Harry Greb v today's MW's - LHW's

From what we know he was probably more like Calzaghe than any other fighter stylistically.

 

Greb would maul most of them. By the way, there is a new book out on Greb by Bill Paxton called "The Fearless Harry Greb."

 

I agree with the Calzeghe comparism but Greb was clearly better ... to begin with Greb was faster. By all reports Greb was lightning ...Jack Johnson, a man who gave few compliments said Greb was the fastest man he had ever seen. Secondly Greb was tougher. He was virtually impossible to knock out despite fighting the best fighters of his generation ... Greb is in my all time top three or four pound for pound ... an exceptional fighter ... but no one tops Sam Langford.

 

Greb was as tough as nails. He didn't really train so much as fight himself into shape, six fights in six weeks before his second meeting with Tunney (a fight many though he won). Not sure he was quicker than Calzaghe, who in his prime could be lightning fast. The both were volume punches, punches in bunches. Then again, I never came across that Johnson quote so perhaps he could be faster. Greb is one of the few exceptions to the rule of having to see a fighter on film in order to grade him. His resume is ridiculous. And having seen Loughran, Walker and Tunney on film, knowing this guy beat them convincingly, and having read what the above fighters said and wrote concerning him, I have no problem putting him top-10 pound for pound. And yes, Langford pretty much takes the cake in that argument.

 

Ketchel was a hard puncher ... he would not be accomodating to his opponents..he was rough

 

one thing I would say about Greb is that was beaten by Tiger Flowers twice . of course we dont have footage of Flowers and it could be argued that Greb was not the fighter had been when he fought him although he struggeled against flowers in a non title fight before the rematch for the title .However Flowers according to written accounts threw alot of punches johnny wilson described him as throwing a million punches . Interestingly according to one book he had the reputation as a slapper however unfair that might have been . Firstly flowers style was similar to grebbs himself but it also brings brings to mind a certain recently retired Welshman who campaigned as a super middleweight and light heavyweight does it not . If Greb struggled with flowers who according to James J Corbett was acurate as well . It does make you wonder how he would have fared with a RJJ Calzaghe Hopkins although i would never discount Greb for a second far from it , but it is food for thought .

 

the point i was making was about styles. Plus i mentioned he was not the fighter he was but of course you read what you want to

 

your point of view Blackwater seems to be that if he is an old timer, who is well known , he must be great. Great Criteria for assesment

 

Or if he hadn't been through 300 pro fights.

Not to mention he's almost universally considered to of won one of the Flowers fights only to be screwed.

 

evidence please !!! I love unnamed sources universal but unknown . in the first contests he (greb)was given the verdict by gunboat smith who was the ref . but was out voted by the two judges. the new york times gave flowers 11 OF THE FIFteen rounds for that fight . in the rematch there is a picture from the pittsburgh courier of Flowers helping a fallen greb to his feet . where was Greb from Russ strange image to publish

Frankly all judgements on fights are to a degree subjective especially if all we have are newspaper accounts . or is your judgement greb is great he must have won . just look at the recent valuev holyfield fight where people were just looking for an excuse to give it to him .

Accounts differ. Saying ohhh he was screwed . come on . Flowers was screwed by walker later on . in recent times Hopkins was apparantly screwed by Calzaghe at least we have images for that so we can judge better . There is the great myth that sam langford fought johnson close which is a myth that even langford admitted was bs HE WAS MURDERED in the actuall contest there only fight. the myth was one of the reasons johnson hated him so much . Johnson lost to marvin hart yet some newspapers thought and johnson himself felt he won and he had been screwed . hiding behind that proves nothing :twisted:

 

Unnamed indeed. :-(

Most experts thought that Greb won this fight. Frank Getty of the United Press stated that "many experts figured that the worst the former champion should have had was a draw, for Greb was the stronger puncher and at times had Flowers in real trouble." Hype Igoe stated that "the decision was met with deathly silence by the crowd. To some it was a just verdict. To others it was unfair to Greb..My own tally had Greb out in front by a margin of two rounds- five for Flowers, seven for Greb and the others even." Regis Welsh of the Pittsburgh Post had Greb winning 8-5-2 on rounds. Greb did suffer a cut eyebrow in round 3, his first since he fought Bob Roper in Buffalo. Greb fought flat-footed and was wild, not in his best form.

Fight took place in New York as well, not Greb's backyard before that's brought into it.

 

well you dident use any sources russ in your first piece or is your memory that bad . yes in fact both fights were at madison square garden russ. hardly flowers back yard either . So you think that the crowd mainly full of whites would have supported flowers then or the fighter who had fought there on many more occassions as was the established fighter . pittsburgh post very unbias . In fact i made point of indicating that everything is subjective especially for newspaper reporting .Yet for a man who said mainly universal but then later on it becomes well for some it wasa just verdict . great try looking up universal in the dictionary. Of course though you have your tally were you there russ ?if you were great or perhaps you have you a film of the fight which nobody in the world has seen .

 

greb! what a geezah.
the middle-weight division has got to be the best ever.from ketchel through to hopkins.
greb and walker squaring up later in the evening hours after there official fight!
dempsey's manager famously said "we want no truck with that Son of a *****." after greb sparred with dempsey
how many fights did he have with one eye?