Gibbons v Tunney

[Minotauro]

Originally Posted by McGrain

Any idea when the blindness in his one eye began?

Apparently Kid Norfolk went bling in his left eye after a fight with Lee Anderson in 1921.

[Minotauro]

Originally Posted by klompton

Norfolk lost the vision in his bad eye against Lee Anderson in the fight just before his first fight with Greb.

beat me to it.

[abraq]

Originally Posted by Carmelo Modica

Tunney was the fastest HW of all time.
Ali was similar to him but Tunney was lighter and therefore faster, had better stamina and was more difficult to hit. Ali was more powerful.

So anyone who weighs 200 lbs will always be faster, have better stamina and be more difficult to hit than someone who weighs 220.

Is that it?

[mcvey]

Originally Posted by SuzieQ49

Gibbons was washed up, norfolk was even more washed up! norfolk was BLIND at this point!! he shouldnt have even been granted a boxing liscense.



Tunney looks good, lots of ring intelligence for his time. but on the flipside, I think gene looks very amatuerish and unmodern the way he keeps his hands by his waist and tries to lean back from punches, a modern skilled fighter would destroy that kind of style. He benefited from facing smaller older fighters, but against bigger young jabbers he'd be in alot of trouble. Tunneys straight right is fast and sharp, but its not very powerful. I think he throws arm punches a little too much, even though they are fast and straight. he doesnt twist his body into his punches for power. his whole style while fast, seems to herky jerky....way too stiff, no rythm.. he doesnt box loose, smooth, and cool like a charles. I think tunneys biggest strength was his intelligence, he was great at timing his punches because he was very intelligent.

Tunney while he defintley helped modernize boxing in some ways, I think many of the greats conn/charles/burley took what tunney did and developed it into more modern style... gene was great for his time, but boxing from the 1940s on much more advanced.

Suzie Tunney could hit allright he kod Gibbons and Madden who no one else did.

[klompton]

It was rumored that Madden took a dive...

[mcvey]

Originally Posted by klompton

It was rumored that Madden took a dive...

I never heard that ,why would he?Tunney dropped Madden with a left jab right cross that put him down for 9,When he got up a left hook put him down for 10.Tunney ,and his management had an impeccable reputation ,I find it very hard to beleive they would be party to a dive.

[mcvey]

Originally Posted by abraq

So anyone who weighs 200 lbs will always be faster, have better stamina and be more difficult to hit than someone who weighs 220.

Is that it?

It's strange that 160lbs Ray Robinson and 212 lbs Ali were measured for their handspeed in frames per second Ali was the fastest.There are fast big men and slow small men,this generalization is unsubstantiated and without scientific foundation,rather like the arguments of it's author CM.

[klompton]

An impeccable reputation? Are you kidding me? Tunney was a mob connected fighter. His manager, Billy Gibson was hired strictly to give Tunney an edge in judging in New York. For the record Gibson was a front man for Max Boo Boo Hoff a notorious Philly gangster. There have been all sorts of stories about behind the scenes deals helping Tunney navigate to a championship. Why would they have Madden take a dive? To make Tunney look more impressive than his lukewarm press had been in the past. Madden was one of the most famously tough guys in that era. He took a hellacious beating from Wills without going down (you should see his face after that fight its disgusting, I have the film) he took the best Fred Fulton had and came back to beat the hell out of him only to get robbed, he took Heeneys best (I have that fight one film), He took a hellacious beating from Gibbons and didnt go down when Gibbons was knocking everyone out, Bill Brennan etc. You cant tell me that Gene Tunney with bad hands, who wasnt a big puncher anyway was knocking Bartley Madden out and especially not in the 3rd round. It takes him fifteen to knock Carpentier out, after he had dropped him a few times before and had him basically helpless but he KOs Bartley Madden in three... O... K....

[Legend X]

I have a longer version of highlights of this fight. I like the way Tunney goes to the body in this fight, and his strength is evident throughout. Tunney was growing physically still at this time, and improving technically.
Gibbons was probably some way past his best but he's giving his all in there still.

[Legend X]

Originally Posted by klompton

You cant tell me that Gene Tunney with bad hands, who wasnt a big puncher anyway was knocking Bartley Madden out and especially not in the 3rd round.

That's a stupid reason to believe it must have been fixed.
Surprising results happen.