Tweet
The fifth battle was reminiscent of the first fight in their series, except this time it was Tunney bludgeoning Greb for the duration of the bout. According to Tunney, near the end of the match while the two fighters were locked in a clinch, Greb straightforwardly asked Tunney not to knock him out. Tunney reputedly acquiesced to this request and later acknowledged the incident as the highest tribute he received in his career, stating "Here was one of the greatest fighters of all time laying down his shield, admitting defeat and knowing I would not expose him". Tunney would go on to beat 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.
-
Wow Tunney let Greb finish the fight and he was a pall-bearers at his funeral. This is better than a KO. Here we have a man preserving an ATG's reptuation by not knocking him out when he clearly could have. Tunney was down for a 6th fight, Greb wisely refused. -
I didn't know either of those things.Comment
-
Not convinced by this claim. Could be true, but could also be Tunney just trying to big himself up, finding a way to try and claim extra superiority over the only guy to beat him. It seems that Tunney waited until Greb was dead to make the claim which also adds doubt.Comment
-
Tunney also said Greb told him,"you're getting too big for me now Gene." Steve Compton,"Klompton" on ESB the author of a book on Greb says it's a load of BS.
As much as I do not like Klompton, nor he me,I think it fair to say he probably knows more about Geb than anyone living .Comment
-
P.S. I just went through all of my newspapers for the Greb-Tunney fight which included all of the Twin Cities papers present. While it is clear that Greb lost, there is absolutely no mention of Greb asking Tunney to carry him. Indeed, George Barton, the referee and newspaper man wrote the following day that the fight was fought on the level. This should be put in context because two years earlier in 1923 Tunney and Jack Renault where kicked out of the ring for the perception that Tunney was carrying Renault. He was subsequently banned for a short period of time in that city. I think we can take Barton's comments as evidence that he heard no such comments by Greb and he would have been closer to the action than anyone. Steve Compton " Klompton" 2010
Last edited by Ivich; 09-05-2023, 12:10 PM.Comment
-
We all heard Mercer, that's for sure. lol
But even with no technology (circa 1920) a refree would likely hear the fighters talking. We know this because they often today warn fighters to stop talking, even when we, the audience, with the aid of technology, still don't hear the remarks.
So I suspect the refree is a good source.
Although I am surprised by his phrase "was fought on the level." That sounds like he is answering a much larger question about the fight being fixed, more than just addressing a single conversation in the last round, (I think) when the fight was no longer in question. Odd word choice to me.
I wonder if those were Barton's words or Klompton's paraphrasing?Last edited by Willie Pep 229; 09-05-2023, 01:08 PM.Comment
Comment