Harry Greb
Encyclopedia
Harry Greb was an American
boxer. He was World Middleweight boxing
Champion from 1923 to 1926 and American Light Heavyweight title holder 1922–1923. He fought a recorded 303 times in his 13 year-career, against the best opposition the talent-rich 1910s & 20s could provide him, frequently squaring off against light-heavyweights and even heavyweights. Widely considered one of the best fighters of all time, Greb was named the 7th greatest fighter of the past 80 years by The Ring Magazine and the 5th greatest fighter of all time by Bert Sugar.
He had a highly aggressive, very fast, swarming style of fighting and buried his opponents under a blizzard of punches. Greb was also a master at dirty fighting and had no qualms about employing all manner of dubious tactics, such as spinning his opponent and using the heel and laces of his gloves. Greb often got as much as he gave and unbeknownst to the press continued to fight a number of matches even as he became blind in one eye, due to an injury suffered in an earlier match. The 'Pittsburgh Windmill' was also very durable, suffering only 2 TKO losses. The first was in his seventh bout and the second happened 3 years later when Greb broke the radius
of his left arm. Greb finished the round but was unable to continue the fight.
. By 1915, he was fighting world class opposition, notably hall of famer Tommy Gibbons
and reigning middleweight champ George Chip, whom he faced twice during the years 1915-1916 in non-title fights. Greb would lose both fights by "newspaper" decision (at the time, the rendering of an official decision at the end of a fight was prohibited, so newspapers covering the fight would render a decision), losses he would later avenge.
Greb would fight 37 times in the sole year 1917 (a record), winning 34 of those fights either officially or unofficially. Among his victims that year were the reigning light heavyweight champion Battling Levinsky
(in a non-title fight), former light heavyweight champion Jack Dillon
, middleweight George Chip and heavyweight Willie Meehan, who had beaten future champ Jack Dempsey
earlier in the year.
Despite all these great results, Greb was still denied a chance to fight for a title. A February 1918 newspaper loss to Mike O'Dowd, who would go on to win the middleweight title during the year, didn't help in his effort. After that setback though, Greb would go unbeaten for over two years. During that stretch, he would beat future light heavyweight champion Mike McTigue
, heavyweight contenders Gunboat Smith
, Billy Miske
, and Bill Brennan, and defeat Battling Levinsky no less than five times in newspaper decisions. Levinsky was the reigning light heavyweight champion at the time.
, the undefeated American Light Heavyweight Champion (The World title was then in the hands of Frenchman Georges Carpentier). At the end of fifteen rounds, Tunney was a bloody mess and Greb was champion. This was the only professional loss in Tunney's career.
After defending his title against Tommy Loughran
, Greb granted Tunney a rematch. In a hotly-disputed battle, fought at Madison Square Garden
in February 1923, Tunney regained his title by decision. The two men would meet three more times, with Tunney successfully defending his regained title in another fifteen round bout and then splitting a pair of no decision battles (Greb got the nod of two of three local newspapers in the fourth bout while Tunney easily won the fifth, after which, Greb told Tunney that he didn't want to fight him again, as he saw that Tunney was better. The two became great friends). Tunney would go on to beat Jack Dempsey
for the heavyweight title. Greb remained the only man ever to have beaten Tunney, and the latter would be among the pall-bearers at Greb's funeral.
At 32, Greb was past his prime when he was matched with tricky southpaw Tiger Flowers
in Madison Square Garden in February 1926. Flowers, a defensive specialist, countered the Smoke City Wildcat's attacks well and won a disputed decision after fifteen rounds to annex Greb's middleweight title. Flowers beat Greb again in their rematch six months later - on an even more controversial decision - in what was Greb's last fight.
Greb was buried at Calvary Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
boxer. He was World Middleweight boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
Champion from 1923 to 1926 and American Light Heavyweight title holder 1922–1923. He fought a recorded 303 times in his 13 year-career, against the best opposition the talent-rich 1910s & 20s could provide him, frequently squaring off against light-heavyweights and even heavyweights. Widely considered one of the best fighters of all time, Greb was named the 7th greatest fighter of the past 80 years by The Ring Magazine and the 5th greatest fighter of all time by Bert Sugar.
