BoxRec

When Michael Spinks defeated Larry Holmes, many at the time were saying he was the first Light-Heavyweight Champion to step up and win the HW title. So how does Gene Tunney fit into that picture?

Tunney won the American light heavyweight title from Battling Levinsky, who by that time had dropped the world title to Georges Carpentier. Tunney traded his title back and forth with Harry Greb, of course, but never won the world title at light heavy.

It was correct to say that Michael Spinks was the first reigning world light heavyweight champion to move up in weight and win the heavyweight title. However, Bob Ftizsimmons was the first light heavyweight champion to win the heavyweight championship. He just won it in reverse order (heavy, then light heavy).

Tunney was the best Light Heavyweight in the world whether or not he won that title... His top weight as a boxer was 192 vs Tom Heeney in his last fight... He often said that fight was his most skilled effort.. It was the ONLY fight of Tunney's career where he weighed as much as 190.

190 is the average walk around weight of modern Light Heavyweights.

APerno wrote: ↑26 Nov 2017, 17:14 When Michael Spinks defeated Larry Holmes, many at the time were saying he was the first Light-Heavyweight Champion to step up and win the HW title. So how does Gene Tunney fit into that picture?

He never got a shot at the light heavyweight title, which was a shame. He was the best light heavy in the world at one time and almost surely would have won it had he got the chance.
Ezzard Charles was the same story.
Sam Langford probably would have done it as well.

Since Charles beat Archie Moore 3 X -- and knocked him out -- he probably was the best Light Heavyweight in the world for a good stretch.

At the time that Gene Tunney won the American light-heavyweight championship title from Battling Levinsky, he definitely was not the best 175-pounder in the world. Tunney knew it. Both Tommy Gibbons and Harry Greb were far better than Tunney at the time. In fact, Tunney really was not ready to fight the likes of Gibbons and Greb right after he beat Levinsky, which became readily apparent when Greb gave Tunney a terrible beating in their first bout.

- Chuck Johnston

Chuck1052 wrote: ↑28 Nov 2017, 18:24 At the time that Gene Tunney won the American light-heavyweight championship title from Battling Levinsky, he definitely was not the best 175-pounder in the world. Tunney knew it. Both Tommy Gibbons and Harry Greb were far better than Tunney at the time. In fact, Tunney really was not ready to fight the likes of Gibbons and Greb right after he beat Levinsky, which became readily apparent when Greb gave Tunney a terrible beating in their first bout

The above is utter BS

Boxrec.com quotes: "Pittsburgh Post reported that Tunney fought extremely well... He made a great fight for 10 rounds, but Greb set a pace in the last five that overwhelmed Gene. Tunney's eyebrows were cut and he bled at the nose and mouth. Greb fought his usual fight, all over his man, and chopping him up. Tunney fought Greb much better than Tommy Gibbons had done in New York."

Tunney reported in his autobiography that cuts above both eyes caused by headbutts in a previous fight opened up and bled throughout the final 8 rounds. He was trying to see through a red blur and couldn't see many of Greb's punches coming. However he was still credited with fighting much better against Greb in this fight than Tommy Gibbons had done (Tunney is the only man who ever knocked Gibbons out) and in fact Tunney fought "extremely well" and "made a great fight for 10 rounds." ... Tunney beat Greb twice the following year -- after he sealed the cuts up. He was the dominant Light Heavyweight in the World.. He also beat Greb and Gibbons back to back in 1925 -- completely outclassing Greb and knocking Gibbons out.