Langford vs Greb

[cfang]

So two of the top 5 atg p4p. Fight at 165lbs. Both used to beating up bigger men. Who wins?

[tiny_acres]

So two of the top 5 atg p4p. Fight at 165lbs. Both used to beating up bigger men. Who wins?

I will analyze all the hundreds of hours of film that is out there on these 2 and come up with a definite answer

[BoxBuzz]

Virtually never being filmed, or NEVER being filmed in action has a direct influence on how good someone was.

Greb was the best....never filmed
Rosenbloom must have been great...never filmed in ring action. But was able to be filmed outside of the ring
Langford...almost never filmed. Though I've seen a fight with Joe Jeanette. Are their others? Why is there film of him but not Greb or Maxie?


Honestly there is no positive proof that it would possible to film either Rosenbloom or Greb even with the most powerful cameras available today. It's possible they were "unfilmable" in action due to their nearly alien skills. Maybe that's WHY there is no film of either of these in action? Or do films of them exist?......stored in Roswell......from the match when they faced each other?

I have heard on many occasions that Greb was perhaps the best. I can not disagree, there is no proof otherwise.

[beaujack]

So two of the top 5 atg p4p. Fight at 165lbs. Both used to beating up bigger men. Who wins?

Who can tell, BUT many years ago in in OLD Ring Magazine, Nat Fleischer editor of the Ring, answered this question from a reader.
"In what round would it take Sam Langford to catch up to Harry Greb and stop him " ? Fleischer who saw both Langford and Greb ringside replied-
" I don't think that Sam Langford would ever catch up to Harry Greb ' Unquote...For what its worth..In about 280 bouts in a row Harry Greb was NEVER stopped though spotting opponents dozens of pounds, and in the last 5 or so years, fighting with but ONE EYE...Astounding..

[dempseyfire]

This would be an amazing fight. Greb and Langford are my #1 and #2 lb for lb all time.

As Greb had a chin of steel, based on styles I give Harry the edge to outwork Sam. But not a huge edge.

[cfang]

Thinking about this one. Do you we really need to see Greb to know what he was all about? There was no film of Langford for years and years, then the net came along and yt and before you know it there he is. What we saw was exactly what we expected to see and it'd be the same with Greb. We'd see a bobbing, weaving all action type of fighter that sits right on top of guys and never lets up. With Books like Klompton's around too, whilst we don't have the luxury to see Greb, we have pretty much all his fights documented and it gives a lot of insight .

I have Greb winning this by decision. He was never stopped and whilst he probably never fought a puncher like Langford, from what we know, he'd be faster and would probably survive some rough moments to win by decision.

Greb is my number 2 all time pound for pound and I've got him #1 at middleweight. His record is incredible.

[Ambling Alp II]

At 165, I would lean towards Greb. That was really was where he was at his best. If the weight limit was higher, I would lean towards Langford.

[HomicideHenry]

NOW THIS.... would of been the "fight of the century".

[Bobbyptsd]

So two of the top 5 atg p4p. Fight at 165lbs. Both used to beating up bigger men. Who wins?

I will analyze all the hundreds of hours of film that is out there on these 2 and come up with a definite answer

Hey, it somehow doesn't stop people working out scenarios.

Fighter from 2000:

"He was 31-0, he was a great fighter"
-"You clearly haven't watched his fights! He should have lost several of those, you're only reading a record!"

Fighter from 1900:

"He was 182-20-10, he was a great fighter"
-"I agree, but who do you think would have won between him and this other guy we've never seen?"

[Badhusker]

Great fight. I know Gene Tunney lost one to Greb, but also beat him a few times. Greb was beatable. I would guess Tunney had a 10lb weight advantage or so.
http://m.youtube.com/results?q=harry%20 ... unney&sm=1

Greb training and sparring. Someone said there was no footage of Greb?

[pound per pound]

So two of the top 5 atg p4p. Fight at 165lbs. Both used to beating up bigger men. Who wins?

