Harry Greb: GOAT?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by cross_trainer, Nov 22, 2021.



Was Harry Greb a goat?

  1. Yes

    25 vote(s)
    39.7%
  2. No

    22 vote(s)
    34.9%
  3. Probably

    12 vote(s)
    19.0%
  4. Sam Langford

    4 vote(s)
    6.3%
  1. 70sFan865

    70sFan865 Boxing Junkie Full Member

    8,547
    9,451
    May 30, 2019
    Who do you think doesn't look good among names I mentioned?
     
  2. catchwtboxing

    catchwtboxing Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    20,443
    24,414
    Jul 4, 2014
    He was 0-2. A newspaper win does not count.
     
  3. Greb & Papke 707

    Greb & Papke 707 Active Member Full Member

    648
    629
    Apr 9, 2019
    I see what you did there lmao
     
    Sangria likes this.
  4. Greb & Papke 707

    Greb & Papke 707 Active Member Full Member

    648
    629
    Apr 9, 2019
    Harry Greb, Sugar Ray Robinson, Willie Pep, Henry Armstrong, Benny Leonard, Sam Langford, Joe Gans, in any order you wanna put them are the Goats
     
    70sFan865 likes this.
  5. KuRuPT

    KuRuPT Boxing Junkie Full Member

    8,462
    2,770
    Aug 26, 2011
    while mostly true, and a salient point, I'm not sure Greb even thinks he was 3-0 vs. Flowers if my memory serves me right, so I'm not sure about arguable...
     
    red corner likes this.
  6. FrankinDallas

    FrankinDallas Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    22,197
    25,852
    Jul 24, 2004
    Add Ali and I'm all in with your list.
     
  7. BCS8

    BCS8 VIP Member Full Member

    51,542
    63,462
    Aug 21, 2012
    On resume I think he's got a good case for #1
     
  8. George Crowcroft

    George Crowcroft Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    26,101
    41,912
    Mar 3, 2019
    So you're troubled by two split decision losses against an all-time great while blind and in his final five fights - of almost 300?

    And why does a newspaper win not count? The fight still happened, and in the eyes of those scoring, Greb won. Do you also ignore fights with supplemental scoring because it's a different system to today's?
     
  9. 70sFan865

    70sFan865 Boxing Junkie Full Member

    8,547
    9,451
    May 30, 2019
    Just remember to add Bob Fitzsimmons and Ezzard Charles!
     
    BitPlayerVesti likes this.
  10. willfightforcake

    willfightforcake New Member Full Member

    25
    30
    Nov 6, 2021
    Great call, I have to agree! Langford and Ali get close for me, but after lots of reading Greb seemed to be on the wrong side of a lot of controversial decisions (a couple of the fights with Tunney and Flowers). So it seems like he might have deserved a few more wins over great fighters that he wasn't credited for at the time.
     
  11. George forearm

    George forearm The forearm of George Full Member

    471
    705
    Aug 10, 2020
    Don't forget that greb wiped the **** out of Dempsey in sparing too.
     
  12. George forearm

    George forearm The forearm of George Full Member

    471
    705
    Aug 10, 2020
    What? If newspaper decisions don't count you'd have to have to shave a good three quarters of grebs fights of his record, from most fighter from then too.
     
  13. jdempsey85

    jdempsey85 Well-Known Member Full Member

    2,428
    35
    Apr 23, 2011
    It says on the internet that he successfully defended his Worlds middleweight title 4 (Four) times

    Bryan Downey 1923

    He failed to beat Lou Bogash x2
    Lost to Frankie Shoell
    Beats Tommy Robson for a shot at Greb who completed a hatrick of losses

    Johnny Wilson 1924

    He won three fights in 1923

    Ted Moore 1924

    18 fights in the year only losing to Dave Shade & Harry Greb

    Mickey Walker 1925

    His last win as champion vs perhaps the greatest fighter he faced? With a bum eye too

    Why the lack of title fights from when he won the title vs J Wilson? 60+ fights which includes a fair few cowboys (Ray Nelson who lost his opening 3 fights by KO before facing the mighty Harry Greb who KO'd him in the 3rd before retiring,Should this even be on his record!) and plenty of good and great fighters until he lost the title to Tiger Flowers.

    Why wasn't the first Flowers fight for the title? Was there any other outstanding white or black middleweights shouting for a showdown?

    Seeing as every Jack Dempsey thread i read mentions Harry

    Successful Title Defences

    Jack Dempsey 5 - 4 Harry Greb
     
  14. Melankomas

    Melankomas Prime Jeffries would demolish a grizzly in 2 Full Member

    3,061
    3,353
    Dec 18, 2022
    Absolutely. No resume is even comparable, and his most impressive wins were when he was going blind!
     
  15. Seamus

    Seamus Proud Kulak Full Member

    53,663
    32,402
    Feb 11, 2005
    Uh, he did beat Flowers in the first of their trilogy. And the man was blind in one eye and a couple hundred fights into his career. Anyone who can pummel Tunney into the hospital could beat Flowers.
     
    Pugguy likes this.