Gene Tunney: Is he a top 10 ATG heavyweight?

He tried to fight Wills (who was old) but Wills ducked him to protect his standing as no 1 contender to Dempseys crown (backfired obviously). He couldnt fight Sharkey because Sharkey lost the eliminator to Dempsey. I kind of think it adds to his legacy that he retired when he did, because he was always a smart fighter who knew how to win and when to attack fighters. The fact that he got out (unlike most others) before it was too late adds to his legacy.

In fact, when we all meet up in the afterlife to watch the ultimate all time elimination tournament, dont be surprised in the slightest if Tunney takes a back seat, waits until the winner of the tournament parties themself out and gets old, and then fights and beats him to retain his (the only one) lineal title!

 

Nah....

Resume-wise and H2H, he comes out in the top 15 for me, though.

And I think he'd be fine with that. Damn fine fighter, and possibly one of the most secure, well put together fighters ever. The dude was just okay with who he was and what he did. And he did a whole lot.

 

Had Tunney not retired he would have beaten all the champs that came and went in the interlude between Tunney's own retirement and Joe Louis...and easily.

 

Nah, I don´t think so. Tunney was good but not that good. He would have dropped a decision here and there. Either to a Sharkey on his best night, the Baer of the Schmeling fight or Schmeling from Walker, Stribling or Louis I. I think tunney gets a bit overrated right now.

 

What about if we base it on the level of fighters that it actually took to beat him?

 

wrong.. it has nothing whatsoever to do with who a fighter DID fight. it is to do with the fighters ability when he DID fight. and those who seen Tunney fight rate him up there with the elite... it is easy to "Prove & Compare" as you say, that Tunney and his style of fighting would be a match for any fighter in history..Does Tommy Burns or Wlad Klitschko make the Top 10 on their achievements and who they fought... NO because their style when "Compared" to other champions falls short.

 

Tunney worked-out how to beat Harry Greb then mastered him thereafter..He twice beat Jack Dempsey who is rated by most great historians of the sport as the greatest fighter ever. throw into this wins over every single opponent he ever fought and you have your answer to why Gene Tunney is a Top 10 ATG Heavyweight... To claim him NOT to be a Heavyweight is laughable it's like saying Manny Pacquiao is not a welterweight, BHop is not a Light-Heavyweight, Floyd Patterson was not a Heavyweight.. 99% of Heavyweights in the 1920s or earlier weighed the same as Gene Tunney... live with it HATER

 

There was no better level of heavyweight competition for him to fight when he hung-up his gloves. Wills wanted nothing to do with him and he had twice defeated the Great Jack Dempsey... Take away Frazier & Norton from the resume of George Foreman and it leaves his resume looking wafer-thin of Top notch Heavyweight fighters

 

I reckon that he'd just about peaked by the time of his last fight. So,he may have been ready to be taken by the time that he'd have fought Max Baer.

 

Loughran in a rematch or Schmeling would have whipped him sometime during then for sure... And i wouldn't rule out a focused Baer or Sharkey turning the trick either.

 

Ray Arcel claimed Tunney "had NOT reached his peak when he retired, so we will never know how great he really could have been"..