Harry Greb Confident He Can Beat Dempsey

This was in specific reference to the proposed bout between Harry Greb and Jack Dempsey that was offered by Philadelphia promoters after Greb defeated Gibbons. That is even mentioned in the article. In Philadelphia at the time the duration for bouts was limited to 4, 6, or 8 rounds.

From the articles that klompton2 posted you can see that when a 10 round fight was offered in Pittsburgh Greb jumped at the chance. He had also agreed, and even signed a contract, to fight Dempsey 10 rounds in Milwaukee in 1920. That was in the articles as well. Via those same articles Greb agreed to face Dempsey 10 rounds in 1925 only to have Dempsey pull out.

In the series of articles he wrote himself which were syndicated throughout the country in 1922 he writes about his belief that he could beat Dempsey in a bout of 12 or 15 rounds:

https://www.newspapers.com/image/119444630/

 

It's pretty clear that Dempsey avoided Greb. The duckage cost us a chance to see Greb, as this fight would have surely been filmed and preserved.

 

Don't you ever get tired of losing the same argument over and over again?

Im not sure about your point for 1925. A 10 round fight between Dempsey and Harry Greb was offered by Dempsey's friend Floyd Fitzsimmons. Greb agreed. Dempsey balked. That's an inescapable fact. There was no "I cant beat Dempsey in anything over 8 rounds" by Greb. He agreed.

Your point about Hollywood is totally inaccurate because Dempsey went to Hollywood in 1919. His first serial under his big contract was released in February 1920, 7 months before he fought Miske. The idea that suddenly he fell into this well of money in Hollywood after fighting Brennan and that suddenly fights with his contenders were too small potatoes for him is patently ridiculous given that he was willing to fight a dying man that Greb beat for the same amount of money he was offered to fight Greb that year after he was already getting paid from his motion picture contract.

Forget the fact that he was a boxing champion and had a responsibility to defend his championship or move on and let others have a crack at it. Your notion that we should give him a pass because he sat on his title and milked it at the expense of real fighters seems to be at cross purposes. Do you really believe he should be forgiven or lauded for this?

You keep bringing up supposedly "mickey mouse" promoters but you want to use that excuse only when its convenient for you and want to ignore the fact that the champion was more than willing to fight for these promoters provided the competition wasn't threatening.

Im not sure where you think you are going with comparing unknown Cubans who cant draw with Greb. Greb was one of the most sought after fighters of the era. You don't get as busy a schedule as he had because people don't want to see you in action. It was pointed out to your in earlier post that his fight with Tommy Gibbons was one in the top ten gates of all time at that point. To act like Greb was some unknown is an odd position to take. He was fighting marquee fights before anyone even knew who Dempsey was. Dempsey had the heavyweight championship. That was always, especially at that time, the pinnacle of sports and was always going to be a big draw but that's not really an accurate comparison is it? Why not compare Greb's box office with Dempsey's opponents? That's a more accurate comparison. Greb made more and sold more than guys like Brennan, Miske, and Gibbons, so once again the argument stands that if Dempsey was willing to face lesser fighters who were lesser draws than Greb for supposedly lesser promoters you the question has be asked why. I give most people credit and think they can see the pattern and see why.

Its comical how you post these little snippets taken completely out of context as if you've had this epiphany moment of discovery and then reject anything supporting a contrary view.

 

But Dempsey1234,

It's clear Greb beat many of the same guys Dempsey did, and in some cases looked better doing it! 90 years ago, boxing fans were even more familiar with it. Without a doubt, Greb earned a title shot.

Greb was white and smaller. There was no color line duck here, nor was Dempsey shy about facing smaller men. So what's the deal?

Perhaps Dempsey's poor showing vs. a rather mobile Willie Meehan in multiple fights gives some insight as to why this match did not happen.

 

You can't use Dempsey's losses before he became champ against him. He would go day's without eating and s****ped together as much money as he could just for a meal. When he finally became champ he was eating good and became his full potential. I think Greb could have beat Dempsey in a fight from 1-8 rounds. Maybe 10. There is no way he stays alive for a full 15rds.

 

Many have so little clue here.

Those days it was common for the hwt champion to take the title on the road. Exhibitions, vaudeville, plays and in Dempseys time the new media...motion pictures. There was no idea of "responsibility to defend the championship or move on". What the hell is that? When you are hwt champion you are hwt champion until you lose a real fight in the ring defending that championship. Period. It is well known Dempsey wanted to fight more often.

After Carpentier Rickard/Kearns were done with bouts that would produce limited revenue. A$100,000 purse was chicken feed. Dempsey commanded much more by that time.

 

Good Lord, Son. You put the Simp in Simpleton.

 

When Dempsey lost to Flynn and Meehan he was eating just fine. This part of his career is well documented.