Does Harry Greb deserve the reputation of a dirty fighter?

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 04 Jan 2007, 15:36

Harry Greb may well have been one of the greatest fighters of all time, but one of the first things that often springs to mind when thinking about him was his alleged 'rough tactics'. So is this fair? Or was this just part of the game in the era he was fighting in?

http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=009019

pound per pound · Post by **pound per pound** » 06 Jan 2007, 10:57

If Greb was a dirty fighter, he would have more DQ's on his record. In Greb's era, boxing allowed fighters get away with lots of stuff on the inside.

Greb was a whirlwind type of fighter. His style and activity might have resulted in some off the mark punches and un-intentionally head butts.

I haven't read much about Greb throwing low punches, biting, or doctoring gloves. Since there is no film of Greb in the ring, we can't tell for sure. I would say Greb bent the rules, but he did not break them.

robert.snell1 · Post by **robert.snell1** » 07 Jan 2007, 04:09

Greb was regarded as a dirty fighter by a large section of the press of the day to be a dirty fighter and "had scant regard for the rules".He was in no way alone in this it has to be said. There are some people who say this reputation is unfair and the press etc just picked on him etc.Klompton - who has been writing a book on Greb for many years - being the main person who comes to mind.

So it was either true or some sort of conspiracy by the press.

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 07 Jan 2007, 15:43

I doubt that he was any dirtier than Rocky Marcinao and hardly anyone calls Marcinao a dirty fighter!... also to dismiss Grebs victory over Tunney as just being caused by his dirty tactics is pure stupidity and denigrates the ability of both fighters imo!...

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 08 Jan 2007, 12:02

Decagon wrote:
silkov wrote:I doubt that he was any dirtier than Rocky Marcinao and hardly anyone calls Marcinao a dirty fighter!... also to dismiss Grebs victory over Tunney as just being caused by his dirty tactics is pure stupidity and denigrates the ability of both fighters imo!...
Greb was dirtier than Marciano, and although I wouldn't dismiss Greb's illegal tactics in all five Tunney bouts, I would not ignore them. Take for instance the first two bouts between them. Identical bouts - say some - save for in the second, the referee actually called Greb on REPEATED holding-and-hitting. Tunney didn't take nearly as much punishment because the ref wouldn't let Greb clinch. In fact, many argue that Greb deserved the decision in this bout; without the point deductions, he would've retained his title.

Marcinao did much worse things than holding and hitting, try watching some of his fights, especially the Cockell fight, elbowing, low blows and hitting when his opponent was down, Greb dirtier than Marcinao?... I think not.... Greb fought in an era when rough tactics were used by most fighters, but I've never read about him hitting a guy when he's down or hitting a guy low so many times that they got kidney damage!...

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 08 Jan 2007, 12:59

I am sure I have read in a number of places that Tunney openly admitted that Greb got the better of him in their first fight (if only just). Tunney claimed that he learned a lot from that first brutal encounter and it made him a better fighter?

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 08 Jan 2007, 14:19

KOJOE90 wrote:I am sure I have read in a number of places that Tunney openly admitted that Greb got the better of him in their first fight (if only just). Tunney claimed that he learned a lot from that first brutal encounter and it made him a better fighter?

Tunney gave Greb a lot of credit and never cited fouls as the reason why Greb beat him.... it was only after their 3rd fight that Tunney sdtarted to be able to handle Greb comfortably and this was partly due to Tunney reaching his prime and Greb slipping, its unlikely that Tunney would have become the fighter he did had he not fought Greb... his fights with Greb were prototypes for his fights with Dempsey....

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 08 Jan 2007, 14:34

silkov wrote:his fights with Greb were prototypes for his fights with Dempsey....

Also I believe Greb picked Tunney to beat the aging Dempsey.

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 08 Jan 2007, 15:04

KOJOE90 wrote:
silkov wrote:his fights with Greb were prototypes for his fights with Dempsey....
Also I believe Greb picked Tunney to beat the aging Dempsey.

Thats true, I think Greb actually told Tunney that he could beat Dempsey... Greb always thought he would have beaten Dempsey but he could never get the fight. Tunney spent about 2 weeks in bed after the first Greb fight. He took the sort of beating that would have broken many boxers but instaed he became determined to get better and get Greb in the ring again so that he could master him....

Giancarlo · Post by **Giancarlo** » 30 Aug 2013, 17:47

Interesting thread