What current fighters could have had Harry Greb-like careers?

[SBleeder]

By that, I mean fighting over 300 bouts in a 15-year span, fighting every week, fifteen round fights, often fighting HOF-caliber fighters.

Which, if any, current fighters could have learned how to fight at such a torrid career-pace? Which fighters have the mental discipline?

[BigStereotype]

I think Pac is the closest thing to a Harry Greb clone boxing's gonna see for a while.

[McGoorty]

By that, I mean fighting over 300 bouts in a 15-year span, fighting every week, fifteen round fights, often fighting HOF-caliber fighters.

Which, if any, current fighters could have learned how to fight at such a torrid career-pace? Which fighters have the mental discipline?

No chance, the closest anyone will get to that will be a little know club fighter with more chin than brains.

[Barn]

All of them at the top level probably.

Mayweather, Marquez, Pacquiao, Wlad, Ward etc etc could all adjust their styles to fight like that. People from the past didn't have some inherent special toughness.

Particularly if quite a lot of fights were stay busy, newspaper decided 4-8 rounders that just substituted for training essentially as Greb etc did.

[The Surgeon]

Guys like Barrera and James Toney would have had a real shot at a long and busy career like that i think. Both are done now of course too. Actve fighters today id go with Pacquaio

[McGoorty]

All of them at the top level probably.

Mayweather, Marquez, Pacquiao, Wlad, Ward etc etc could all adjust their styles to fight like that. People from the past didn't have some inherent special toughness.

Particularly if quite a lot of fights were stay busy, newspaper decided 4-8 rounders that just substituted for training essentially as Greb etc did.

Dont forget that it was usually 20 rounds, also I interpreted the meaning of the thread was "Is it likely anyone now or in future will have that many fights and winning over some very impressive names"... in that regard it will never ever happen again.. I would fall over if any fighter in the future reaches 120 fights,, and if they do will be a journeyman.... some of the names may have managed 300 fights back then, Barrera , Toney, Paquiao Maequez etc could do it, but to be as successful as Greb I doubt.. these moderns do not have that many great tough guys around so takin em back in a time machine would invite disaster,, they would have to actually grow up in that environment. that is the very key... they have so much to adjust to.. tiny gloves, many referees that dont break up clinches,, in fact clinching is legitimate and refs mollycoddle slick boxers and give them all the advantage in a fight..... they are born in our time and unless authorities take boxing back to the standards and rules,.... and lower dietary standards... no roids... no special treatment for dancers.... no stopping fights prematurely.... The game has shrunk these days, it just does not have the same excitement and the titles are are frigging cancer on boxing..... because of abc titles I simply can't begin to know where to rate these guys today.... there is no system, just a total bloody shambles.

[McGoorty]

All of them at the top level probably.

Mayweather, Marquez, Pacquiao, Wlad, Ward etc etc could all adjust their styles to fight like that. People from the past didn't have some inherent special toughness.

Particularly if quite a lot of fights were stay busy, newspaper decided 4-8 rounders that just substituted for training essentially as Greb etc did.

As for ND fights, I simply do not class them as real contests.... maybe a big reason why no one in America was gonna beat a certain Aussie MW, they were good talented tough great fighters, but I am sure the newspaper rubbish decisions hurt them in the long run, is it a coincidence that they got wallopped by a guy who never fought a stupid ten round newspaper fight but fought ONLY 20 rounders ???..... Maybe I am wrong and Darcy just simply the greatest old time MW. Maybe Jack Kearns was right in making that claim.

[McGoorty]

All of them at the top level probably.

Mayweather, Marquez, Pacquiao, Wlad, Ward etc etc could all adjust their styles to fight like that. People from the past didn't have some inherent special toughness.

Particularly if quite a lot of fights were stay busy, newspaper decided 4-8 rounders that just substituted for training essentially as Greb etc did.

Also I do not think it a coincidence that Harry Greb became the fighter he was because the Yanks finally got rid of the old ND fights and started scoring them for real just as Harry was starting to become a contender. Greatness and steel are forged in extreme heat.

[Anthony342]

Dont forget that it was usually 20 rounds, also I interpreted the meaning of the thread was "Is it likely anyone now or in future will have that many fights and winning over some very impressive names"... in that regard it will never ever happen again.. I would fall over if any fighter in the future reaches 120 fights,, and if they do will be a journeyman.... some of the names may have managed 300 fights back then, Barrera , Toney, Paquiao Maequez etc could do it, but to be as successful as Greb I doubt.. these moderns do not have that many great tough guys around so takin em back in a time machine would invite disaster,, they would have to actually grow up in that environment. that is the very key... they have so much to adjust to.. tiny gloves, many referees that dont break up clinches,, in fact clinching is legitimate and refs mollycoddle slick boxers and give them all the advantage in a fight..... they are born in our time and unless authorities take boxing back to the standards and rules,.... and lower dietary standards... no roids... no special treatment for dancers.... no stopping fights prematurely.... The game has shrunk these days, it just does not have the same excitement and the titles are are frigging cancer on boxing..... because of abc titles I simply can't begin to know where to rate these guys today.... there is no system, just a total bloody shambles.

Agreed. The closest thing to a real championship belt we have now is the title belt from The Ring magazine and that's won when the top two contenders fight each other, or now, when #1 fights #3 or sometimes just someone or two fighters in the top 5 in rankings because sometimes the top two won't fight each other. So, we're forced to consider whoever has either the Ring belt or at least the majority of the major title belts. The true best and real competitors still become known though, like Wlad who won the Ring and most of the major belts and Donaire who has the Ring title as well in his weight class. It's nice to still see some fighters willing to fight the best, even if it doesn't always pad their record or mean them making the most money.

[McGoorty]

Agreed. The closest thing to a real championship belt we have now is the title belt from The Ring magazine and that's won when the top two contenders fight each other, or now, when #1 fights #3 or sometimes just someone or two fighters in the top 5 in rankings because sometimes the top two won't fight each other. So, we're forced to consider whoever has either the Ring belt or at least the majority of the major title belts. The true best and real competitors still become known though, like Wlad who won the Ring and most of the major belts and Donaire who has the Ring title as well in his weight class. It's nice to still see some fighters willing to fight the best, even if it doesn't always pad their record or mean them making the most money.

They were great days before the banning of 15 round fights.. which was a disaster I believe the sport will never get over.. 12 rounds just DOES NOT CUT THE MUSTARD.. But even in the old days of one champion there were usually two at least recognised as such in the MW's and downwards, many held the Australian version ( in the early 1900's )... and some of the title holders were far more legitimate than the so called official champions. the MW division especially where even to this day idiots will say "oh but he was never world champion"... which is pathetic and shows total misunderstanding of what happened. I love the Yanks and I have lots of American friends but jesus in boxing there was massive discrimination towards Australian, British.. South Americans... there seemed to be a belief that only America and Americans counted, especially back in those days. McCoy was about as legitimate a unanimous Champ as Primo Carnera was a Willie Pep lookalike... Boxing history needs an overhaul, and badly... before its too late. Truthfully I really fear for the continued existence of this sport in the long run... It really looks a bit like Ringling Bros. Circus now.