Did Gene Tunney Hire Benny Leonard To Teach Him How To Beat Harry Greb?

It was always my understanding that Gene's stablemate Benny was offering him casual advice in the gym while watching him determinedly train for the first rematch.

 

He hired the New York State Athletic Commission and most of the writers in the great Metropolitan area.

 

I think that it is a big stretch to say that Gene Tunney HIRED Benny Leonard to give him pointers after getting badly beaten in his first bout with Harry Greb. It is far more likely that Leonard was giving Tunney, who became his stablemate about that time, some friendly advice.

- Chuck Johnston

 

What a fallacy to imply that Gene Tunney hired Benny Leonard to give him pointers as to how to beat Harry Greb...Remember they were both managed by the same man, Billy Gibson...If there was one major reason Gene Tunney was having a little more success in his bouts following Tunney's horrendous beating in their first bout in 1922, it was not the advice of the great Benny Leonard, but the fact the wear and tear of age and over 200 bouts, on top of Greb fighting later on with but one eye, made Tunney a tougher opponent for a fading Pittsburgh Windmill...And let us remember Tunney was morphing into a very sturdy heavyweight...It is a wonder that this fading copy of Harry Greb MORE than held his own against a prime rising heavyweight as Tunney was...

 

No. And if he did it was wasted money. Because Greb beat Tunney in the second fight as well, only to be robbed of the decision according to most of the experts present.

 

I agree!..I just googled an old article on this fight and it did say he took a pretty good beating in the 1st fight and the second was a robbery!..One expert even called it a pay off to the judges. But I dont think he hired Leonard.:good

 

I know that the decision in the second bout between Gene Tunney and Harry Greb was highly disputed with so many people feeling that Greb had a clear edge. But I got the impression that Tunney showed quite a bit of improvement in the bout even if Greb got a raw deal from the judges.

- Chuck Johnston

 

I never read that he hired Leonard but that somebody at Stillman`s gym ask Benny to talk to Gene because Tunney was hell bent on getting a rematch. Leonard gave him some advice and told him to wait a little while because Greb lived in the fast lane.

 

Burt- Have you gotten ahold of a copy of Compton's Greb book? I would interested in your perspective as I believe your dad had seen him and was rightfully so a big fan.

 

S, I cannot say if I have read Komptoms book on Greb as I have lost several great boxing books of the past to "friends" of whom I "loaned" these valuable books, never to have seen them again...Omerta !
Yes S, my dad who worked in Greenwich Village in NY, where Gene Tunney was from, saw the Greb /Tunney bout in MSG in 1922...He went to the bout a Tunney fan and came home a Greb admirer....He when I was a young lad, would take me to the golden Gloves bouts and to the pro bouts in arenas scattered all about NYC including the old MSG most every Friday night...He always would say Harry Greb was the best fighter he ever saw, though he and I saw the rising great welterweight Ray Robinson....Peace...

 

There's similarities in their footage so it makes sense. Good fighters can become great by training with great fighters or trainers.

 

The second fight wasn't the robbery being made out in this thread... contested decision sure, robbery.. nah.

 

Exactly r. Would one stablemate [Tunney] have to rent out the verbal advice, of his fellow stablemate {Leonard] when they were managed by the same man Billy Gibson ? Every stablemate of equal stature discuss boxing with each other all the time.