WHO IS GREB

FreddieGibbs · Aug 14, 2024

HistoryZero26 said: ↑

The internets pick for GOAT and is likely the MW GOAT. In a world where everyones tired of padded records and the best fighters avoiding each other Grebs resume is the ideal. Grebs got the largest collection of names of any fighter at the higher weight classes. Less than half of those wins were KOs in the newspaper decision age but the modern fan cares more about fighting all comers than anything else. And by that logic Greb probably is the GOAT.

I personally think its hard to put him above Tunney when he lost the H2H, has like 10 more losses and never won or fought for or won the HW belt. Greb is smaller than Tunney but Langford was smaller than Greb and won HW belts and had a higher KO rate fighting at HW. Langford also fought twice as long as Greb but since he fought so many guys 5-10+ times Langford has a less awe inspiring collection of beaten opponents.

If you're trying to contexualize Greb in HW history he was Tunney, Loughrans and Gibbons primary rival at LHW during the late 1910s and 1920s.
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Langford is not smaller than Greb

SwarmingSlugger · Aug 14, 2024

He's nobody, just the greatest fighter that ever lived. No big deal.

Journeyman92 · Aug 14, 2024

SonnyListon> said: ↑

I keep hearing about this “greb” dude who I know nothing about. Please educate me
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The greatest boxer of all time debatably, I prefer the 30s onward sort of fighters Armstrong etc - but to include that era I’d pick Langford.

Totentanz. · Aug 14, 2024

Dorrian_Grey said: ↑

Bit strange to hold the Tunney fights against Greb when he was half-blind for them and won the series according to the vast majority at ringside. Greb never held a title at HW because Dempsey never really wanted to give him or Wills a title shot. Dunno why you're brining up Langford's weight jumping and power, Greb was never a big hitter but was always more attritional in his style. If fighting guys bigger than yourself and being heavy handed is so important then do you have Jimmy Wilde above Greb too? Not trying to be combative just curious btw.
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I remember reading somewhere that Greb was a sparring partner for Dempsey at some point in time, and Jack said that Harry was the fastest man he ever saw.

bolo specialist · Aug 14, 2024

Totentanz. said: ↑

I remember reading somewhere that Greb was a sparring partner for Dempsey at some point in time, and Jack said that Harry was the fastest man he ever saw.
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Correct (specifically, I think Dempsey said he had "the fastest hands").

BoB Box · Aug 14, 2024

Thee Grebster Original.

Smoochie · Aug 15, 2024

shits crazy op, if someone told me what he accomplished before I would have thought he's a battle shonen protagonist or sumthing but no, he really went and did allat. Also no tape is nuts and what bothers be the most!

Fergy · Aug 15, 2024

Melankomas said: ↑

The greatest boxer of all time.
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I'd say so

Fergy · Aug 15, 2024

Mike Cannon said: ↑

Hi Buddy.
You have had lots of answers already , all on point, and informative, from an array of good posters, the straight forward stats, and a collective of the great fighters he fought and beat, the absurd amount of battles he fought over weeks , and months, the fact he was blind in one eye during his most combative period, the black boxers he didn't bar, when some of his contemporaries did, but he was more than that ( if that's possible ) he was unique, one of a kind, there has been great boxers, there have been big hitters, Greb was neither !
He was, in fact the most original fighter of all time, the tales of his fighting style are legion, he had inhuman stamina, according to his opponents, he would get stronger and more robust the farther the fight went, and when you consider he fought at a frantic pace, that is truly remarkable, his style ( if it could be called as such ) would be to lunge at his opponent with both arms swinging wildly in all directions, conetting on all and any part of the other fighters body, from waist to head, so much so that the challenger could not mount any form of offence, they were to busy trying to ward off the incessant barrage of punches coming their way the punches were not particularly hard, but they stung and cut, and then when they thought of hitting back, he was gone, like a mirage, circling away from the encounter, their punches would hit air, seconds later, the whole process would be repeated, minute after minute, round after round this would have to be endured, even if by chance you did land on him, there would be little effect, he was impervious to punishment, he rarely cut , has Ted Moore stated " it was as if the ceiling had opened , and a cartload of boxing gloves fell on me " he cared not about your reputation, your size, your punching power, meant little to Greb, very few got the better of a prime Greb, what's more he terrorised 3 divisions packed with the good and the great of the time, if we had not seen pictures of him, we would think he was made up, another Keyser Soze, hope the above gives you at least a brief insight to the greatest boxer of all time.
stay safe SL chat soon buddy.
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Great post, Mike!

