Harry Greb
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Name: Harry Greb
Alias: Pittsburgh Windmill
Birth Name: Edward Henry Greb
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Died: 1926-10-22 (Age:32)
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 173cm
Reach: 180cm
Pro Boxer: Record
Amateur Boxer: Record
- Division: Middleweight
- Managers: James (Red) Mason, George Engel
- Harry Greb Gallery
Harry Greb had a remarkable career, finishing with just under 300 total bouts (262-17-18-1). In 1913 he had been laying tin roofs in Pittsburgh for $12 a week, thinking he was making good money. By 1917 he reportedly was making $33,000 a year in the ring. Nov. 6, 1917 Tacoma Times [1].
Greb took part in the Anglo-American Service Tournament in London, December 11-13, 1918. On December 11 he knocked out Cpl. Green and Sgt. Baker in 1 round each. On December 12 he was declared loser to Charlie Ring in 3 rounds. Upon returning home to Pittsburgh he described his fights to the Pittsburgh Post. He said that he lost to Ring because of warnings from the referee for dirty tactics and claimed he really had much the best of the action.
He fought an exhibition against Kid Lewis 1-22-1925 "This affair was billed as an exhibition, but Lewis quickly turned it into a serious affair. He started out viciously, swinging a hard left hook to Greb's head. That was it for the "husky, dusky battler," because Greb quickly danced inside and let go a powerful left hook to the body which put Lewis down and out."
"Harry Greb, middleweight boxing champion. was seriously injured early this evening when his automobile overturned a few miles from this city. He was brought to the West Penn Hospital, where physicians said he suffered two fractured ribs and cuts and bruises on his back and chest." New York Times Aug. 21, 1925
Greb died in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA, from complications following eye surgery.
In January 2009, a biography of Greb was published: The Fearless Harry Greb, by Bill Paxton (McFarland and Company, Inc., Jefferson, North Carolina and London. The reader is warned against taking seriously the only other Greb biography, Leave Him to the Angels, by James Fair. Paxton's book contains a record that gives Greb's brief amateur record, and some exhibitions. (See also, the 2019 book: Smokestack Lightning: Harry Greb, 1919, by Springs Toledo.)
Professional Record
- May has a record of 5-2 (0 KOs) in world title fights.
- May has a record of 9-5-1 (0 KOs) against former, current, and future world champions:
- Won against George Chip, Gene Tunney, Tommy Loughran (twice), Johnny Wilson (3 times), Jimmy Slattery, Mickey Walker.
- Lost against Gene Tunney (twice),Tommy Loughran, Tiger Flowers (twice).
- Drew against Tommy Loughran.
Known Amateur Bouts
1913
- 10 Mar W.J. Miller Pittsburgh, PA W3 (amateur)
- 11 Mar Al Storey Pittsburgh, PA W3 (amateur)
- 12 Mar Red Cumpston Pittsburgh, PA W4 (amateur)
- 4 Apr George Koch Pittsburgh, PA W4 (amateur)
- 5 Apr Red Cumpston Pittsburgh, PA W6 (amateur)
- 8 May Red Cumpston Pittsburgh, PA W4 (amateur)
External Links
- Cyber Boxing Zone: [2]
- Harry Greb Web site: [3]
- Find a Grave: [4]
- YouTube videos of Greb sparring [5] and punching [6]
- "The Brits Who Took on the Great Harry Greb" (article): [7]
- "Edward Henry Greb" by James Cashman: [8]
- "Harry Greb, the Human Windmill…“A Perpetual Motion Machine” by Monte Cox: [9]
- "The Fabulous Harry Greb" by Frank Graham: [10]
- "Tunney vs Greb I" by Sam Gregory: [11]
- "Ezzard Charles and Harry Greb: A light-heavyweight perspective" by Jeremiah Preisser: [12]
- "Greb vs.Gibbons" by Daniel Attias: [13]
The BoxRec Fight Record was compiled by Luckett Davis, who searched every issue of the Pittsburgh Post published during Greb's career. It first appeared in the 1986-87 Ring Record Book.
| Preceded by: Johnny Wilson |
World Middleweight Champion 1923 Aug 31 – 1926 Feb 26 |
Succeeded by: Tiger Flowers |