Why didn't Gene Tunney have more fights?

Ray Arcel claimed Tunney retired before he reached his peak

 

atsch

 

Too bad Tunney never took on a young, big, fast, powerful superheavyweight like George Godfrey. I don't see any reason why Tunney should be favored over Sharkey or Schmeling, he accomplished more than neither.

 

You all ready have past your peak when you retire at 31. I think Tunney had 5 or so good years left because of his style, but he would not be near his peak.

I think his peak was pre Dempsey when he was swapping punchings with Greb.

 

Because, truth be told, he knew when the right time to get out was.

Whilst I don't think he reached his potential, he did enough to be remembers as a great and due to the recent influx of info on him i've placed him top 25.

I'd have loved to see him defeat wills, sharkey and schmelling as 3 more defences which gives him 5 defences over about 4 years and he's then seen as a great heavyweight champ as well a great lightheavyweight.

 

This was the very subject of my introductory posts here at ESB Classic in April 2007 (before the last big crash). I think Heeney was his peak performance. If he'd been wiped out in the 1929 economic disaster and was forced to return to the defense of his title, then the insanely disciplined and intelligent Tunney, competing once a year, could indeed have successfully retained it until Louis came along, and may actually have forced Louis to win it in a second challenge (and likely over the distance).

I don't buy Schmeling as his conqueror. Max didn't have Gene's initiatory jabbing aggression, and it's difficult to win the title by countering. Sharkey didn't have the steel mentality of the consistent ex-Marine, and blew his chance at Tunney by drawing with Heeney. Sharkey often cracked under huge pressure, while Gene thrived on it. Tunney-Loughran II would have been a fascinating and terse chess match, but Gene was a little bigger, stronger and sturdier, with a better chin and punch.

 

The reasons he retired :

1. He promised his wife-to-be he wouldn't fight again
2. There were no challengers who'd provide another big purse to make it worth his while
3. There's more to life than fighting

 

How would Gene Tunney have done against a young future hall of fame superheavyweight like George Godfrey? I think Tunney drew the color line for a reason

 

Thanks Duodenum...they think I'm crazy here(just ask Boxed Ears..he'll tell you I'm not:silly)..no really...I've always felt that Tunney had a few more years in him, and in saying that he could have beaten all the guys between his reign and Louis...and the topic of Louis -Tunney matchup has'nt popped up as much as you might think here in classicland. I agree exactly with you on something...that if Tunney was champion when the Brown Bomber first came of age to challenge for the crown, he may very well have won their initial bout only to lose by decision in the reematch...I think that's eerie almost to see that in your post...I don't think I've ever advanced that particular scenario in a post here but that's what I've conjured before concerning those two fighters.... As for Schmeling and Sharkey....I think they would have made for fascinating matchups, but be it technique, focus or temperment, I see the cool Mr. Tunney being the boss of either one...you described the "whys" of either matchup very, very well!:thumbsup

 

You obviously don't care too much for Tunney...am I right?

 

Two good reasons for Tunney's retirement aftet koing Tom Heeney in 1928'
1- Tunney got close to ONE MILLION bucks for the second Dempsey fight, TAX FREE...
2- Tunney married a millionairess Polly Lauder at his retirement in 1928.
What sensible man would continue fighting in Tunney's situation ?

 

Many years ago I read that Gene Tunney had three goals in mind: 1- Make a million dollars fighting 2- Retire from boxing 3- Get married. This is exactly what he did, as the above posts cover very well. He knew what he wanted to do and he did it. Tunney himself was quoted as saying that the Dempsey fights were not his best fights, rather the Heeney fight - in other words, he was still improving. He also added that during a sparring session he took a hard blow to the head which temporarily blurred his vision and gave him a concussion. That, he said, served notice that it was time to seriously contemplate retirement. I do not know if there were any serious overtures regarding a George Godfrey fight, but Tunney was ready and willing to fight Harry Wills prior to his first meeting with Dempsey.

 

Sonny,big George Godfrey was one of Jack Dempsey's sparring partners who was dropped several times by Dempsey DURING THEIR SESSIONS.

 

Yes, he did floor Godfrey, but most of these sparring sessions took place in the early 20s when Godfrey was just a novice and dempsey was smack in the middle of his prime. I talked to one historian who claimed Godfrey gave as good as he took in the dempsey sparring sessions leading godfrey eventually to become kicked out of camp because "he was getting too dangerous". Dempsey also avoided fighting godfrey when he made his comeback in 1926.

In Battling Siki's book page 42, it actually claimed George Godfrey knocked out Jack Dempsey during one of their sparring matches leading up to dempsey's fight with Firpo.

This content is protected

This content is protected

This content is protected

EASTERN SNAPSHOTS by W. Rollo Wilson

Nov.12, 1925-The Baron of Leiperville is home again with wonderous tales of the mighty deeds of the "Shadow" along the gilded slope. The "Shadow" is just another way of denoting Gorger George Godfrey, Jimmy's (Dougherty) outsize white elephant. For white elephant George seems now to be. Nobody wants to fight him for love or money. Mr. Wills unostentatiously draws the color line. Mr. Tunney is more blatant in his announcement to the same effect. "I'll fight Harry Wills," broadcasts James Joseph, "but I draw the color line on George Godfrey."

Two things may be on the mind of the Apollo of Greenwich Village, Perhaps he thinks that one "shot" with Wills would give him enough of the filthy lucre for his future earthly needs. Win or lose he would be "in." Fighting Ole Black Lightning [Godfrey] would be a case of all to lose and nothing to gain, he probably thinks. At this time Billy Gibson and Tunney are saying that the Big Three of Boxing are Dempsey, Wills, and the modest Gene. Godfrey would fain make it a foursome, but you can be jolly well sure that the triumvira will continue to say him nay.

One of the first acts of [Dougherty] on his arrival was to release another challenge in the general direction of the above-mentioned Big Three. His latest offer is this:
All any promoter has to do is get Harry, Gene or Jack to sign the papers and pay them whatever they want. Godfrey will come in without asking for a dollar. The aftermath will provide the Dougherty clan with all they will want, because they feel that George can take any of the three.

This content is protected

 

He couldn't be arsed?