Mike Cannon · Aug 15, 2024

Fergy said: ↑

Great post, Mike!
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Hi Buddy.
Thanks Fergy, makes it all worthwhile when you are appreciated.
stay safe matey.

George Crowcroft · Aug 15, 2024

HistoryZero26 said: ↑

The internets pick for GOAT and is likely the MW GOAT. In a world where everyones tired of padded records and the best fighters avoiding each other Grebs resume is the ideal. Grebs got the largest collection of names of any fighter at the higher weight classes. Less than half of those wins were KOs in the newspaper decision age but the modern fan cares more about fighting all comers than anything else. And by that logic Greb probably is the GOAT.

I personally think its hard to put him above Tunney when he lost the H2H, has like 10 more losses and never won or fought for or won the HW belt. Greb is smaller than Tunney but Langford was smaller than Greb and won HW belts and had a higher KO rate fighting at HW. Langford also fought twice as long as Greb but since he fought so many guys 5-10+ times Langford has a less awe inspiring collection of beaten opponents.

If you're trying to contexualize Greb in HW history he was Tunney, Loughrans and Gibbons primary rival at LHW during the late 1910s and 1920s.
Click to expand...

Langford was not smaller than Greb.

SonnyListon> · Aug 15, 2024

Mike Cannon said: ↑

Hi Buddy.
You have had lots of answers already , all on point, and informative, from an array of good posters, the straight forward stats, and a collective of the great fighters he fought and beat, the absurd amount of battles he fought over weeks , and months, the fact he was blind in one eye during his most combative period, the black boxers he didn't bar, when some of his contemporaries did, but he was more than that ( if that's possible ) he was unique, one of a kind, there has been great boxers, there have been big hitters, Greb was neither !
He was, in fact the most original fighter of all time, the tales of his fighting style are legion, he had inhuman stamina, according to his opponents, he would get stronger and more robust the farther the fight went, and when you consider he fought at a frantic pace, that is truly remarkable, his style ( if it could be called as such ) would be to lunge at his opponent with both arms swinging wildly in all directions, conetting on all and any part of the other fighters body, from waist to head, so much so that the challenger could not mount any form of offence, they were to busy trying to ward off the incessant barrage of punches coming their way the punches were not particularly hard, but they stung and cut, and then when they thought of hitting back, he was gone, like a mirage, circling away from the encounter, their punches would hit air, seconds later, the whole process would be repeated, minute after minute, round after round this would have to be endured, even if by chance you did land on him, there would be little effect, he was impervious to punishment, he rarely cut , has Ted Moore stated " it was as if the ceiling had opened , and a cartload of boxing gloves fell on me " he cared not about your reputation, your size, your punching power, meant little to Greb, very few got the better of a prime Greb, what's more he terrorised 3 divisions packed with the good and the great of the time, if we had not seen pictures of him, we would think he was made up, another Keyser Soze, hope the above gives you at least a brief insight to the greatest boxer of all time.
stay safe SL chat soon buddy.
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Thanks Mike! You always give such good explinations . God Bless.

bolo specialist · Aug 15, 2024

HistoryZero26 said: ↑

I personally think its hard to put him above Tunney when he lost the H2H, has like 10 more losses and never won or fought for or won the HW belt. Greb is smaller than Tunney but Langford was smaller than Greb and won HW belts and had a higher KO rate fighting at HW.
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That sounds more like a case for ranking Langford over Greb than for ranking Tunney over him.

Ranking Greb over Tunney P4P is based on the same principle as ranking Duran over Ray Leonard P4P.

Dorrian_Grey · Aug 15, 2024

Totentanz. said: ↑

I remember reading somewhere that Greb was a sparring partner for Dempsey at some point in time, and Jack said that Harry was the fastest man he ever saw.
Click to expand...

Greb sparred Dempsey three days in a row in public sparring matches (and Dempsey was known to be a very hard sparrer to the point of breaking the bones of a number of sparring partners) and Dempsey, according to news reports and Gene Tunney never once got the better of Greb over these 3 days despite trying his utmost to remove him from his sense.

Totentanz. · Aug 15, 2024

Dorrian_Grey said: ↑

Greb sparred Dempsey three days in a row in public sparring matches (and Dempsey was known to be a very hard sparrer to the point of breaking the bones of a number of sparring partners) and Dempsey, according to news reports and Gene Tunney never once got the better of Greb over these 3 days despite trying his utmost to remove him from his sense.
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Greb was like a force of nature.

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