Boxing figures that pick Harry Greb over Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali and Jack Dempsey

Give me a break a guy who stood 5'8 & started his career as a 135 pound light weight beat the great Ali-Louis & Jack Dempsey.I understand he is considered a P4P great but there are limits people.He did great things as a MW as well but Ali-Louis easily beat the crap out of this man not even close.Next time make a more realistic comparison.When i boxed at 135 in my youth i decided to spar my co-worker who was a health nut & worked out with weights all the time he was 6'2 & 225 pounds I went 2 rounds & quit my ribs were badly bruised & even though i was a big puncher at light weight they did nothing to him in the ring.

 

There is a huge huge difference between a MW & HW people.A great Light weight -MW does beat the top 2 greatest HW all time that is crazy & stupid.

 

it's nonsense, too many great smaller men came up short against BIGGER TOP Men,

it's just life, with absolutely No Shame for the smaller fighter... even though the smaller man might 'technically' somehow be the Better Boxer / Fighter...

the TOP Bigmen will almost always get the Win and more often by Stoppage.

 

We all know (or should know!), than when oldtimers reminisce about the good old days... they have a tendency to paint a very favourable picture of the time and fighters from their youth.

The idea that Ali wouldn't know where he was "once Greb began to swarm and climb all over him"... is of course very unrealistic, to put it mildly!

 

Of course Greb being a middleweight isnt going to beat the top heavyweights of all time. However if he had the same tools at heavyweight he def would give Ali and others big time trouble. Ali and Louis had trouble with swarmers and Greb would be swarming for sure.

 

Joe always said he didnt like being crowded.

 

I have Greb as #1 in history but I too am surprised that they think he'd be able to stand with Louis and Ali. Sure he beat Dempset up for a few rounds but over a longer fight I reckon a heavy of that quality would eventually catch up to him. Nevertheless, even making such claims really goes to show what a quality performer he must have been and its a tragedy we have no footage of him.

 

Ray Arcel once said he'd only seen 3 fighters who he thought were naturals in the ring, pure fighters, Sugar Ray Robinson, Roberto Duran, and Harry Greb. Greb may be the greatest pound for pound fighter of all time but he's not beating Ali, Louis or Dempsey in my opinion.

 

Agree or disagree with the sentiments, these quotes are GOLD. Thanks for providing them.

Wow, Grantland Rice’s forecast re Louis vs Conn would’ve appeared ultimately, somewhat prophetic - which adds some practical weight to his views on Greb.

Sure, there can be exaggeration and era related bias involved - but as you said, that they would praise Greb so highly is quite surprising in itself - your KEY point at least as I read you -

So, even allowing and making deductions for the hyperbole - clearly Greb was some fighter to engender such praise from a good sampling of different sources in the boxing game.

 

Hi Buddy.
Back in the 60s and 70s when my interest in the noble art was spiked, when the mag of the day, Ring, Illustrated, Boxing News, ran the all time top ten, or P4P, I don't remember the likes of Greb in particular, or even Langford, being placed in or the near the top, it was always the likes of , Robinson, Armstrong, Louis, Marciano, that occupied the top slots, it has taken decades for the fight fraternity to recognise the feats of these two great fighters, the more we read about Greb, the more we were astonished, could a fighter fight at such a pace ! could he take on the HWs of his day and whip them ! how can a fighter even think of having 44 fights in one calendar year ! and finally, how GREAT was a fighter that fought for the last 3/4 years of his career blind in one eye ! he must be fiction......
stay safe guys.

 

Harry Greb was a magnificent fighter and no doubt one of the greatest ever middleweights but taking on the likes of Muhammad Ali and Joe Louis at heavyweight would have been a large step too far.

 

I thought Greb had stated in a interview that In a real fight, after a couple of rounds Jack would kill him.

I am glad Greb did not meet Dempsey in a title fight, Mr Dempsey in his prime would not have been going for a defensive points win, he would have met fire with fire.

Right which one of you has that film of Dempsey vs Greb sparring session, hidden in a cupboard somewhere, ok i am sure no one would be that interested in watching it, but i would out of courtesy have a look.

 

It's bias at the core. Arcel was an old man by 1966
stuck in his mind on what a fighter should look like and
how he should fight. Logical thinking goes out the window
with bias thinking.
Personally , I don't believe Greb would've beaten Monzon
or Hagler based on what little film we have on him.
Much less Ali and Louis.