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

While Gene Tunney was a fine fighter during 1922, I don't think that he came close to matching Benny Leonard in terms of stature at time. But I still think that Tunney may have received some advice from Leonard, however helpful it may have been.

- Chuck Johnston

 

True Chuck what you post. from what My dad [a contemporary of Benny Leonard], and all that I have read about that era, lo these many years, NO ONE had any more stature than Benny Leonard had during his 7 year championship reign...Leonard was considered as good a lightweight in his time as Ray Robinson was as a welterweight....The great Bennah !

 

Yes it was a robbery, my friend:smoke. And a blatant one at that.

I'll quote Klompton on this:

"So in short four times more ringsiders polled had the bout for Greb and 20 of 24 felt he at least should have retained his title. If that isn't overwhelming I don't know what is. Even in this day and age with watered down media and robbery cries nearly every week you don't see that kind of division one way or the other unless its a pretty damn rotten decision. We aren't talking a one or two round swing here like Martinez-Williams...


add this as well: The earlier verdict of ten rounds for Greb quoted from the NY Morning Telegraph was from Sam Taub, James Sinnot, writing for the same paper also gave it to Greb by a margin of 8 rnds Greb, 5 Tunney, and 2 even. He added that a draw would have been an injustice. Joe Lynch, then bantamweight champion, interviewed by the Sun felt Greb won it.


So now our tally is (excluding Joe Lynch and one of the judges): 6 for Tunney, 17 for Greb, and 4 a draw. or 21 of 27 (77%) who felt Greb should have kept his crown. More than three fourths of some of the most respected boxing minds in the country (that we know witnessed the fight) felt Tunney DID NOT deserve the decision. "

Translation- ROBBERY!

 

And keep in mind that this was in TUNNEY'S hometown. All things considered, the stench was overwhelming.

 

That's roughly what I have read

 

My pal Natie Liff saw the rematch and kept repeating
"We couldn't believe it..We couldn't believe it"

Tim Conn will tell you to this day a very similar story,
of being a very young lad in a room full of smoke town elders recollecting that robbery.