Why did Tunney retire after just two heavyweight title defenses?

Tunney didn’t either, try again sir.

 

To put it mildly, my Grandfather never cared for Gene Tunney. He always said: "If Gene had stuck around, Schmeling, Sharkey, and even Carnera would have kicked his butt all the way through New York and onto the boat to Ireland."

• "I fight Baer. I fight anybody. I whip all of them. You'll see. Primo is champ." -Primo Carnera.

 

Bivol? he saw far greater fighters than Bivol, Battling Levinsky, Harry Greb 5 times! He Beat Tommy Loughren who'd school Bivol like he was in kindergarten and of course Jack Dempsey. Bivol is a minor leaguer next to Tunney

 

Quite a few newspapers had Greb winning the 2nd and 3rd fights. Tunney only convincingly beat Greb in the 4th and 5th fights and Greb had to be one eyed to get beat.

 

He had a great career and was financially well off especially after his marriage into wealth. Not everybody hangs around to milk the sport until they’re half dead.

 

Not really. His defense against The Hard Rock was a financial loss for Rickard ... Tunney was wealthy and mentally done.

 

T w o T u n T u n n e y

 

Even though he was already on the way down, it would have been nice if he fought Wills. And would have been a nice middle finger to Dempsey.

 

In February of 1928. Gene Tunney said in the newspaper's he had 2 fights planned for the year. In summer & the fall. It sure made it sound as if Sharkey was coming after Heeney. This was the next month after the draw sharkey-heeney. Tunney was setting up to leave no doubt he was the best.

I often wonder what exactly changed his mind because he sure had a change of heart. Sharkey in 1928 had to be the very best version of himself he still had youth. Sharkey bounces when he's young he's super active rambunctious like a bull sometimes he has spectacular movement at his best, somewhere when he fought Louis he was a flat footed plodder he didn't resemble his old self at all.

Sharkey vs Tunney in Oct 1928 would be prime time. It would certainly really help boost Tunney's historical stock with a win. As Heeney was a flash in the pan and uneventful fighter in history.

 

He had set a goal and achieved it.

He was looking at an easy life going forward. It would not take long for anyone to lose the fire after making it both to the top and financially.

He is now a legend because he retired when he did.

 

He just wasn’t hungry any longer as a fighter. The long count saved him against a faded Dempsey, and Schmeling would have handed him his first official loss.

 

Wills turned down a career high $250K to fight Tunney with winner getting shot at Dempsey. From ‘21 and on Wills didn’t do much to deserve a title shot. He also ducked Godfrey refusing to give him a shot at his World Colored title.

 

It still would have been cool.

 

It’s interesting how that doesn’t get much coverage… Wills had been the number 1 contender for quite a long while, the outstanding guy in the division and I think as much as it sucks he sort of had to realise for one reason or another he wasn’t getting his shot… the Tunney fight had he won could’ve only improved his standing, should he lose maybe they think the Panthers been defanged? Regardless he’d have been paid well.

 

None of them had the combination of lightness of feet, range control and speed Bivol has.