Gene Tunney: Would his style be effective in any era?

[Marchegiano]

I'm not so sold on Tunney but to be fair to him I'm just now getting around to actually looking at divisions outside of HW.

As a HW I was told forever he's an ATG but he only has one name.

As a LHW he was never champion so I'm kinda leery of the ATG title there too.

That said, as a guy on film he might be considered the first modern fighter. Looks more like a 50s guy doesn't he? Like the tail end of black and white fights not the beginning. I can certainly see how he's impressive but as far as actually rating the skills and stuff like that I really ought to do more research.

[billeau2]

50 years later of Tunney’s final fight, Mike Rossman was ranked the #1 light heavyweight.

There’s no doubt, Tunney is an ATG, Rossman isn’t. Few, or no one, remembers Rossman.
Still, I’m sure of, that he would have dominated Tunney.

50 years of boxing evolution.

Probably because Tunney was ranked as a heavyweight. Tunney could easily be considered a top 5 ATG in either catergory, but as a ight heavy he is #1 on many lists.

[The Old LefHook]

Yes, it would, Shudder.

[HOUDINI563]

Rossman was a nothing. He happened to get a title shot and win against a champion who did not train for the fight. In the rematch Mike was obliterated. Rossman best wins were against Mike Quarry who he beat twice after losing the first two. Aside from his win against an unprepared Galendez every time Mike moved up he was stopped. Rossman was a human punching bag against the first tier light heavyweights he fought.

[ShoulderRoll]

Well he would have to fight top black fighters in other era's. When you don't do that there are going to be questions and he doesn't get a pass from me for that.

That's fair. I don't approve of drawing the color line.

[ShoulderRoll]

50 years later of Tunney’s final fight, Mike Rossman was ranked the #1 light heavyweight.

There’s no doubt, Tunney is an ATG, Rossman isn’t. Few, or no one, remembers Rossman.
Still, I’m sure of, that he would have dominated Tunney.

50 years of boxing evolution.

Can you give specifics about the boxing evolution that made Rossman a better fighter than Tunney?

Just because time moves forward that doesn't mean that everything automatically improves. There are many examples of knowledge being forgotten and skills degenerating over time.

[HOUDINI563]

I watched Rossman for his entire career. Not much of a fighter. Tunney would dominate him.

[Ben Bolt]

50 years later of Tunney’s final fight, Mike Rossman was ranked the #1 light heavyweight.

There’s no doubt, Tunney is an ATG, Rossman isn’t. Few, or no one, remembers Rossman.
Still, I’m sure of, that he would have dominated Tunney.

50 years of boxing evolution.

[HOUDINI563]

The point is that 90 plus years ago Tunneys thoughts and prejudge reflected the norm. You can’t look upon past eras in the eyes of 2021.

[joseph5620]

Thing is being of a specific race in of itself does not make one a great fighter. Tunney had an inherit prejudice against blacks. That does not mean they were better nor does that mean he was afraid to fight them.

It doesn't matter whether he was afraid or they were better. The fact of the matter is he avoided top black fighters. He wouldn't even spar with them.. He doesn't get a pass from me for avoiding top fighters because of their race. If a fighter did that today that would certainly take away from their legacy. Tunney is no exception to that rule for me.