could harry greb and sam langford be great vs todays boxers

[stevedoc]

simple if we took greb and langford in a time machine to now would there styles and skills still be affective against modern fighters ,would greb be to tough for martinez or how would langford fair against carl froch .
i have to say as much as i respect these legends i don't think they could compete with modern fighters ,but that's just me what do you think ...cheers

[dnahar32]

Yes, in general, I think most of the older fighters would translate well to the fight game today, and especially greats such as Greb and Langford.

Both Greb and Langford were pressure fighters that worked on the inside and with boxing less prevalent in gyms around the world, they had far more experience in training with other fighters and experience in the ring in their day. Through the gym wars, they learned how to absorb blows and shake them off because sparring was intense. They also stayed in shape year-round to be able to take fights whenever they came up and to hone their craft. Not to mention, they had same day weigh-ins and could not put on 10-15 pounds like middeweights routinely put on today before the actual fights. JCC Jr. was probably around 190 in his fight with Sergio when they stepped into the ring.

Greb on the inside would roughhouse and give a body beating to Sergio Martinez. Sergio would have landed shots, but he wouldn't be given time to reset and rest after he landed. Greb would use that time to nail Martinez and compensate for his slower hand speed. Greb was much naturally stronger than Martinez who is really a small middleweight/jr middle. I see Greb winning via a knockout or comfortable decision.

Langford and Froch would be no contest. Langford has faster hands, better boxing ability, and a wide variety of fighting styles. He could punch, feint, defend, or fight inside and outside. Carl Froch is a low economy fighter and reckless at times with indifferent defense. His handspeed is not very fast (Andre Ward was openly saying that to the media after his easy unanimous decision win over Froch) and while he has the power to land a KO blow, Langford had a granite chin and took bombs from heavyweights that outweighed him by thirty and forty pounds at times without going down. Suffice to say, I think Langford would win this fight in any fashion that he pleased.

[BoxBuzz]

and in that day and age....it is my opinion less distractions generated more focous on the craft.

[klompton]

Actually Greb used his speed of hand and foot to bounce around opponents, pot shotting them, and rush inside to land a lot of quick flurries. He was an aggressive fighter but not in the sense that we now picture him as being.

I think his natural gifts: speed and stamina, would suit him well today. Keep in mind that even during his era people said he looked like he didnt know the first thing about boxing but he was so fast and threw so many punches without tiring that other fighters simply couldnt compete. That type of style would score a lot of points with judges today.

A guy like Langford who could box and had a dynamite punch would do well also. Langford looks very modern and clever to me. Against Lang he moves in aggressively, weaving his head like Tyson to draw defensive leads and counter. Against Jeanette he uses some of the same moves we see Toney use, drawing a lead, pulling back and letting fall just short, and then when the guy has overextended himself he counters with a right hand and a left hook behind it. Very clever. I think both guys would do very well today.

[klompton]

Both did have underrated skills but thats where any comparison with Greb would end. They were both primarily mauling punchers who used their physical strength. Greb primarily used speed and rarely ever sat down on his punches. He bounced all over the ring with great speed and would often pop up behind his opponents, slide along the ropes, or slip out of corners before an opponent could land effectively on him. I have dozens of reports of his fights where the opponent is estimated to have landed no more than a dozen blows over the course of a fight. An accurate puncher like Gene Tunney gave up on trying to hit Greb's head because you just couldnt do it. Galindez and Roldan were not that hard to find even against lower tier competition.

[zorndeslammes]

If you just zapped forward anyone in just about any sport 90 years forward into an era where guys have modern fitness equipment, training regiments, steroids/HGH, and so on, I think they'd have problems. Really only boxing has this discussion I think where it is imagined by a significant number of people that the best of 100 or more years ago would flatten modern stars at any/all levels. You'd never hear anyone even consider suggesting this when it comes to the NBA or American Football.

[dnahar32]

If you just zapped forward anyone in just about any sport 90 years forward into an era where guys have modern fitness equipment, training regiments, steroids/HGH, and so on, I think they'd have problems. Really only boxing has this discussion I think where it is imagined by a significant number of people that the best of 100 or more years ago would flatten modern stars at any/all levels. You'd never hear anyone even consider suggesting this when it comes to the NBA or American Football.

