Why was Harry Greb disliked?

Demps and Kerns paying press?? I would say most definitely they exploited that. They wrote the book.


Some cockamamie law during Jack Johnson rein, made in order to prevent further race rioting, made it against the law to trasport boxing film from state to state.
IMHO this doomed Greb vs Walker film. It was widely shown inside NY State. Had a 1 moth run up in Syracuse for instance but was locked into NY State stopping this thing in its tracks so to speak from making its way to a safe place where it could be stored properly and preserved through time.

 

The amount of "newspaper decisions" Greb is credited with, I think he got a fair enough shake from the press men.
In fact, if he wasn't paying them, they were remarkably fair.

 

When you are as dominant as Greb was in the vast majority of his fights its pretty hard for even a crooked newspaper man to spin. Besides, you are talking about two seperate things: His publicity in New York City vs. actual accounts of his bouts taken as a whole throughout his career. In my experience many of the reports out of New York in regards to Greb's personal life, and inside the ring tactics, simply dont jive with what people outside of New York (and some inside) where saying at the same time. There was a small but vocal and powerful minority within in the New York press who for several different reasons were against Greb. Simple as that.

 

Harry Greb paying newspapermen would be a ruled out historical fact as anything in history.

 

It a BS story. Lottsa creepy people out there like to power trip and string folks aloung.

 

As to the stories that Greb-Walker exists I agree with Slakka. Its BS. That doesnt mean it DOESNT EXIST but what I mean to say is that there isnt some boxing fan out there who knows what it is and is keeping it a secret. It may indeed exist but if it does chances are nobody knows where it is or what is, or the person who does doesnt realize the value of it to boxing people. Ive been searching, and continue to search, for footage of Greb for years. In the process Ive found several fights that are rare and that nobody knows or knew existed. Ive also discovered fights of Greb's which had been filmed but werent known to have been filmed. But never an actual film of Greb. I still have hope, and it would still be possible to find such a film but the more I learn about where to look, how to look, etc etc, the more I think its unlikely that such a film has survived.

I will say this: Strange things seem to turn up in strange places...

As for the film of Greb-Tunney, well, I have my own opinions on that. In short I tend to believe its a bit of a red herring. I'll leave it at that.

 

If I recall correctly, Greb left his Pittsburgh manager and took a manager in NYC. He didn't stay with him too long and went back to his Pittsburgh manager (sorry the names escape me). For those more knowledgable on the subject, could a disgruntled ex-manager have had a negative influence on Greb with the NYC press?

 

greb left red mason for two years to go with george engel. engel had originally been a pittsburgh fighter and manager but left pittsburgh years earlier locating in various cities in the east over the next 15 yrs. by the time greb employed engel engel had partnered up with billy gibson, manager of benny leonard and one of the most connected and powerful men in boxing. when greb fired engel and gibson took over tunney (all within a matter of wks) the wheels were set in motion for publicity campaign in NY against greb. this of course isn't the only reason greb got the **** end of the stick in NY but its a major one.

 

your referring to nyc mgr jimmy johnston who greb delt with very very briefly in regards to the last fight of his career
so NO to answer your question
the press battle occurred before this