He had a highly aggressive, very fast, swarming style of fighting and buried his opponents under a blizzard of punches. Greb was also a master at dirty fighting and had no qualms about employing all manner of dubious tactics, such as spinning his opponent and using the heel and laces of his gloves. Greb often got as much as he gave and unbeknownst to the press continued to fight a number of matches even as he became blind in one eye, due to an injury suffered in an earlier match. The 'Pittsburgh Windmill' was also very durable, suffering only 2 TKO losses. The first was in his seventh bout and the second happened 3 years later when Greb broke the radius
Radius (bone)
The radius is one of the two large bones of the forearm, the other being the ulna. It extends from the lateral side of the elbow to the thumb side of the wrist and runs parallel to the ulna, which exceeds it in length and size. It is a long bone, prism-shaped and slightly curved longitudinally...
of his left arm. Greb finished the round but was unable to continue the fight.
Professional career
Born as Edward Henry Greb to Pius and Annie Greb, he began his professional boxing career in 1913, fighting mostly around his hometown of PittsburghPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. By 1915, he was fighting world class opposition, notably hall of famer Tommy Gibbons
Tommy Gibbons
- Biography :Thomas J. Gibbons was a nearly undefeated heavyweight boxer. The brother of Mike Gibbons, Tommy started boxing professionally in 1911 as a middleweight. Like his brother he was a master scientific boxer who chose to outbox his opponents...
and reigning middleweight champ George Chip, whom he faced twice during the years 1915-1916 in non-title fights. Greb would lose both fights by "newspaper" decision (at the time, the rendering of an official decision at the end of a fight was prohibited, so newspapers covering the fight would render a decision), losses he would later avenge.
Greb would fight 37 times in the sole year 1917 (a record), winning 34 of those fights either officially or unofficially. Among his victims that year were the reigning light heavyweight champion Battling Levinsky
Battling Levinsky
Barney Williams , was light heavyweight boxing champion of the world from 1916 to 1920.-Boxing career:...
(in a non-title fight), former light heavyweight champion Jack Dillon
Jack Dillon
Ernest Cutler Price was light heavyweight boxing champion of the world.-Personal:...
, middleweight George Chip and heavyweight Willie Meehan, who had beaten future champ Jack Dempsey
Jack Dempsey
William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title from 1919 to 1926. Dempsey's aggressive style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first...
earlier in the year.
Despite all these great results, Greb was still denied a chance to fight for a title. A February 1918 newspaper loss to Mike O'Dowd, who would go on to win the middleweight title during the year, didn't help in his effort. After that setback though, Greb would go unbeaten for over two years. During that stretch, he would beat future light heavyweight champion Mike McTigue
Mike McTigue
"Bold" Mike McTigue was the light heavyweight boxing champion of the world from 1923-1925....
, heavyweight contenders Gunboat Smith
Gunboat Smith
Edward "Gunboat" Smith was an Irish American boxer and later a boxing referee.- Boxing career :Smith was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He spent much of his youth in orphanages, working on farms and on the railroads. He joined the U.S...
, Billy Miske
Billy Miske
Billy Miske, alias The Saint Paul Thunderbolt , was a professional boxer from Saint Paul, Minnesota. -Professional Boxing Career:...
, and Bill Brennan, and defeat Battling Levinsky no less than five times in newspaper decisions. Levinsky was the reigning light heavyweight champion at the time.
Vision problems
In 1921, during a fight with tough light heavyweight Kid Norfolk (real name William Ward), he was thumbed in the right eye and is believed to have suffered a detached retina, which permanently blinded him in that eye (Greb would later lose some of the vision in his good eye and his gradual loss of sight led him to always go to bed with the light on). But Greb fought on, winning by a KO in the eleventh round, and he finally got a shot at a title.Greb vs. Tunney
On May 23, 1922, Harry Greb was matched with Gene TunneyGene Tunney
James Joseph "Gene" Tunney was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1926-1928 who defeated Jack Dempsey twice, first in 1926 and then in 1927. Tunney's successful title defense against Dempsey is one of the most famous bouts in boxing history and is known as The Long Count Fight...