I think you are correct in your assessment of other sports, but let's take a look at why we can make the comparisons in boxing. The NFL and NBA do not have weight limits as boxing does. A 210lb center in the 1940s now easily weighs 300lbs. Bob Cousy growing up in the 40s did not even know how to play basketball and "made up" the idea of a behind the back dribble and other advancements because it gave him an advantage. Now, even I can go behind the back with ease. But in boxing, a middleweight had to make 160 in 1920 as he does today. A lot of those advancements you mention are used as shortcuts today by fighters who generally do not stay in fighting shape throughout the year. Also, a hard body does not substitute for technique. When you consider that boxing had far more gyms and trainers and actual fighters in the past, I think you can see where the experience of regularly fighting and learning the craft can trump a part-time fighter of today even with their nutritional advancements.

[zorndeslammes]

IMO lots stylistically has changed also about boxing. People will disagree but I'm not of the notion that the sport hasn't seen significant variation and change since gloved fists and round limits were implemented. Langford, in prime, would be about Jeff Lacy size. Shorter, really. He never fought a guy Wlad's size who possessed even a semblance of a damaging jab, much less Wlads piston disguised as arm. He'd probably be in very deep fighting a Tavoris Cloud zapped from the past. Born today, he probably fights at middleweight. Maybe 168.

[Clint Magnum]

Greb and Langford would be multi title ATG in this era. There was not a style they hadn't encountered, they had chins and hearts of granite and their strength/power never faded no matter how many rounds went by. No boxer today could take the heat they'd bring.
All this talk of "advancements" in nutrition & exercise etc need to take along hard look at these guys' physiques. Plyometrics is a fancy word for what these guys did. High protein/low fat/moderate carbs were the norm with natural foods which would be today labelled as "organic" and the sheer volume of their fighting kept them "match fit".
It's a shame we can only see poor quality footage of them. Many people judge them as clumsy or slow and crude. The film footage technology was in its infancy and operated by a manual turning of the cameras so it gives a staccato like impression of the fighters' movements.

[Ascended]

look up 60fps louis matches it's mutiple matches and it's fixed as best as they could be and they're in color, and as I fact as I said it wouldn't matter if it was recorded with a hd cam the fighters would still fight the same as that era they don't look like the 70s-90s fighters, so why has that odd quote been repeated for years if we had better cams?

Sam fought in the horrible era the same as Dempsey did people can clearly see his movements and the other person he is fighting and have for years in highlights and in full matches, those cams weren't good either see how idiotic it sounds saying if we had Better cams, as if that would change a person's movements, Dempsey and everyone sam fought looks like novices compared to the average 70s-90s this topic was ridiculous to even ask how would Sam do he wouldn't even make pro in those eras fighting like he actually did

For anyone who said sam or harry would do good were clearly trolling or not all there in the head

[jwfg]

simple if we took greb and langford in a time machine to now would there styles and skills still be affective against modern fighters ,would greb be to tough for martinez or how would langford fair against carl froch .
i have to say as much as i respect these legends i don't think they could compete with modern fighters ,but that's just me what do you think ...cheers

I always wonder what it would be like if we sent current fighters back then.

[tonyevs]

Modern boxing is a lot different to the game 100 yrs ago. Differences in such things as the gloves worn to what the referee would regard as adherence to the rules contributed to how boxers fought. Greb fought blind in one eye for a long stretch of his career - some top boxers today quit with a black eye.

I`m sure the attributes that got those to the top 100 years ago would get them to the top in todays game too, however their style would most likely look a whole lot different.

[Ascended]

But the topic isn't asking that and clearly idiots who watched highlights only said these guys could beat way more advanced guys from the 70s-'90s, when these guys never even faced guys even as advanced as the average amateur in the era's I named Henry and Sam look horrible in full rounds

[goose 5]

Great thread as I'm reading bios of both men . What I'd like to know is who would win if they fought each other circa 1919 ?

[Ambling Alp II]

Two of the Top 10 of all time. By 1919, Langford was slipping; would pick Greb.

