Tommy Burns vs Harry Greb

Flea, to say that Greb "trounced a still learning LEARNING badly cut Tunney
is a little misleading. Gene Tunney already had THIRTY NINE bouts, prior to getting battered by Harry Greb in 1922. Tunney who at 25 years of age was in his LH prime who just recently whipped the great LH Battling Levinsky, for the LH title. As I have previously posted my dad saw the Greb/Tunney bout in 1922,and Greb beat Tunney from pillar to post...
We must give the great Harry Greb his due...This "seven year itch",as he was described, deserves all his accolades...Cheers...

 

Burt, I an not implying that Tunney was a mere novice, and by consistently ranking Greb as the greatest fighter of all time there can be no doubt I give him his due and in no way underrated him.

But even Tunney said the first fight with Greb forced him to improve, and over their series even Greb complimented him as advancing. To suggest that the Tunney that faced Greb the first time wasn't as prepared for the Pittsburgh Windmill as the Welterweight champion Walker was isn't underrating the win, it's a fair argument IMO.

If I was going to see any of the Tunney-Greb bouts it would be the closely disputed second fight, where we'd see Greb forced into more. As horrific a beating as the first fight must've been and as brilliant as it would be to watch, if any Greb fight was to surface I'd hope for it to be a competitive bout. The first Tunney fight had some, but was essentially a sustained beating by all accounts.

 

So did Adam, and I pretty much agree with him on boxing.

 

Boxing is a LEARNING experience, no doubt. Tunney of course was better prepared to fight Greb in his second bout,as Tunney knew better what to expect. But fighters at any age in any rematch have a better idea of their opponent in a second match. Tunney was growing and getting much stronger in each match after, BUT Harry Greb with over 200
tough matches ,had to be on the downside...No human being could have over 200 bouts
as Harry Greb had in 1922, without wearing down. So if Tunney was getting "better", Harry Greb was wearing down. And Greb was coping with sight in but one eye to boot....

 

And? My original point was that if footage of Greb were to surface I'd prefer to see the Walker fight, on the basis that both fighters were in better form than Tunney was in the fight for Greb and it'd be a more interesting fight to watch. Not that the win is anything less than a very impressive and completely comprehensive violent domination.

I understand folks see historic relevance in Tunney I as it's Tunney's only loss, but for me I consider Walker the greater fighter, and a fight between the Welter and Middleweight champion of high importance as well. It means little, nuttin' will show up anyway IMO.

 

The reason i wanna see greb v tunney 1 is purely because I think it would be a perfect showcase of his abilities.

However as flea says, the walker victory is greater.

 

Flea, most posters are unaware of the fact that Harry Greb, on the way out
was over the 160 pound limit hours before his bout with Mickey Walker in July,1925. Rather than forfeit the bout Harry Greb with only orange punch in him, ran TWICE around Central Park ,until he made 158 pounds, 2 lbs less than the 160 pound limit . Hours later in MSG ,weakened and creaky he found the resources to give the powerful Toy Bulldog ,such a shellacking
that Walker in the Fifteenth rd, was on the verge of being stopped.
The more i know of Harry Greb, the more astonished i am...

 

Thanks as always Burt, after waiting to get a shot at Wilson you could be sure that Greb wanted to keep that middleweight title.

 

He claimed to be badly injured coming into the fight too for whatever that's worth, Klomton 3...2....1

 

Is it bollox

 

Burns would destroy these oversize melons of today...aint that right Flea?