Middle vs heavy match up of the week. Johnson vs Greb

Meh, what did he know?

 

Harry Greb was the greatest P4P fighter ever...His 300 bout record against many many bigger Hall of Fame LHs proves this.. Let us leave his legacy at that..
To match the 158-54 prime Geb against the powerful catlike Jack Johnson is unfair I think. However Jack Johnson after sparring with Harry Greb in a NY gym ,was amazed at Greb's speed, and claimed " Greb is the fastest man I have ever seen".
So,if I had to wager on this unfair bout, I believe Lil Arthur should prevail,as he did with the great MW, Stanley Ketchel.
One caveat : What happens if Harry Greb at his prime rested for a month or so, and trained for this bout ? He fought ALMOST every 10 days average in his career,and that had to diminish his energy somewhat, and oh yes in this fantasy bout Greb has the sight of TWO EYES ...What then ?

 

Do you have the full version of Johnson talking about Greb Burt? Would like to read it if poss

BTW fighting every 10days isn't a bad thing unless you carry bad hands and cuts into subsequent fights

 

As you say Burt ,Greb may well be the tops P4P ever, but this is a bridge too far. Tunney at 181lbs beat the **** out of a 33 years old 167.5lbs Greb . Harry was no doubt slightly on the slide, but he commented that Tunney was now too big for him.
A motivated ,200lbs plus Johnson, beats Harry with little trouble, taking a comfortable decision, in a mauling scrappy bout.

 

PP, I have seen this quote by Jack Johnson, from different writers numerous times in old Ring Mags from the 1930s and 1940s. He said this after he lost his title, whilst he worked out in a gym in New York. I knew little about Harry Greb when I read Johnson's opinion related to boxing writers of that time. Nothing unusual as virtually all of Harry Greb's opponents marveled at his inexhaustble speed of hand and foot... PP,how can you not fight every 10 days or so without aches, pains, cuts etc. ?
He once was quoted as saying "boxing is a tough game, and I have to be tougher than everyone". And HE WAS...Cheers...

 

M, I agree with you. Johnson was posssibly the best HW ever, if MOTIVATED. He did just enough to win like a cat against a mouse. Let Greb fight MWs and LHs...We don't match Marvin Hagler or Ray Robinson with Joe Louis or even Archie Moore or Ezzard Charles in fantasy matchups,
so give the immortal Iron City Express his reasonable matchups...:hi: