Tunny v Carpentier

[MarbleFallsMauler]

Sorry but I think you're doing it again with this Greb legend thing.

Carpentier lost his LHW title to Battling Siki in November 1922.

He campaigned in America in 1924. By then Greb had lost to Tunney twice, so it was Tunney where the money, prestige, and the (now infamous) lineal title lay.

Carpentier got the Tunney shot simply because he was Carpentier and the fight would sell.

Just two months earlier he made a deal with Fitzsimmons and lost a 10 round 'no decision' NWS decision to Tommy Gibbons. It was staged in Michigan, giving the western boys a chance to see Carpentier against their local hero.

The Tunney fight was big enough (more because of Carpentier than Tunney) to put 30K in the Polo Grounds seats.

It was Carpentier on tour. He came to America and grabbed some cash because his name would still sell.

There was something to go after in fighting Tunney, no currency in fighting Greb, likely less money and definitely no title.

It took Micky Walker for Greb to make the jump from MSG (an arena) to the Polo Grounds (a stadium), once (I think).

Both of Carpentier's big USA fights were stadium events, Gibbons out west and Tunney in New York.

There was no duck of Greb. He held no title Carpentier could win, nor did Carpentier hold any title Greb could win and Carpentier could sell more tickets than Greb could.

I say it again, Greb had the good fortune to die young. He gets greater with each passing decade.

Everyone Greb didn't fight, didn't duck him.

Capacity of the Polo Grounds in 1924 was 55,000 so it wasn't close to a sell out. Goes to show how popular Tunney was NOT and he was a NY boxer.

Full disclosure: I attended a baseball game at the Polo Grounds. Huge old cathedral.

[Willie Pep 229]

Capacity of the Polo Grounds in 1924 was 55,000 so it wasn't close to a sell out. Goes to show how popular Tunney was NOT and he was a NY boxer.

Full disclosure: I attended a baseball game at the Polo Grounds. Huge old cathedral.

My first baseball game.

I saw a night game in 1962 when I was seven. The Dodgers massacred Marlous Marv and the hapless Mets 17-3.

Before the game, we were treated to a Giants-Brooklyn Dodgers 'old timers' game. Chuck Conners showed up; at the time I didn't know a single other old timer.

One of my best memories is walking out of the stadium on the warning track. There was only one (primary) way in and out of the Polo Grounds. Being on the field felt so cool.

[Willie Pep 229]

Capacity of the Polo Grounds in 1924 was 55,000 so it wasn't close to a sell out. Goes to show how popular Tunney was NOT and he was a NY boxer.

Full disclosure: I attended a baseball game at the Polo Grounds. Huge old cathedral.

But still better than th 18K MSG could hold.

[Bronson66]

In 1922, after Greb had beaten Tunney he offered $150,000 to Carpentier in a unification type fight with Grebs American lightheavyweight title. This was sent by cable gram twice. Once on May 24th, the next one June 6th after not receiving a response. When one finally came it said they were already booked to face Marcel Nilles, a man with more knockout losses in his career than knockout wins. Ironically Carpentier to a fight before that against Battling Siki and lost his titles. I never said he ducked him, but he certainly didn't want any part of him. When Carpentier did come to America he fought Tommy Gibbons and was paid 75k, half of what Greb offered. When he fought Dempsey he made 100k, a third less then Greb offered. With all due respect, aren't you the one who always says it prize fighting? Greb offered the biggest prize and Carpentier looked the other way. Dempsey i can understand, but Gibbons? Come on now.

Edited

[Bennyleonard99]

Tunney looks like a slaughtering machine here. Like a blend of Vitali Klitschko, Carlos Monzon and Roberto Duran. Vicious.

[Bennyleonard99]

It's not widely mentioned but even Muhammad Ali was a big fan of the Tunney boxing/fighting style. https://ringobserver.com/muhammad-al...tive-skillset/

Muhammad Ali was not always the most generous in praising the skills of other heavyweight boxers but one he admired was former champion Gene Tunney. Look at these quotes from my book Muhammad Ali: Portrait Of A Champion “If you look at Tunney is where boxing started to get better. He throws punches sharp and quick. Strong, fast and quick. He’s about the best of the old timers. I’d say Tunney is the greatest old timer as far as punching and skill is concerned. Tunney used footwork – something that most heavyweights don’t have. I thought I was the only heavyweight to do that. He’s jabbing and moving. Tunney didn’t fight like old timer fighters, he’s moving like me but with no rhythm. Dempsey is dangerous in close like Frazier and Marciano. Dempsey is a good ducker, he could bob a lot. Tunney is the best of that era. I see him sometimes, tell him he was one of the best of all time.”

