Does Tunney go 49-0 against Marcianos Opposition?

How many future

Gene Tunney wasn't the heavyweight champion when he fought Harry Greb.

When Tunney and Greb concluded their series (a fight Tunney dominated) in 1925, the month prior, in February 1925, Tunney was rated the #1 Light Heavyweight by RING and Greb was rated the #1 Middleweight.

So I don't know how that reflects on the heavyweight division.

The top heavyweight contender in Rocky's era was a 40-year-old light heavyweight.

That speaks volumes.

Dempsey, Tunney, Greb ... the top-rated man from Heavyweight to Middleweight in 1925 may have run the table with Rocky's comp.

 

I think that a better measure, would be the ranking of their opponents when they actually fought them, preferably at heavyweight.

In this respect Marciano takes it very convincingly.

 

Or the reverse might have happened.

We can never know one way or the other!

 

The argument for Tunney, if it can even be made, hinges on the worth of the victories over Dempsey. Seeing as that Jack hadn't competed against anything other than starlet vag for 3 years, and hadn't exactly defended against a murderer's row in unqualified Tommy Gibbons, sick Miske, hype-job Carpentier and Rickard creation Firpo, I will take Rocky's two KO victories over an active and winning Walcott over Tunney's victories two 10 round decisions against a rusty, softened Dempsey. Beyond that, Tunney's heavy resume is flimsy in even the most flattering light.

 

Perhaps slugger was the wrong choice of word as it usually connotates someone with a good punch. What I meant when I used the term is Tunney faced a group of aggressive attackers - maybe swarmers meets the bill more? - Greb, Risko, Dempsey, were all balls to the wall attacker’s. Someone else maligned my use of Heeney in this group and while not of the quality of those men he did have a decent run leading up to his fight with Gene.
Marciano faced boxers and boxer punchers as champion- and men that usually were up in age- not to say they were over the hill outside of Louis - Moore, Charles and Walcott still had plenty to offer. But they were not come forward attackers. Had they been maybe Marciano finishes them even quicker but maybe he gets cut and things get dicey.
Tunney retired while he was peaking. Lot of ppl on this thread seem to be detrimental toward Gene. I’m not- viewing him on film I think it’s evident he was quite good. He looks excellent on the video we have of him. Had he chose to continue I believe his heavyweight credentials would have been even better with several defense. I do believe he would lose though and not go 49-0. Marciano title reign was awesome but his lead up to it was pedestrian at best. He doesn’t have lot of big names and in the post war years many fighters lingered as their was a crater in talent due to the war.
Marciano is more proven at heavyweight. So it’s easy to assume with Gene’s lack of work that he wouldn’t fare as well in the division. Going strictly by video - i’m Not so sure. He was one hell of a fighter and possessed a keen intellect in the ring.

 

Jack Dempsey was the reigning world heavyweight champion. Jack Dempsey was voted the greatest heavyweight of the first half of the 20th century by RING and the NY boxing writers. Jack Dempsey was 31.

In his final two fights in 1927, Jack Dempsey knocked out the future heavyweight champion and third-rated heavyweight (only behind Tunney and Dempsey) Jack Sharkey in seven rounds, and Dempsey floored and came within a long count of knockout out the reigning champ and #1 rated heavyweight Gene Tunney in his last bout.

When Dempsey retired, he was clearly the second-best heavyweight in the world behind Tunney, and ahead of Sharkey (the future champ).

Anyone who thinks beating a nearly 40-year-old Jersey Joe Walcott, who literally sat down and took the count in their return, was a bigger accomplishment than beating Jack Dempsey twice is just trying to argue.

Marciano-Walcott II was the 1953 version of Tyson-Seldon. Fans were still booing and yelling FIX when the walkout bout started.

 

It would speak volumes if that had actually occurred, but it didn't.

Greb wasn't fighting the Heavyweight Champion. Tunney wasn't even rated at heavyweight.

Greb was rated #1 and middleweight and Tunney was rated #1 at light heavyweight for their final fight.

Greb weighed 167, which wasn't the middleweight limit.

And the fight wasn't fought on even terms. Tunney dominated.

"Tunney gave Greb as thorough a beating as he has ever received. So completely was Greb outclassed and outfought in six of the ten rounds that he resorted to a defensive fight after the third and thereafter was guilty of persistent holding and stalling varied only by rare flashes of offensive fighting, which Tunney quickly terminated by a devastating attack." Associated Press

So I don't know how a fight between the top middleweight and the top light heavyweight speaks volumes about the heavyweight division.

The heavyweight top 10 when Tunney and Greb fought their final fight included four Hall of Famers - Dempsey, Wills, Gibbons and Godfrey.

 

Was Jack allowed to swing a bag of Ring magazines at Tunney? Because that would be the only way the misty eyed remembrances of a mediocre and inconsistent group like Ring writers would matter. The fact is that after Toledo Jack was a money printing machine, coddled with soft, low risk match-ups that flattered his exciting, crowd pleaseing style. By 1927 he was fighting on faded memories and finally had a live wire to handle.

 

And how did that speak volumes about the heavyweight division again?

 

By 1927, Dempsey was fighting the #3 rated heavyweight and future champ and the reigning heavyweight champ and #1 heavyweight.

He knocked out the #3 heavyweight. He floored the champ (for a long count) but lost the decision.

I think you're referring to old Jersey Joe, who sat down in the first round in his return with Marciano and looked at the ref thinking of ways to spend his retirement check.

Jack Dempsey fought the two toughest men in the division in 1927, and nearly knocked out both in the seventh round.

He wasn't the sad sack you guys keep insisting he was. Maybe you should just stop regurgitating stuff others have told you and open your eyes.

 

I would say that Greb won 1 and 2, Tunney convincingly took 3, 4 could be argued either way, and 5 was clearly for Tunney.

Either way, it didn't go to five fights, because Tunney was seeking redemption.

It went to five fights, because that is what it took, for Tunney to claim any sort of edge in the series!