Today's boxers gas after 6 rounds, could never go 15!

I don't think anyone would argue, that all (or even most) fights back in the 20s were quiet sparring-like matches. Least of all where Greb was involved, as I simply don't think he had it in him to go easy on an opponent!

That being said, I think we should be open to the possbility, that not all fights were great slam-bang affairs back then. The vast majority of the active boxers were journeymen, who would never amount to anything, or approach world class. Their ambition must likely have been to make a few extra bucks without getting too hurt - against opponents who, likewise, weren't all that keen on getting involved in all-out slugfests. After all, the next fight could be right around the corner, so why run the risk of getting injured?

Sure, we can find lots of examples of great action-packed bouts back during Greb's time - but we can also find many fights, where the only ambition of the combatants was to make it to the final bell, with the least possible amount of effort. Sometimes the "action" was so slow, and the sham so obvious, that the ref threw them both out, declaring a NC. This didn't happen only to journeymen - but to quite a few top boxers as well.

 

I agree, that Fury-Klitschko wasn't the most exciting HW bout I've ever seen - but was it really so bad, that the ref should have stepped in and declared a NC, because they weren't even trying? In my opinion a much worse fight was Klitschko-Povetkin - where the ref should have warned Wlad to stop the constant hugging/leaning-on, or face being disqualified!

It's difficult to say, how common the "arrangements & agreements" were back in the day. Or how bad a fight had to be, before the ref declared a NC... since we have never seen (correct me if I'm wrong) a fight between two journeymen, that resulted in both contestants being booted for making no effort. From BoxRec we know, that back in the 20s, this happened quite often. But what it took for a ref to make such a call - or how much the boxers could get away with, in terms of going easy on each other, we just don't know.

 

Agree!

Based on a busier schedule and generally harder everyday circumstances, some unverifiable assumptions are sometimes made regarding the oldtimers - who are often seen as being fitter, tougher and more courageous than their modern counterparts. Which of course is pure speculation!