How would Tunney have done against 30s Heavyweight Opposition?

I don't think Sharkey is an easy fight at all for Tunney, atleast not at his best, I could see Tunney having a lot of trouble with his unorthadox movement. Though you'd have to favour Tunney's consistency.

Tommy Loughran gave Tunney a lot of trouble when they fought and could well have been the one to dethrone Tunney.

 

I don’t think any of them are an easy match. Tunney v Baer would have been interesting.

 

I think an on form Sharkey would give Tunney his toughest fight.

 

I think that age would have been catching up with him after another three years, and it might depend who got him at the right time.

 

I think that Schmeling would beat him, Sharkey is also a close fight.

 

A lot would depend upon when he got Schmeling.

If he get's a greenish version, while he is in his own prime, then he likely wins.

If he puts it off a couple of years, while Schmeling gets better, and he gets older, then that likely doesn't work out well for him.

If he get's past Schmeling, then I honestly think that his likely conqueror is either Carnera or Loughran!

Either would be the right man, in the right place, with the right style, when Tunney was ready to be taken.

It might well end up being somebody totally unexpected, as so often happens with champions who stay on until they get beaten.

 

Depends how fast Tunney declines. I feel like he was one of the first fighters to stay relatively in fighting shape at championship level year round. I could see him being great for another 5 years but not really more. He wasn't superman. Only Baer and Schmeling give him an especially hard time. Those 2 at their peak were a notch better than 26-27 Dempsey. I could see Tunney suffering stoppage losses to both. Loughran might get a W if Tunney has declined enough.

Tunney retired because he felt there was nobody around that was worth fighting that could beat him and arguably he was right. Had there been some contenders around worthy of a shot he might have stuck around to the early 30s.

 

Sharkey--had trouble with jabs off the films, so I think he would have been easily outboxed by Tunney in the late 1920's. Sharkey didn't seem to have the punch to take out Tunney and so not much chance until Tunney severely regresses.

Schmeling--I think Schmeling would have been tough for any version of Tunney. He had a good jab, and that right would have been dangerous against Tunney who carried his hands low. I think Schmeling would have been at least even money against Tunney as early as 1929, when Tunney would have been 32, and with each passing year the odds would move more toward Schmeling. Tunney built his rep against light-heavyweights. The only heavyweight puncher he met was the aging Dempsey, and remember the long count. Schmeling beat much better heavyweights. I like Schmeling here.

Carnera--when would this fight have come off? If 1931, Tunney would be 34. I think he wins, but Tunney never faced an opponent who was both 6' tall and 200 lbs. Carnera would have been something different. The 1933 Carnera beats the then 36 year old Tunney in my judgment.

Baer--probably the guy Tunney at his best would have his easiest time outboxing. Baer's chances would have been landing one of his wild swings, but I don't think that at all likely against a peak Tunney. But again when do these guys fight? Tunney would have been in his mid-thirties even in the early 1930's. I think Tunney probably wins in 1930 or 1931 but from then on I think Baer would catch up to him. The longer the fight the better Baer's chances at any time.

Braddock--was not a good fighter until the mid-1930's, so Tunney would beat him during his losing period. By the time Braddock got his act together in 1934 and 1935 Tunney would have been in his late thirties. So by that point Braddock would win.

 

I may be in the minority, but I rate Sharkey IN HIS PRIME (which would have been the late 1920s-1930, even prior to the first Carnera fight) the best of all the "cheese champions" of the thirties IN THEIR PRIMES.

 

I have A pretty high opinion of Tunney. I think he takes everyone with Schmeling being the closest at 60/40

 

Tunney was reaching his 30's by well the 1930's. Age wise, I think Tunney walk away at the right time. I am not sure how he would do, but in his prime I think he rules the 30's until the coming of Joe Louis.

 

He was also moving on with his life .. I agree there was no super fight at the time and after two huge Dempsey fights and his million dollar check for the rematch, the Heeney fight payment aside must have been a downer .. Tunney seemed to have accomplished what he wanted , he wanted to get married and this presented him with a major different set of options .. I do think at his best he beats anyone from Schmeling to Braddock w a prime Sharkey likely his toughest opponent.

 

Gene Tunney stated that his objectives were to make a million dollars, retire from boxing, marry, and move on, which is exactly what he did. He retired while on top and made no attempts to come back. I always respected him for that resolve.

But had he decided to continue his career, his next two opponents would have likely been Sharkey and Schmeling. When Tunney retired after the Heeney fight, Nat Fleischer lamented that we never got to see a Tunney-Sharkey fight. This fight actually could have taken place if Sharkey had prevailed over Dempsey, and again later had he not drawn with Heeney and lost to Risko, enabling Heeney to get the title shot. But a Tunney-Sharkey match would still have made for a good fight, especially if Sharkey had a good night. It would have been a prime Sharkey who may have given Gene his toughest fight. Both men would have been at or near prime had they fought around 1929, but I would pick Tunney based on his more consistent resume. Schmeling would probably be a tough fight also, but I believe Tunney's experience would prevail over a younger Schmeling.

As the thirties moved along and Tunney began aging, the odds would increase that he might be upset by some of the champions or contenders of that era. A rematch with Schmeling would probably be a tougher fight. Loughran and Carnera could be tough challenges, and Max Baer could be a real wild card. But Tunney was a smart fighter who never entered the ring out of condition and always made a thorough study of his opposition. He truly was a thinking-man's fighter. And he always had a 'Plan B.' I believe that if he continued to keep focused and in condition, not fighting too often (say one or two defenses a year), he could hold off the challenges of all the top men up to Joe Louis. By 1936, the year Schmeling upset Louis, Tunney would have been 39. I don't think Joe would have been overconfident and undertrained challenging even an old Tunney, so Gene would be in for a rough night. But he would have his moments, capitalizing on the flaw that Max exploited, but I believe the fight and the title would go to Joe. But it really would have been interesting to see how it all would have played out!