Did Greb ask Tunney to take it easy?

Did Harry Greb ask Tunney to take it easy on him during their fifth and final fight. I find this extremely hard to believe. I just read an article from Sports Illustrated dated Mar. 27, 1967 which reads:

"The ferocity of the hammering Greb took is indicated by a remark he made toward the end. In a clinch, he said, 'Gene, don't knock me out.' That from Harry Greb was monumental." That quote was actually from Gene Tunney's book.

This is an alleged quote from Greb himself, "He glanced around the speakeasy to be sure no outsiders were listening. "He was killing me in St. Paul," he confided. "I knew I couldn't stay the 10-round distance, and I didn't want to be knocked out or have the referee stop it, so I asked him in a clinch to take it easy. 'Sure, Harry,' he said. 'Stay in close and grab and hold, and I won't hurt you.' I knew I could trust him, and he knew I wasn't playing possum."

I just find this all hard to believe. Greb fought his ass off in every contest. He did lose to Tunney in a one-sided fight in their last meeting, but that doesn't mean that he asked for mercy. Even though Greb in a good natured way said "I don't want to fight you anymore" to Gene Tunney after that fight doesn't even mean that he didn't want to. I read that Greb was in favor of a sixth meeting. I don't know how successful he would've been, but in their fourth meeting Greb did get a newspaper draw. Some had him winning the 10 rounder. It is possible that Greb could've put on another great performance, thought I kind of think at that point in their careers, Greb not at his best anymore and Tunney in his prime and physically getting bigger, that Tunney may have had the better of it.

It seems the article is filled with quotes of Greb giving Tunney too much credit. It's like the second career of George Foreman always giving his opponents too many compliments, like his fear of Joe Frazier and his not really wanting a rematch with Ali, which I don't believe. I have read a lot on Greb, but this is the first that I've ever read that Greb would ask any opponent to take it easy. What doesn't make sense about the article is why would Greb admit that himself. If he asked Tunney for mercy, why tell people about. The whole point of this alleged request was to avoid embarrassment, right? So why admit to something so embarrassing? Anyway, have any of you read anything about this in Greb's book or anywhere else?

 

March 27, 1967
Blood, Sweat, Toil But No Tears From Tunney
The speakeasy crowd said it was an easy fight for Harry Greb, but somewhere in the midst of it a battered and bleeding young bookworm figured out how the champion could be taken
James R. Fair

This is the name of the article. Check it out.

 

I agree 100%, Burt. It just makes no sense at all. All of the writers that I have ever read that wrote about Greb all seemed to agree on one thing and that is that Harry Greb had as much heart as anyone to ever step into the ring. I don't think "take it easy" was in his vocabulary. Have you ever read Tunney's book? Did Gene Tunney claim that this was true? I find it hard to believe no matter who said it.

 

Someone on E.S.B. is currently reading Tunney's book. I forgot who it is, but if you happen to read this, please tell me if you read that he claims Greb asked him to take it easy. That goes for anyone else who has read Tunney's book. I haven't read it, but would like to.

 

You are right, that is the same guy. I did not notice that. I have read that Give Him To The Angels isn't a good book to read. E.S.B. really helps in situations such as this. We can all scan through our files and the internet, but when we have connections to other boxing fans they can do the same thing. It helps. It sounds to me like a die-hard Tunney fan decided to write a biography on Greb.

 

I personally hate this story. It seems to be fabricated. It contradicts with everything I have ever read about Greb. What alarms me is that one of the quotes is from Gene Tunney's book. Did Gene actually claim this?