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Norfolk did not take Greb apart in 1921. When they fought in 1921 the newspaper reports are split straight down the middle as to who won that fight. The bout ended with Norfolk exhausted in a corner and being battered by Greb.
This was the account I read from "Black dynamite". "It was in the summer of 1921 that Norfolk got his first real break when he was matched up with Pittsburgh legend This content is protected . The fight itself was a torrid affair, with both men giving and taking tremendous amounts of punishment. The Kid outweighed the mighty Greb by twelve pounds but the Steeltown crowd gave the "Human Windmill" his own kind of advantage. Norfolk floored Greb for a six count in the first and gave him quite a beating over the first few rounds. Greb fought back as only he could and took the fight to his heavier foe in the middle rounds. Norfolk's greater strength seemed to be the difference in the closing rounds and he "cut Greb to ribbons in the final frame". The newspaper decision was Norfolk's but it did him little good. He continued to call for Dempsey but the Manassa mauler had a long list of challengers, many of whom meant a bigger payday with a smaller risk. But Norfolk was convinced that he could beat Dempsey and that all he needed was to get the champion into the ring with him." Now Im not saying one account is better than the other, I wasn't there, but I will say many black fighters weren't given a fair shake by the newspapers of the day, and the fight was in Grebs backyard. Be nice if some of the regulars here would weigh in on this. Im not ashamed to say there are some great historical minds here that I'd like to learn from. Don't seem like you guys want to give the time od day to a newbie though. Lets go, hook it up!!
Harry Wills was offered big money to fight Gene Tunney with the winner set to fight Jack Dempsey, but he turned it down. Of course, Tunney ended up getting the shot instead and the rest is history.
Correct. Wills had a vs Tunney could have been made. There was talk about it before Tunney meet Dempsey. Wills was past his best by then. The papers of the times do quote Gibbons, and he said Wills does not want the fight. More re-search is needed here. I also think Godfrey was qualified to face Tunney. Tunney did not want it. Tunney retired after beating Dempsey twice and Heeney once. PS: Who is Joann? The lady who runs the Tunney web site?
Tunney won the title in sept 26 , so he didnt have much time that year to meet any challenger,Black or White.I suppose Tunney could have met George godfrey in 27 ,before the Long Count in Sept,Godfrey was 30 and still a force. Tunney had an easy defence against Heeney then quit ,he could have added a still respectable Godfrey or and emerging Gains to his resume,personally the guy I think he was a little leeey of facing was Jack Sharkey.By the way Kid Norfolk is the guy responsible for Grebs blindness in one eye,via a thumb.ps I liked your post,you may learn something on this site ,but it will have to be from posters more informed than me.
Ill believe the newspaper reports of the Greb-Norfolk fight before I believe the report of a guy who wasnt even there (nat fleischer). First of all, Norfolk didnt cut Greb to ribbons. All the reports are clear that Greb left the ring without a mark. Norfolk suffered a badly swollen and cut eye which was the result of a previous injury he had recieved in his bout with Lee Anderson being reopened. The concencus of the newspapers all agree that Norfolk won the first four rounds and Greb won the last four rounds. Where the papers differ is who won the fifth and sixth rounds which in all of the accounts are the rounds that swung favor for the fighters as Greb began to come on in fifth. Greb was increasingly dominate in the last half of the fight to the point where in the last round he had Norfolk in a corner nearly helpless being battered as the bell rang. Not too mention this was a guy who outweighed Greb by 17.5 pounds (not twelve) at the time of the fight. Its also notable that the referee for the fight stated the next day that had official decisions been allowed in Pittsburgh he would have rendered the decision in favor of Greb. This caused something of a stir because many people felt this was tantamount to an official decision being rendered.