I think the key to this fight is the amount of rounds and the weight. The heavier for Sam, the better. The more rounds for Sam, the better.

I think Greb wins pretty easy at 165 pounds in a 15 round match.

[Ambling Alp II]

I don't think it would be easy at 165; Langford was already very good at that weight. However, I agree 165 does favor Greb as I mentioned earlier. Around 165 was actually Greb's best fighting weight, not 160. I would give him a slight edge. At 170 it would be a tossup. any higher, and I would go with Langford.

[Cap]

With respect to fans of Mr Greb, if a journeyman light heavyweight like Horace Soldier Jones could almost knock Greb out [he had Greb on queer street in the first round AND the second round], I could easily see the legendary Nova Scotia Gnome Sam Langford do the same in a 20 round fight in a neutral venue with his hands untied.

[misterpunch]

I'd beat both - probably on the same night! however, there is no known film of my exploits inside the ring and not a scrap of evidence of my incredible ring skills has been found so you'll just have to take my word for it.

[klompton]

With respect to fans of Canadian Journeymen matching the faded, blind in one eye version of Greb who was basically coasting after winning the MW title against a prime Sam Langford was likely not what the OP intended. Nevermind that Jones got in his lucky shot and then proceeded to get a brutal one sided battering after that.

[Tomasino]

With respect to fans of Canadian Journeymen matching the faded, blind in one eye version of Greb who was basically coasting after winning the MW title against a prime Sam Langford was likely not what the OP intended. Nevermind that Jones got in his lucky shot and then proceeded to get a brutal one sided battering after that.

Who wins in your opinion Klompton? Prime for prime?

[klompton]

Greb if it goes the distance, Langford if not. Its hard to quantify Langford during this period because he was fighting primarily HWs and didnt have to as he could weigh much less and he let himself go a lot. So its really hard to pin down what he would have done at a lower weight in his prime against someone like Greb who was so fast and so hard to hit and so tough. There's no doubt that Langford could hurt pretty much anyone he could hit but could he hit Greb and could he keep him hurt? Thats a huge if to bank on the outcome of a fight. I usually go with the speedy boxer in such situations.

[Tomasino]

Greb if it goes the distance, Langford if not. Its hard to quantify Langford during this period because he was fighting primarily HWs and didnt have to as he could weigh much less and he let himself go a lot. So its really hard to pin down what he would have done at a lower weight in his prime against someone like Greb who was so fast and so hard to hit and so tough. There's no doubt that Langford could hurt pretty much anyone he could hit but could he hit Greb and could he keep him hurt? Thats a huge if to bank on the outcome of a fight. I usually go with the speedy boxer in such situations.

Good post and sounds about right to me. Two of the very greatest fighters to grace the ring, both utterly fearless, I'm sure Harry would have been one of the few fighters of the day that would have granted Sam a title shot.

[L.A. kidd]

we must keep in mind harry greb was the only fighter to beat gene tunney, im not sure Langford could have beat tunney........

greb by a decision....................

[Cap]

No way would Tunney have fought a prime Langford. By the time Gene challenged Harry Wills, Sam was way way past it.

[Gggreb1]

This would be an amazing fight. Greb and Langford are my #1 and #2 lb for lb all time.

As Greb had a chin of steel, based on styles I give Harry the edge to outwork Sam. But not a huge edge.

[kasimirkid]

At 165, I would lean towards Greb. That was really was where he was at his best. If the weight limit was higher, I would lean towards Langford.

As I see it, the bigger Langford was bigger because he put on excess weight as he grew older. Greb was always in tip-top shape. I believe Sam at 165 and above wouldn't have been able to keep up with Harry. Greb would have run circles around him as the fight progressed, and I don't think Sam would have been able to nail a jack rabbit like Greb in the early rounds, either. The fight would go to a decision and Harry would win convincingly, IMO.

[Caractacus]

who were the smallest fighters both men met in the ring ?

[Cap]

Smallest or lightest? Langford fought and beat Joe Gans the great lightweight early on.