Now I understand why Robinsons is the consensus greatest fighter ever, but who beat better fighters out of him or Greb? I say this because I believe, despite a lack of footage, that Greb should rightfully topple Robby on the greatness scale. To my mind he simply achieved greater heights. Beating Tunney was a single better win than Robinson has and all the heavyweight wins against the likes of Brennan and Miske are impressive to say the least.
I have him rated one spot higher than Robinson on my all time list, they both drop the top spot to Langford.
Greb was an extremely religious, down to Earth guy from everything I've heard. Good guy. There's a picture of him reading to his daughter who's sitting on his knee and it's just a surreal picture.
Hell yes he did more and beat better fighters, I agree. But Robinson, on film, he looks absolutley unbeleivably unblievable. That's a factor in my thinking, and why shouldn't it be, really? 01 - Langford 02 - Robinson 03 - Greb But i got no problem with the reverse, actually.
Why not just pick Samson to supplant Robinson, JS? He killed a lion with his bare hands and smote an army with the jawbone of an ass. That's gotta top anything Greb did, and what more impeccable source than the bible.
But then why does Langford rate above Robinson? If you were to say he looks better on film (or even that good or telling really) you'd be outright lying. I really don't have a problem with any mix of the elite 4 at the top. I generally put Armstrong at #4, but depending on your point of view I could see the case for him holding the top spot as well.
At the very least, I say that those are the three guys "in the argument" of best ever pound for pound. I just don't know if modern fighters, given all their coddling and matchmaking and inactivity, can match the type of careers these guys had in any way, shape or form.
What about Ezzard Charles his resume also runs from MW-HW like Greb's and it surpasses Grebs and Langfords. However no one dares to rank Charles above Robinson because everyone in his own era simply didn't Boxing skills were refinned in the 30s-50s so Robinson was a more skilled fighter and fought in a more skilled advanced era. He's simply a better boxer than Greb/Langford/Armstrong and Charles tops those 3 too
I see your point John, but of course there's a middle ground between Samson and Greb. Greb did indeed exist and the men he beat we can see on film!
...that was after he spent a long vigils at his dying wife's beside and after she died. When he was married, all reports strongly point to monogamy.