Harry Greb vs. Tiger Flowers (1st meeting)
Harry Greb 167 lbs beat Tiger Flowers 162 lbs by NWS in round 10 of 10
- Date: 1924-08-21
- Location: Legion Stadium, Fremont, Ohio, USA
- Referee: Eddie Kennedy
- Newspaper decision for Greb from Fremont Daily Messenger, Columbus Evening Dispatch, Larry Grill (Toledo Times), Sandusky Star-Journal, Lorain Times Herald, Tiffin Advertiser, Mansfield News, Fostoria Daily Review, H.B. Ante (Cleveland Press), Cleveland News, Gee Tee (Findlay Morning Republican), Norwalk Reflector-Herald, Bert Woods (Chicago Daily Tribune), Sam Greene (Detroit News), Ray Coll (Pittsburgh Gazette Times), Regis M. Welsh (Pittsburgh Post), James McGuire (Associated Press), International News Service, Universal Service.
- Newspaper decision for Flowers from Monroe Glotz (Fremont Daily News), James W. Schlemmer (Akron Press), Dick Meade (Toledo News-Bee), George Pulford (Toledo Blade), Columbus Citizen, United Press.
- A draw from Harry Bradbury (Lima News), Sandusky Register, E. W. Dickerson (Grand Rapids Herald).
MASTER BOXER FINDS NEGRO QUICK AS CAT
BY HARRY BRADBURRY
Sports Editor
Harry Greb, master boxer, found in "Tiger" Flowers, perhaps the most difficult proposition in all his ring experiences. The black fellow certainly made good every claim as to prowess coupled with uncanny skill. It would be unfair, unreasonable and unjust to give a decision otherwise than a draw. Greb with all his wonderful ability, which has proven superior to any of the other middleweights, coupled that skill with cunning and long apprenticeship, without avail. It was a battle in which the "teacher" found his equal. It was not a spectacular battle, but one wonderfully interesting to the devotee learned in the higher branches of the art of self defense. It was a battle of defense rather than offense, for every legitimate blow which would have caused considerable damage, was blocked skillfully by one or the other. It continued thru 10 rounds without a single bit of injury to either, and still every round was fought with a determination to win.
... In the first round ... he (Greb) got considerable the worst of this round ... The second round proved a great improvement so far as defense was concerned, and was even.
THE THIRD ROUND
... So this round was even. The fourth could not be counted any different ... The fifth round I thought Greb got the best of the "Tiger," ... The sixth was even ...
THE SEVENTH ROUND
... He (Greb) deserved credit for this round. The eighth was even. ... And the ninth resulted in exactly the same manner.
In the last round Greb stuck to his same tactics and as negro had fathemed them, the round ended absolutely without damage. And so it ended.
Source: The Lima News (1924-08-22).
GREB MARK FOR GEORGIA NEGRO
Tiger Flowers Gave Middle Champion Neat Pasting In Ohio Ring
Toledo Sports Writers Gave Black Man Long Edge In Every Round
Tiger Flowers is the unofficial middleweight champion of the universe--in the opinion of the vast majority of sporting editors who saw him punch and pound Harry Greb in Fremont, Ohio, several weeks ago. After the fight there was sent out of Fremont a story by a press association writer who stated that Greb won eight of the ten rounds. Of all the men who reported the fight, he was the only man who gave Greb any definite margin of victory.
Why that man sent out such a story--or through what sort of ?ino??ed glasses he viewed the fight--is one of those inexplicable mysteries of ringdom.
Fremont Writer's View
This is what James W. Schleinmet (spelling?), sports editor of the Akron (Ohio) Press had to say about the affair.
Flowers defeated Greb. He piled up enough points to make him stand out clearly as the better man. And Flowers did this despite the fact that Greb's very own hand-picked referee, Eddie Kennedy of Pittsburg was the third man in the ring. Kennedy was a farce. Flowers has the misfortune to have been born a colored man. Reputed to be the whitest black man in the game. Flowers lived up to that reputation.
Deliberately Lied
Tiger got a square deal from most of the fans but in the opinion of this writer the press correspondents from way down east and others who were prejudiced to the point of saying that Greb won eight rounds of the fight are deliberately lying to save the reputation of a world's champ who was licked by a better man and a colored one.
Flowers didn't have a chance at the title Greb holds. The cards were stacked against this black man. The only way that Flowers could have obtained Greb's title was through knockout and I'd die Kennedy, Greb's referee couldn't have counted ten between last night and Christmas if Flowers had landed a lucky punch.
Eight Column Headline
The Toledo Only News Bee carried an eight column first page headline after the fight which said:
TIGER TROUNCES GREB
And Dick Meade, its sports editor in reviewing the melee which he awarded to Flowers by a wide margin said:
Tiger Flowers forced Harry Greb to his utmost to keep himself from being annihilated. It was the picture of the title-holder at his best against an opponent his superior in this particular engagement.
George Bulford, veteran sports editor of the Toledo Blade wrote:
Gave Greb Boxing Lesson
Flowers took seven of the ten rounds from Greb, winning the popular decision beyond all question of doubt. He administered a boxing lesson to the middle-weight champion and proved himself one of the world's greatest and cleanest boxers. From the first tap of the gong Flowers was out in front and going away. There wasn't a single minute when Greb stacked up even with the ????? streak. He was outboxed, outpunched and outspeeded from gong to gong. Most of the time he was on the retreat and backing away from the flashy negro, who took the pace away from him and carried him faster than he has been carried by any one since he became a national figure in the boxing world.
Greb On Defensive
Greb met a man in Flowers who took the play right away from him. Instead of being the aggressor, Greb was one the defensive most of the time. All through the fight with the excetion of a few moments Flowers set the pace, forced the fighting nd compelled the champion to conduct a masterful retreat.
Greb fought a foul battle using his elbows, his head and resorting to his old trick of holding and hitting.
B. W. Dickerson, referee and the sports editor of the Grand Rapids Herald was at the ringside. In his judgement, Flowers won. After the battle he wrote a story, which embraced an interview with Greb. This is what Greb said:
Greatest He Ever Faced
Flowers is the greatest boxer I ever faced in the ring. He can beat Heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey in a contest of 10 rounds. He gave me a fight I will never forget and it showed me a lot of things about boxing that I never knew before.
But in face of all that a press association reporter sent in story that was printed throughout the country, which stated that Greb was an easy winner, scoring eight of the ten rounds. Why? Was he paid for his dirty work or is he just a plain sap?
Source: The Lincoln Star (1924-10-13).
AS A MATTER OF FACT
BY HARDY BRADBURY
In a conversation shortly after Harry Greb finished his bout with "Tiger" Flowers, at Fremont, he gave his opinion of the ability of this black boxer. Among other things Greb said was that if Flowers could learn to punch straight, instead of round arm blows, he would beat any boxer in the game. "He is a tough customer," said Greb, and hereafter I draw a color line, "you couldn't get me to go against this fellow again for any amount of money." In close scrutiny of this bout, I quite agree with Greb. Flowers lacks little in defense, but lacks the straight arm punch which characterizes every champion boxer, especially of his weight and lighter. He has a lightning cross blow with either arm, which Greb found hard to block, and in the first and second round did considerable damage. If these had been straight from the shoulder, it is certain that they would have done a great deal more damage. But it is in the art of blocking that the negro surpasses. I cannot remember, where I have seen a cleverer boxer at this important requirement than "Tiger" Flowers. Greb could find no weakness and it is certain that he searched long and carefully.
The Lima News (1924-08-31)