How long could Tunney have kept Hvywt Title?

Until Nov 7 1978 imo.

 

Schmeling would have taken it from him.

 

He was 29 when he won it, 31 when he retired, if he stayed away from Max Schmeling maybe 5 years total.

 

I dont see Tunney loseing to Schmeling. Tunney was too fast and quick for Schmeling.

Max would be chaseing Gene all day, getting peaker with that jab.

 

Tunney would not be getting any younger by this point and his footwork would be the first thing to go.

Also if a fighter has a short title reign you never just know how he would fare at the longevity game. It dosnt work out for everybody.

 

I think he could've kept it for a few more years, but it would certainly be interesting to see how he'd fare against 200+lbs heavyweights, even if there were few around. A Loughran rematch, although probably not an exciting fight, should provide a good chess match. Plus i read their initial fight was rather close, with Tommy being inexperienced back then. I'd make him a formidable favorite over Sharkey, but Schmeling would probably beat him. Carnera is another tough fight, especially if Tunney starts to slow down from all his ring years. Schaaf, Walker and Levinsky should be win-able.

 

I think Tunney was capable of defeating both Schmeling and Sharkey, and being somewhat bigger and a harder hitter than Tommy Loughran, would be too much for Carnera as well. Ditto Max Baer, who was outpointed by Loughran and Braddock, would of course be beaten even more definitively by Tunney. Then Braddock, who though spirited and determined, would be outboxed. Tunney would have beaten these men during his peak years, and it dosen't necessarily follow that he would be fighting them during the timeline of years that these guys contended for the championship. For instance, Tunney could have fought both Schmeling and Sharkey during the year of 1930, Carnera maybe in '31 and Baer in '32, etc. Anyway, Tunney was a superior boxer to any of these guys, and before he would have started slowing down, could have beaten any of the guys that came between his reign and that of Joe Louis. Tunney would have been long retired before Louis came along.

 

how come no mention of hall of famer George Godfrey? you know the top rated 6'3 225lb powerful fast superheavyweight who tunney dodged in his prime. heres the guy that would have taken the title from tunney. funny how pontius mentions carnera, who was nowhear near godfreys level a fighter, and it showed on film(despite godfrey not even trying his best still handled carnera).....



Tunney vs Godfrey 1928 or 1929 is the fight to see ladies and gents

 

Same here. Tunney would be champ until father time caught up to him.

 

If a champion has a short title reign then I am always reluctant to predict that he could have had a long title reign under diferent circumstances.

Longevity of title reing requires a verry diferent set of atributes to short term dominance and most great fighters dont have these atributes.

 

Right when I read this I had another tab opened with a post responding to Pontius pointing that out. No need to submit it now, though.

 

I don't see Carnera as a tough fight Gains handled Primo easily ,and he was not as good as Tunney,Sharkey would be Gene's hardest fight imo.Tunney could outbox Schmeling and Godfrey ,imo ,but would have his hands full with Schaaf,Loughran I think would be a smaller version of Tunney without the power so I see Tunney winning again.An on form Sharkey give's Tunney his toughest fight.

 

Great post