[Caractacus]

which fighters from the the last 60 years most resembled them in fighting style ?

[Ambling Alp II]

Thats a good question. Off of the top of my head, I can't think of anyone. Langford kind of did a little of everything. Greb was known for having a crazy, ultra-aggressive style. Greb was not the puncher Langford was.

[Caractacus]

maybe Thomas "Hurricane" Jackson ?

[Ascended]

maybe Thomas "Hurricane" Jackson ?

Why would you say him when he was way more advanced,no one even made midcard fighting like they did in Harry and Sam time in 70s amateur,cause they were obsolete

[Ascended]

which fighters from the the last 60 years most resembled them in fighting style ?

None cause the average boxer in 70s amateur was way more advanced

[tonyevs]

which fighters from the the last 60 years most resembled them in fighting style ?

None cause the average boxer in 70s amateur was way more advanced

You appear to have made up your mind and unable to consider other opinions. Maybe best to ask yourself if a boxing forum where others give their own opinions is best suited to your personality ..

[Ascended]

which fighters from the the last 60 years most resembled them in fighting style ?

None cause the average boxer in 70s amateur was way more advanced

You appear to have made up your mind and unable to consider other opinions. Maybe best to ask yourself if a boxing forum where others give their own opinions is best suited to your personality ..

This comment makes no sense at all do you think I'm lying? It's a fact the average 70s fighter was way more advanced you clearly can't see good or don't understand advances in sports if you can't see the differences between a fighter in the 70s-80s and one from the 20s, cause the man asked which person fought like them in the last 60 years, I took that as every obsolete tech and flaws they used in the 20s and as I said the 70s were way more advanced they didn't even have all the obsolete flaws and tech the 20s had

You people just aren't all there at all for you to think what I said was wrong when it's fact you can look up boxers in the 70s-80s and try to find guys who fought like they did in the 20s and they all were way more advanced

[cfang]

What are the advancements exactly? I see guys like Moore back in the 40s/50susing the shoulder roll like Floyd did. Many think we’ve lost more than we’ve gained in boxing knowledge. Watching Joe Joyce vs zhang and Joyce being totally shocked at getting caught with lefts by a southpaw illustrated this. It seems often the rudimentals aren’t there with some of today’s fighters. You think guys could have 200 fights back in the old days with no skill?

[Ascended]

What are the advancements exactly? I see guys like Moore back in the 40s/50susing the shoulder roll like Floyd did. Many think we’ve lost more than we’ve gained in boxing knowledge. Watching Joe Joyce vs zhang and Joyce being totally shocked at getting caught with lefts by a southpaw illustrated this. It seems often the rudimentals aren’t there with some of today’s fighters. You think guys could have 200 fights back in the old days with no skill?

lie moore wasn't using the same roll like floyd did his roll was very basic and flawed so no it wasn't the same at all . Where did you get that from? You obviously never seen full rounds of moore or those guys in the 40s and 50s to ask an odd question like what advances, and I never said no skills. I said they weren't as advanced as guys in the 70s. This is a fact, so you're trolling. I can post full rounds of floyd, and the fundamentals have gotten better over the years. Like, what are you trolling for? You're making yourself look really foolish by telling these lies. What is the purpose?

those guys in 40s-50s looks like novices even compared to the average guy in 70s

and advances mean angles used/tech/defense/fluidness/timing/smarts

would you like me to expose you on video showing how novice like the 40s-50s were compared to the 70s

[The Docker]

simple if we took greb and langford in a time machine to now would there styles and skills still be affective against modern fighters ,would greb be to tough for martinez or how would langford fair against carl froch .
i have to say as much as i respect these legends i don't think they could compete with modern fighters ,but that's just me what do you think ...cheers

Why do we have to teleport the ‘as is’ Greb and Langford?

You could teleport the ‘as is’ Albert Einstein right now and have me and him sit at a modern PC and see who quickest can create a fairly sophisticated spreadsheet of incomings versus outgoings.

And when Einstein can’t fathom how to logon, I could sneer “ you thick bastard “.

Both Greb and Langford would be admirable performers in any era, but you have to give them the birthright of whichever era you are putting them up against.