Harry Greb Draws The Colorline

Greb fought Allen Town Joe Gans when Gans was no 5 .
Kid Norfolk when Norfolk was no 3.
Tiger Flowers when Flowers was no1,no2, and no 3.
I don't call that cherry picking,even if the esteemed Auburn Advertiser, [WT F are they] implies it.lol

 

Greb wasn't afraid of anyone. This is just more whining from the "hammer."

 

It would be hard to find a fighter from that era or earlier who took a consistent position on the color line, and it was often influenced by politics and managerial decisions.

You also have to look at the bottom line, and in Greb's case he does seem to have ended up meeting most of the top black fighters of his day, in some cases multiple times.

 

Greb did defend his middleweight title against a black boxer.

 

Also, how much a fighter drawing the color bar harms their legacy, does not depend upon how wicked their motives were.

It depends upon how many key contenders they missed as a result.

 

Good post. I add that Greb also fought against Jack Blackburn.
"Greb fought a future Hall of Famer early in his career by the name of Jack Blackburn. Blackburn is famous for training Joe Louis, but before this he had a very impressive career as a boxer himself. His career spanned over twenty years, from 1901 to 1923, in which he fought the likes of Joe Gans, Sam Langford, Philadelphia Jack O’Brien, Kid Norfolk and many others." (Bill Paxton, The fearless Harry Greb, London 2009)

 

Not good enough for the hammer.

 

I don't think Greb is the sort of guy you can really go after for SOS related reasons. I think hes overrated but the reason hes overrated is people are in awe of his SOS and they should be.

Greb didn't fight Lee Anderson and Siki. Those would have been nice fights but Siki was in Europe until the end of 1923 can't really blame Greb there. How much of a stain is not fighting Lee Anderson? Norfolk and Flowers were the more essential opponents.

Also "drawing a color line" means a refusal to fight black fighters. It doesn't mean discrimination it doesn't mean a host of other institutional barriers that only black boxers faced. Its a very specific thing that has a very specific meaning. The color line is something akin to what existed in MLB where black players were not allowed to participate. No exceptions no carveouts for the best black players none of that.

 

Excuse me, but Greb is not overrated. He reigned as World Middleweight Champion from 1923 until 1926 and won the American Light Heavyweight Championship in 1922. He is the only man to have ever beaten heavyweight champion Gene Tunney, twice according to most (a draw was in fact a victory for Greb). Greb challenged Dempsey for the heavyweight title, but was rejected. In a time when boxers fought frequently, he fought the most. He was in over 300 fights with 299 of them being official bouts. He fought thirty-seven times in 1917 and forty-five fights in 1919, without losing a single time in either year. Weighing only 160 pounds, he boxed heavyweights weighing over 200 pounds; Greb beat every single heavyweight he ever boxed. He fought eleven future Hall of Fame champions and beat each one of them. He fought for much of his career with only one eye. In terms of number of fights won, quality of opponents, ability to beat heavyweights (as a middleweight), Greb's career is extraordinary. It can be compared to that of Fitzsimmons, although with differences. But to which other middleweight?

 

Greb fought most of the top African American boxers of his day. Good enough for me.

 

Is there history here I don't know about? Because it's strange to see some here so worked up about someone quoting a contemprorary newspaper.

 

Sorry, but I reported facts, only facts. What does it take away from Greb's career that he hasn't fought an opponent, with 299 fights, mostly victorious, 11 Hall of Fame opponents defeated, the liquidation of the best light heavyweights of his years?