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Where is Harry Greb in your All time Greats Top list?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Bad_Intentions, Jul 2, 2007.

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McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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Sweet Pea said:

He would've whooped Carpentier up something fierce. Dempsey is a tough one to call, as he probably would've been the toughest Greb faced, due to the size difference and all.
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I pretty much agree with you - but what i'm interested in here is how these two compare to Greb's other competition, rather than Greb himself.

Thoughts?

McGrain, Jul 3, 2007

#46

Robbi Marvelous Full Member

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Harry Greb was a Jewish monster. One of the greatest ever to lace'em up. Top 10 pound for pound of all time.

Robbi, Jul 3, 2007

#47

janitor VIP Member Full Member

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McGrain said:

So, if was Langford failed to fight Jack O'Brien and and Jess Willard it's fair to say that these two wouldn't be up and around the cream of his opposition isn't it?

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Langford beat O'Brien decisively in a no decision bout. O'Brien should then have given him a shot at the light heavyweight title.

In answer to your question the biggest potential fight of Langfords career was a heavyweight title fight against Jack Johnson which never happened.

Greb is more problematic. Wouldn't Dempsey and Carpantier both be among the best fighters Greb would ever have faced?

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Dempsey would have been the best fighter Greb had ever faced.

Carpinter would just have been another head to mount on the wall somewhere between Jack Dillon and Jimmy Slatterey.
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janitor, Jul 3, 2007

#48
robert ungurean Богдан Philadelphia Full Member

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Robbi said:

Harry Greb was a Jewish monster. One of the greatest ever to lace'em up. Top 10 pound for pound of all time.
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Sorry Thats a myth.
Greb was German on Fathers side and Irish on Mothers side.

robert ungurean, Jul 3, 2007

#49

McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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janitor said:

Langford beat O'Brien decisively in a no decision bout. O'Brien should then have given him a shot at the light heavyweight title.

In answer to your question the biggest potential fight of Langfords career was a heavyweight title fight against Jack Johnson which never happened.
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Let's leave Langford alone then - he seems to be a lock. Based on the criteria i've set up, facing the best available, he'd be number one.

Dempsey would have been the best fighter Greb had ever faced.
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How much do you think that failing to face Dempsey hurts Greb if at all? After all, one was a heavy, the other a big middle.

Carpinter would just have been another head to mount on the wall somewhere between Jack Dillon and Jimmy Slatterey.
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Possibly. Why do I never hear anything about Battling Siki and Greb by the way?

It's shaping up like Robinson might have been the worst offender in terms of failing to fight the best fighters available, certainly as far as any argument regarding Greb goes.

What does everyone else think?
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McGrain, Jul 3, 2007

#50
robert ungurean Богдан Philadelphia Full Member

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Robinson avoided so many badass black fighters. Im suprised more people dont make light of that.

robert ungurean, Jul 3, 2007

#51
janitor VIP Member Full Member

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McGrain said:

How much do you think that failing to face Dempsey hurts Greb if at all? After all, one was a heavy, the other a big middle.

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It hurts Dempsey more because Greb was willing to make the fight. Even without fighting Dempsey Greb's resume is uneique.

If he had somehow beaten Dempsey then he would have established himself as the consensus P4P No 1.

If he had been competitive in loosing it might have enhanced his legacy slightly.

If he had been destroyed early then nobody would hold it against him.

Possibly. Why do I never hear anything about Battling Siki and Greb by the way?

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Perhaps because Siki was in the driving seat for a short period.

Incidentaly there was a lot of interest in matching Siki with Dempsey and Doc Kearns seemed willing to consider it.
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janitor, Jul 4, 2007

#52

McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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janitor said:

Incidentaly there was a lot of interest in matching Siki with Dempsey and Doc Kearns seemed willing to consider it.
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I have the opposite - that Siki was after it and Dempsey (or Kearns) wasn't interested. The source is an aside in a book about another fighter though.

If we say Greb failed to fight two fighters - Dempsey and Carpantier - and say that the first doesn't hurt him to much but the second does, he still compares very favourabley with Robinson in this regard.

Concentrating only upon those fighters who were available and would have crashed Robinson's top 10 competitors we have: Charley Burley, Holman Williams, Archie Moore and Lloyd Marhsall. You could also mention Jimmy Bivins and Ezzard Charles though i'm unsure of the circumstances here. I'd also like to mention Jack Chase and the Cocoa Kid, although perhaps they wouldn't be in the top ten (it's getting crowded!).
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McGrain, Jul 4, 2007

#53
janitor VIP Member Full Member

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McGrain said:

janitor said:

I have the opposite - that Siki was after it and Dempsey (or Kearns) wasn't interested. The source is an aside in a book about another fighter though.

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What I have read is that the proposal was being considered untill Siki lost the title to Mike McTigure.

It makes sense in a way. Georges Carpinter had just drawn the first million dollar gate, on a slacker vs war hero card. Battling Siki who had just won the light heavyweight title from Carpinter was also a French war hero and minimal threat to Dempsey.

It would have made good business sense.
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janitor, Jul 4, 2007

#54
mcvey VIP Member Full Member

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Unforgiven said: ↑

Harry Greb would make my top 5.
There's a good argument to say he's #1 or #2.
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P4P my number 1 . no 2 SRR.

mcvey, Jun 21, 2018

#55
Hannibal Barca Active Member Full Member

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1) Robinson
2) Armstrong
3) Greb
4) Langford
5) Charles

These five I feel firm on. The next five are more fluid.

6) Ali
7) Louis
8) Pep
9) Duran
10) B. Leonard

Hannibal Barca, Jun 21, 2018

#56

mcvey VIP Member Full Member

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Hannibal Barca said: ↑

1) Robinson
2) Armstrong
3) Greb
4) Langford
5) Charles

These five I feel firm on. The next five are more fluid.

6) Ali
7) Louis
8) Pep
9) Duran
10) B. Leonard
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I have the same top 5, but in a different order.

mcvey, Jun 21, 2018

#57
Mendoza Hrgovic = Next Heavyweight champion of the world. banned Full Member

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Bad_Intentions said: ↑

i have him at #6
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#1 of fighters not on film. Greb was a very active, durable and fast type, with a tricky type of defense to time. I think he threw lots of punches from all angles, but wonder how he would do vs power hitters his weight as his own power was limited. I think Greb was confirmed to have been filmed 6 times.

Mendoza, Jun 21, 2018

#58
klompton2 Boxing Junkie banned Full Member

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robert ungurean said: ↑

Sorry Thats a myth.
Greb was German on Fathers side and Irish on Mothers side.
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Thats a myth also. He was German on both sides.

klompton2, Jun 21, 2018

#59

BCS8 and robert ungurean like this.
Chuck1052 Well-Known Member Full Member

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Robbi said: ↑

Harry Greb was a Jewish monster. One of the greatest ever to lace'em up. Top 10 pound for pound of all time.
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Harry Greb was a Roman Catholic, not a Jew.

- Chuck Johnston

Chuck1052, Jun 21, 2018

#60

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