Langford felt his man out for the first few seconds. He tried a left hook and then shot over a right cross. Wills retaliated with two right crosses to the jaw in quick succession. Langford brought up a stinging left hook, going into a clinch. The blow made Wills wince. Wills hooked his left hand about Langford's neck and brought up a hard right uppercut to the body and another to the jaw. Wills tried several left jabs, and then put over another right cross. Langford covered during the latter part of the round. Wills' round.

Round 2.--They clinched. Wills worked right to the wind and Langford put hard left hook to head. At long range Wills shot over right cross and Langford countered with terrific left hook to the jaw. Wills put right and left to body in clinch. Langford split his left eye with hard left hook. Wills broke away and landed right cross. Langford landed left hook. Wills put hard right cross to jaw. Wills' round by shade.

Round 3.--Langford worked hard in clinch. Wills missed right cross and Langford landed left hook. Wills came back strong, putting both hands to Sam's head and rushing his man to the ropes. Langford jabbed twice with left and started to work in clinch. Wills landed terrific right cross at the bell, staggering Langford. Wills' round.

Round 4.--Wills cut in with left hook and Langford covered. Wills had better of fight at long range. Langford landed left hook to jaw. Wills shot in three smashing right crosses, each landing fairly on Langford's jaw. Sam, unhurt, countered with terrific left hook to head. Wills landed another right cross. Langford staggered him with left hook to the jaw. Wills landed uppercut in clinch. Wills' by slim margin.

Round 5.--Langford hooked twice to jaw. Wills worked both hands to head. Langford made him blink with stinging left hook. They threw themselves at each other like tigers. Langford appeared to shake himself and he started fighting in earnest. They divided honors in a terrific exchange in the center of the ring. Langford swung left uppercut to wind. Both fighting hard at the bell. Even round.

Round 6.--They clinched and Langford had better of infighting. Langford landed left hook. Wills appeared tired and held on. Langford jabbed and landed right hook to jaw, going into clinch. Langford landed hard left hook to jaw and a moment later brought up hard right hook. Wills put right cross to head. Langford jabbed and Wills met him with right cross, knocking him back. Langford staggered Wills with right hook to jaw. Langford's round by big margin.

Round 7.--It began to look black for Wills, but he fought back hard. They rushed into a clinch and Wills started fussing to Referee Griffin about being held. Langford smiled scornfully. Wills was holding. Langford landed several left and right hooks to jaw and right uppercut to wind. Langford dropped his arms and Wills rushed in, putting both right and left to head. Langford nearly dropped him with terrific left hook to the jaw. Wills held tight in the clinch. Langford jabbed and hooked right. Langford worked hard in clinch. Wills put both hands to jaw, Langford standing with guard lowered. Langford's round.

Round 8.--Wills came back strong. He landed a right cross. Langford brought up left hook. Wills jabbed and rushed into a clinch. Langford worked with both hands to body in clinch and landed left hook to jaw. Wills landed right uppercut coming out of clinch. Wills landed right cross. Langford put right to jaw twice in clinch. Sam shifted and hooked with hard left to jaw. Wills landed two right crosses at the bell. Even round.

Round 9.--Wills rained lefts and rights to jaw, Langford taking them coolly. Langford missed a left hook and then landed one. Langford jabbed and Wills fought back hard. Wills measured him and landed right cross. Langford swung heavy left to jaw, knocking one of Wills' teeth out. The fighting was terrific in the latter part of this round. Wills rained rights and lefts at the bell. Wills', by a shade.

Round 10.--The spectators were on their feet and there were many yells for Wills. Langford tried hard for a knockout or at least a knockdown, but he couldn't put it over. He landed hard left hook, then sunk heavy left hook, then sunk heavy left to stomach, rebounding it to the jaw. Langford landed another left hook. Wills put heavy right cross to jaw. Langford hooked his left to jaw and then to wind, Wills countering with right cross. Both men were fighting hard at the bell. Even round.

1913-07-01 Harry Wills D-PTS10 Joe Jeannette (New Orleans, LA, USA)

1913-07-02 The Daily Picayune (New Orleans, LA) (page 10)

JOE JEANETTE
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Only Gets Draw With Local Black Boxer Willis,
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But That Was Because He Wanted Too Long Before Turning Loose His Punch.
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Joe Jeanette, who ranks as one of the first of the black negro heavyweights of the world, appeared at the Northside Athletic Club last night before an overflow audience and boxed ten rounds to a draw with Harry Willis, the Darktons slasher.

It was a gruelling fight from the start, with the local Senegambian leading by a pretty fair margin through the eighth round. Heavy blows were given on both sides, and the men stood bravely to the task of battering and smashing in half-clinches for the better part of the time consumed. Jeanette began to show some speed in the ninth, and put over a few rights to the jaw that had a rather depressing effect on the Willis. At the close of the tenth Jeanette was coming strong, and looked as though he would have won had he taken the aggressive early and fought at long range.

Zeno Green was a rather picturesque referee, and his draw decision was popular with the crowd.

The preliminaries saw the usual earnest and sure-enough fighting, so different from the fakey article handed out in some of the white clubs.

Kid Marshall and Little Nick were the principals in the first glove duel, and Little Nick went out for six minutes from a clout in the jaw in the sixth round. One-Round Charlie and Black Ben started in for ten rounds, but Black Ben found the going too fierce and did the laydown act in the third round.

There was the irrepressible rag-time band on hand to make murderous assault on melody, and between the bouts the white fighters who are to participate in the Fourth of July stag were introduced.


1913-07-02 The New Orleans Item (New Orleans, LA) (page 8)

JEANETTE STARTS TOO LATE AND DRAWS
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Had Joe Jeanette, the negro heavyweight, who ranks as one of the best colored heavyweights in the country, started his aggressiveness in the early rounds, he would have easily beaten Harry Willis, the local negro heavy, at the Northside Tuesday night. Zeno Green, the referee, called it a draw at the end of the tenth round.

Kid Marshall knocked out Little Nick in the sixth round of the preliminary and Black Ben "laid down" in the third round to One-Round Charley. Black Ben found the going too hard.