, the undefeated American Light Heavyweight Champion (The World title was then in the hands of Frenchman Georges Carpentier). At the end of fifteen rounds, Tunney was a bloody mess and Greb was champion. This was the only professional loss in Tunney's career.
After defending his title against Tommy Loughran
Tommy Loughran
Thomas Patrick Loughran was the light heavyweight boxing champion of the world.Loughran's effective use of coordinated foot work, sound defense and swift, accurate counter punching is now regarded as a precursor to the techniques practiced in modern boxing...
, Greb granted Tunney a rematch. In a hotly-disputed battle, fought at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
in February 1923, Tunney regained his title by decision. The two men would meet three more times, with Tunney successfully defending his regained title in another fifteen round bout and then splitting a pair of no decision battles (Greb got the nod of two of three local newspapers in the fourth bout while Tunney easily won the fifth, after which, Greb told Tunney that he didn't want to fight him again, as he saw that Tunney was better. The two became great friends). Tunney would go on to beat Jack Dempsey
Jack Dempsey
William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title from 1919 to 1926. Dempsey's aggressive style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first...
for the heavyweight title. Greb remained the only man ever to have beaten Tunney, and the latter would be among the pall-bearers at Greb's funeral.
Middleweight champion
One month after losing his light heavyweight title to Tunney, Greb faced Johnny Wilson for the World Middleweight Title, with Greb winning a comfortable 15-round decision. Greb would defend the title four times, most notably against reigning welterweight champion, Mickey Walker, whom he outpointed in July 1925. Walker, a great fighter who would win the middleweight title the following year, stumbled upon Greb at a nightclub after their fight, and according to the legend, fought an impromptu rematch there. Greb KO´d him easily.At 32, Greb was past his prime when he was matched with tricky southpaw Tiger Flowers
Tiger Flowers
Theodore Flowers became the first African-American middleweight boxing champion, defeating Harry Greb in 1926. Known as "Tiger", he began boxing professionally in 1918 at the age of 23 while working at a Philadelphia shipbuilding plant...
in Madison Square Garden in February 1926. Flowers, a defensive specialist, countered the Smoke City Wildcat's attacks well and won a disputed decision after fifteen rounds to annex Greb's middleweight title. Flowers beat Greb again in their rematch six months later - on an even more controversial decision - in what was Greb's last fight.
Retirement and death
Around that time, Greb had second thoughts about his career, and began to claim he had retired following the second Flowers loss. Having declined a job as Jack Dempsey's sparring partner in preparation for Dempsey-Tunney I (Greb declaring: "I'd feel like a burglar taking Jack's money. Nobody can get him in good enough condition to whip Gene" -- And he was right), Greb checked into an Atlantic City clinic for surgery to repair damage to his nose and respiratory tract caused by his ring career and several car crashes. However, complications occurred and he died on October 22, 1926, never waking up from the anesthetic.Greb was buried at Calvary Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Calvary Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Calvary Catholic Cemetery is located at 718 Hazelwood Avenue in the Greenfield and Hazelwood neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.It was founded in 1886 with the purchase of a 200-acre tract. The first official interment occurred in 1888, though there are graves with earlier dates. As of...
.
Record
His official career record was 106 wins and 8 losses with 3 draws, but including newspaper decision wins brings his tally to about 260 wins in around 300 fights. Some boxing historians consider Greb the greatest middleweight in history (he is also considered one of the 10 or 20 best light heavyweights of all-time, despite being a natural 160-pounder).Ring honors
- American Light Heavyweight Champion – 1922–23
- World Middleweight Champion – 1923–26
- First class inductee to the International Boxing Hall of FameInternational Boxing Hall of FameThe modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta...
– 1990