How is it possible that we have no (known) footage of Harry Greb fighting?

You can search the prior threads in this Classic Forum and obtain a lot of information. The topic has been pretty well exhausted. Klompton2 is the Harry Greb expert and a notorious film collector. He no longer posts on this forum, but his posts may address most of your concerns and more.

 

Suit yourself.

 

A lot of films were lost during war time. There is the possibility that Greb footage survives somewhere but no actual fights have surfaced thus far.

 

There probably was film of Greb but if it wasn't stored correctly and or updated time would have destroyed it.

 

I've heard in a YouTube comment section that there's actually some films of him that got lost because of the materials they used to screen the fight,I forgot the material but it's not as long lasting like the ones they got on Johnson vs Burns for example

 

This **** keeps me awake at night op, incredible

 

In part, it's because of the law against transporting fight films between US states, which was brought in after Johnson - Jeffries and not repealed till 1940. This made it less likely that a film would be archived in the US, and also meant there was simply less of a commercial incentive to make the film in the first place.

 

Last documented private showing was in 1978

 

The mysterious Craig Long posting about Greb vs Walker?

 

Footage doesn't exist because Greb didn't exist.

He was a social experiment conducted by the CIA with the cooperation of various boxing coaches and promoters to see how long people would believe in a hyped up legend. Writers made crazy money raving on a out the "Pittsburgh Windmill" describing his vicious and wild crowd pleasing style. Skilled elite boxers were bribed to confess they either had rough fights with or lost to the mythical Greb to inflate the reputation of the fictitious fighter. Whenever the demand for evidence reached a breaking point after too many rumors circulated, paid actors would show up for staged bouts with credible opponents.

Hardcore boxing experts with discerning eyes were able to spot obvious problems with the actor's timing, accuracy, stance, etc for a guy who was supposedly so skilled. The decisions over otherwise genuinely credible opponents were also called into question after reviewing the footage. Thus, the project was abandoned and the CIA undertook the monumental task of scrubbing all footage of Greb from every archive available. Film collectors were harassed or silenced. The actors who played Greb received adequate compensation, changed identities, and moved to either Canada or Brazil.

 

The search button has been better, it´s not as easy to find precise info by the search anymore...

 

I know someone who knows something but that's all I can say.

 

I told you not to mention my Greb career set.