Considering Tunney fought and defeated every man he ever fought through multiple weight classes, only losing a single fight (later avenged) to Greb, who routinely places top 3 in ATG lists. The 'Fighting Marine' was considered a master technician and boasts an impressive list of scalps on his resume. He was also revered by his peers but I notice he typically places modestly, around top 20 - why doesn't he rank higher in these all time rankings?
Gene Tunney may well have been the greatest lightheavy and heavyweight champ of all time. There is what I call era chauvinism. Fighters from a different era couldn't be on the same level as our special time in history - or could they?
Why not read some contemporary opinions about him prior to his wins over Dempsey and then compare these opinions with what same experts wrote about *real* ATG fighters from the same epoch or a little earlier?
I think he is judged just right to be honest. He was the best heavyweight in the world by a significant margin, but his decision to retire in his prime curtailed his accomplishments on paper. This seems to be the view that most people take.
Way over appreciated. Beat a worn out Dempsey only due to a referee's mistake. Was SAVAGED by a middleweight (Grebb), albeit a great MW. Did not fight even one single black fighter. Yes he called out Wills who turned down the opportunity but there it is. Maybe at LWH he's in the conversation but at HW...please, practically every HW champ from Johnson to Wlad gives him cramps. Louis obliterates him. A young Dempsey KO's him. Marciano beats him up like Grebb did. His moves, especially his footwork look good on the old film but put him in there with Roy Jones Jr and I guarantee he'll look like he's stuck in molasses. Dude was a good, crafty fighter but was fortunate to be in an "inbetween" time for great LHW's and HW's.
Arguably overappreciated as a HW. Basically his whole hw campaign was beating an ATG twice then calling it a career. Would have been comparable to Fury beating Wlad in a rematch and THEN going crazy and retiring. Nobody would have Fury in top 20 ATG HW ranking, but almost everyone has Tunney that high(hell, I have him around 15). Pound for pound underrated though.
Some books stated that Tunney was envisioning fighting Dempsey going back to Gene's WWI days. Gene, like Schmeling with young Louis, probably thought "I think I see's something".
The elephant in the room that nobody mentions is the gulf between what he could have been, and what he was. He was probably as good as he had ever been when he retired. The best heavyweights around at the time were Jack Sharkey, Johnny Risko, and old Dempsey (probably the best of the three). Had he defeated a few more contenders, we probably could talk about him as a top ten heavyweight today.
H2h Tunney beats almost all the heavys...that is how good he is...possibly greatest Lt heavy ever...I have Tunney in top 5 ever heavyweights...thanks
Greatest technical boxer to ever hold the hwt championship. Superbly conditioned, great jab, tough, great heart and will to win and underrated power. On any given night at his best he could beat anyone.
You guys honestly believe he could beat the best versions of the SHWs such as Lewis and Klitschkos? I understand he was revered in his time as an extremely skilled operator but he is severely undersized for a HW and hardly renowned for his power. Would seem to me a tall order but I would be interested in hearing any breakdowns for how Tunney could pull off such a feat against Lennox Lewis for example?