Is Greb the softest puncher of all time?

Things to consider:

Hand problems caused him to change his style to a much more frenetic, volume attack. Much like later vision problems caused him to changed his style again.

He fought A LOT of guys bigger than him, lightheavies and heavies.

He hurt many of the heavies he fought, even quality guys like Brennan.

He was a guy who could cause a lot of damage with his attack without necessarily getting the KO. For instance, what he did to Tunney in their first match. No one else ever put Tunney in the hospital for days.

 

Ever hear of Slapsie Maxie Rosenbloom?

 

No.

He was not among the harder punchers of the era, but it would be easy enough to find examples of world class fighters, who were softer punchers.

 

No. I often consider him similar to Calzaghe -- he probably didn't sit down on all his punches, but one look at their victims reveals the hurt.

 

Fighting two. three, four times a month and more against bigger fighters with dodgy hands... lies, damn lies, ..?

 

His forte was to overwhelm his opponents with a blizzard of punches coming from everywhere and anywhere which meant not setting himself up for one punch ko's. But when he wished to Harry Greb could set himself and throw
very hurtful punches...At any rate Greb was a slashing puncher that made his opponents want to jump out of the ring...Not for nothing was he called the
"Pittsburgh Windmill "...

 

his resume was one of the best and he was fighting the very best that would fight him from middleweight to heavyweight, he also had hand problems so as in the case of Calzage he didn't set down on all of his punches but he hurt many a guy and had power. You dont keep away the type of opponents Greb beat without having some pain on the end of your punches. Greb's style was to beat you

 

All these so called Greb experts make me laugh. You guys have never even seen him fight.

 

Thank God I am literate.

 

Well he tuned up dempseys best opposition so he had to hit hard enough

 

No BR I have never saw Greb fight but though I have never seen a tornado in person we judge the damage done by the AFTERMATH of violence it has created. Same with the amazing Harry Greb who beat so many HOF middleweights, light heavyweights and many heavyweights, though only a middleweight in a 300 fight career. If it wasn't this great fighter who whipped all those top fighters, well than it had to be the referee...Wise up sir...

 

Nicely put, Burt.

It's virtually common knowledge that, due to Greb's blistering speed of foot, he wasn't one to set himself, but then such a great percentage of his opponents were concrete durable. He certainly didn't tap you in there. Mickey Walker felt some power in that fourteenth round.

 

Just as no paleontologist has ever seen a living Stegosaurus.