Harry Greb: Great, but the evidence is poor.

Cheers mate, I think Quarry is an asset too ,we all need a laugh.:good

 

He was in awe of Greb and Dempsey and only returned to challenge for the MW title again after Greb was safely dead.

I just read his autobiography -lots of blarney, hell, there's even worse than that made-up alley fight with Greb. He's got his mother on a skylight at his first pro fight falling through the glass and landing in the middle of the ring.

 

Surely quarry isn't insinuating that because hearns and toney picked up alphabet belts they achieved more? Does he not realise they're only 1 time champions?

Pac has achieved a damn lot i'll give him that. He's probably on the verges of picking up a 5th lineal division. But he's only beaten a handful of hof's assuming they get in.

 

Stick with 50 Grand by Ernest Hemmingway!!

 

I just saw a thread he put up recently and it wasn't so bad -but he's out here dueling with McGrain with a noodle instead of a sword.

 

Great book! Was it based on Leonard v Britton ? The similarities are close.
The Professional , by Bill Heinz ties it as the two best works of boxing fiction imo.T H T F, by Shulberg comes next.

 

McGrain has tkod me a few times, he is a seasoned pro , never to be underestimated.
I miss Old Fogey , he knocked me out too.

 

This.

Seriously, I will entertain both sides of many of the questions regarding past v present, but not placing Greb in your top 10 ATG, if not top 5, really stretches credibility.

 

greb wud not make mi top 30 P4P ATG IMO FACT

 

I recently found this article in an old boxing encyclopedia
Grebb, Harry
World middleweight champion 1923-26
Born, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania June 6 1894, Died, Atlantic city NJ 1926
Began pro boxing 1913
Harry Greb ruled the middleweight division for 3 years but his most lasting claim to fame is that he was the only man to defeat Gene Tunney. Greb was no gentleman in action. A master of ruthless in fighting he would use every trick in the book to wear opponents down. He rarely took a lot of punishment as his opponents were usually too busy defending themselves from a torrent of punches tossed from all angles. Apart from a setback in his first pro year, Greb was never stopped in nearly 300 contests- although, under the rules of the time, many of his fights where no decisions. He averaged 22 bouts a year and in1919 fought 44 times. He kept fit from continious boxing, rarely entering a gymnasium. Also, remarkably for a top fighter was blind in one eye for many years, an injury caused by an opponents exploring thumb in retalliation for one of Grebs dubious tricks. Greb took the light heavy title from Gene Tunney in 1922 and gave the bigger man such a going over he had to spend a week in bed. Another indication of how dangerous Greb could be to heavier divisions was his victory over Bill Brennan- a fighter who took Dempsey 12 rounds in a world title fight. Grb won the world middleweight title in 1923 from johnny wilson in new york on a points decision. He successfully defended it 6 times before dropping aclose decision to Tiger Flowers in 1926. He lost the return fight too and died following an operation after an accident.
Score/ 299- w264-(49ko's) d12- l23

This book was published in 1988 by Gilbert Odd and although he speaks favourably about Grebb he seems to hold the likes of Ali, Louis, Dempsey, Tunney, Robinson and many more in a lot higher regard. He was born in 1902 and by my calculations would have been in his early 20's when Greb was in his prime. I know boxing coverage back then was sketchy to say the least, but he must have spoke to lots of people that had seen Greb fight as he started writing in the 40's.

 

This was the worst pummeling he's taken yet. I don't think I've actually seen a worse one on ANY forum!!

 

Can someone translate this for me?

 

What about joe bugner?

 

Quarry,i am at a loss as to your question, am I BLIND in one eye? What are U driving at for gosh sakes ? Quarry ,I know the ravages of blindness for your information. My dad who saw Harry Greb beat the living daylights out of the bigger Gene Tunney in 1922 at MSG, lost an eye about that time in a car accident. When he saw the Greb /Tunney fight he rooted for Gene Tunney as my dad worked in Greenwich Village,where Tunney lived. After the fight he raved about Harry Greb whipping the bigger Tunney, especially later on when Greb died,and the autopsy showed that this brave Pittsburgh Windmill, was blind in one eye for several years,and hid that fact, so he could persue his great career. Yep, I know how my dad suffered driving a cab nights with one eye, and my admiration for the great Harry Greb was enhanced ten-fold.
The fear Harry Greb faced entering every fight knowing that a blow to his remaining eye could make him virtually BLIND and helpless in the ring.What courage that took, and oh yes Q, what a FIGHTER was Harry Greb !!! For a simple reason..No one fighter in history beat as much bigger hall of fame fighters, ducking No One, fighting everyone....Harry Greb doesn't need your approval Q, his great record speaks for itself...Cheers...