[Bennyleonard99]

Tunney also said he believed he would have beaten Ali! He also predicted Foreman would KO Ali in two rounds! While Ali greatly admired the skills of Tunney, Tunney did not exactly have the same mutual respect! https://ringobserver.com/gene-tunney...-muhammad-ali/

[Willie Pep 229]

In 1922, after Greb had beaten Tunney he offered $150,000 to Carpentier in a unification type fight with Grebs American lightheavyweight title. This was sent by cable gram twice. Once on May 24th, the next one June 6th after not receiving a response. When one finally came it said they were already booked to face Marcel Nilles, a man with more knockout losses in his career than knockout wins. Ironically Carpentier to a fight before that against Battling Siki and lost his titles. I never said he ducked him, but he certainly didn't want any part of him. When Carpentier did come to America he fought Tommy Gibbons and was paid 75k, half of what Greb offered. When he fought Dempsey he made 100k, a third less then Greb offered. With all due respect, aren't you the one who always says it prize fighting? Greb offered the biggest prize and Carpentier looked the other way. Dempsey i can understand, but Gibbons? Come on now.

How does that course of events result in you believing he "wanted no part of Greb."

You state Carpentier had two fights, in France, lined up, and that he lost in November to Siki. So how can you conclude what his intentions were after the Siki fight (if he had win)?

How come Greb didn't chase down Siki, was he ducking the African?

You can't know what he was thinking, as I can't regarding Greb.

Mike Gibbons was a western superstar because one year earlier he went 15 rounds with Dempsey when Dempsey was that era's 'Mike Tyson.'

Yes it's prize fighting and Gibbons was the draw out west not Greb.

[Bronson66]

How does that course of events result in you believing he "wanted no part of Greb."

You state Carpentier had two fights, in France, lined up, and that he lost in November to Siki. So how can you conclude what his intentions were after the Siki fight (if he had win)?

How come Greb didn't chase down Siki, was he ducking the African?

You can't know what he was thinking, as I can't regarding Greb.

Mike Gibbons was a western superstar because one year earlier he went 15 rounds with Dempsey when Dempsey was that era's 'Mike Tyson.'

Yes it's prize fighting and Gibbons was the draw out west not Greb.

Edited

[Willie Pep 229]

Gibbons couldn't have been that much of a draw,because he ended up fighting for nothing.

More Than A Century Ago: Harry Greb’s Incredible 1922 (Part Two)

April 29, 2025 Kenneth Bridgham
The win over Tunney had made Harry Greb the light heavyweight champion of America and promoter Tex Rickard spent the days before and after the victory dashing off cables to world light heavyweight king Georges Carpentier of France. He offered “The Orchid Man” as much as $150,000 to come to the States and take on Greb, and Carpentier had seemed amenable to the deal initially, but after reports of the performance by “The Smoke City Wildcat” made their way to Europe, he gave Rickard the cold shoulder. Four months later, Battling Siki of Senegal took Carpentier’s belt when he knocked him out in six rounds in Paris.

Once again, repeating something that isn't true does not make it true. You keep saying Carpentier fought Dempsey INSTEAD of Greb. That is not True. Carpentier turned down offers to fight Greb BEFORE he was ever signed to fight Dempsey, and long AFTER he had lost to Dempsey. Nobody would criticize Carpentier fighting Dempsey INSTEAD of Greb but that's not what happened. I don't even hold it against Carpentier that he chose not to fight Greb before he was ever signed to fight Dempsey. BUT, when the guy wins his title in the USA (under su****ious circumstances) and then a year after losing to Dempsey turns down the second highest offer of his career to face the guy considered by far the biggest threat to his LHW title and instead choses to fight the unknown Siki in a fight that he attempted to fix in his favor for a purse less than 1/5 the size of what he was offered for Greb that tells me all I need to know. Business my ass. Only ****ing fool thinks that its good business to lose your title to a clown in a fight that nearly ruins your reputation for 1/5 of an offer to fight Greb. If you think that's good business it would explain why you also seem to think arguing the same tired points over and over and over will eventually net you a different result or response. If you think that's good business it would explain why you seem to think that its cherry picking to use a comprehensive collection of sources to reach your conclusions instead of just the minority that agree with you. If you think that's good business it would explain why you would argue for days on end with someone who wasn't even reading your posts. LOL.Klompton

You're talking about a different fight.

Caepentier didn't try to fix the fight the referee and judges and seconds did, not Carpentier.

I think your boy Klompton sounds like history lite. Knows all the stories he's been told.

The Incredible Harry Greb does not sound like an unbiased source. Sounds like a fairy-tale.