Thought of posting this in my usual haunt (the General) but then realised most of those boys won't have heard of the guy I've heard some incredible stories about him, don't know how much of it is just heresay Just how good was HMS Harry Greb?
Harry Greb was an absolute monster. I have him at #2 all time pound for pound and #1 or #2 at middle. Absolutely unique. Head to head you have to consider him all the way into the modern HW division.
The opposite argument, which has to be said in terms of balance IMO, is that for his time Greb was the best around, there's no doubt about that. But with only faux-sparring and heavybag footage, we cannot really gather at just how good he would fare against 'modern' fighters. His style cannot be gauged IMO. He sounds like a fantastic offensive fighter, who could be measured or be an absolute windmill, and his punch resistance is legendary. In an 'All-Time' List he would surely rank in the top 5 (top 3 in most people's lists) but for me I feel genuine 'Boxing' (if that makes sense) started in the time of Joe Louis. Therefore I only partake in gauging 'post-war' fighters legendary. Hope McGrain doesn't think I'm being unreasonable by posting this, a lot of people share this view:good
To take your argument to its logical conclusion, how good would you say that say Tommy Loughran was? There is a lot of footage of him and he looks as technicaly brilliant as anybody since him to me.
Didn't Greb beat EVERY future HOF fighter he met? Didn't he beat EVERY HW he ever met? The guy is a disgrace, he shouldn't be allowed.
I rate my fighters from the 20s onward where i feel 'modern' boxing started with fighters like Dempsey, Tunney, Loughran, Leonard etc....
I just watched some footage of him on YT What a shame there's no footage of him fighting The guys like a myth
I may not have seen Greb fight but I've seen Tunney, Loughran, Walker, Gibbons. He must have been one of the greatest to beat all of these men.
I can't think of any who'd match that numerically, but there must be a fighter who fought eight or nine fights against a bit better opposition (not that Greb's was weak in 1919) and won them all.
Fair enough point and I will research and watch. Going to bed now if someone can post something up here for me to look at tomorrow it'd be very much appreciated :good
Tommy Loughran vs Jimmy Braddock is one of my favourites. This is early in Braddocks career while he was fighting at light heavyweight and before he developed the hand problems. He was highly touted and seen in some quaters as the heir apparent to loughrans throne. This is a good fight for showcasing how versatile Loughran was. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acMVVn-OT2o&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lkgm5C7Xvfc&feature=related
Loughran exposed Braddock for how limited he really was. Which is just what you would expect of a master boxer. I have seen pretty much all of the footage that is known to exist on Greb's opponents, he fought around 150 guys and Ive soon footage of about 26 of those, and to be able to beat the guys he did he had to be something special.
