Who do you rate p4p higher: Harry Greb or Henry Armstrong

[Steak]

There is actually a lot of film of many of Grebs top opponents. And while we can't see him fight we can see them fight as well as take in newspaper accounts of the day. I think an educated conclusion can be reached like that. I do agree with NChristo that it is difficult to match him up h2h because we can't see him fight. The things we do know are that he fought a ton of great fighters and beat most of them easily.

my issue is that I dont even want to look into Greb's career, because I know Ill never get to see any of his fights. And I KNOW, I just know, that hes probably one of the most clever fighters of all time and that I could learn so much from his style.

Learning about his career is just such a tease.

[JAB5239]

my issue is that I dont even want to look into Greb's career, because I know Ill never get to see any of his fights. And I KNOW, I just know, that hes probably one of the most clever fighters of all time and that I could learn so much from his style.

Learning about his career is just such a tease.

Lol, I suppose in a sense you're right about it being a tease, but look into it more and get the Greb biography by Bill Paxton. You won't be disappointed, I promise!

[Scott9945]

I'd probably pick Armstrong, but I wouldn't argue with anyone who disagreed.

[LeG00N]

Harry Greb.... he was beating HOF's with one eye

[raf727]

harry greb, im biased im from pittsburgh, but harry also fought a good bit of his fights while blind in one eye. these fights were at the end of his career yes, which is when most of his losses came, so who knows what would have happened if he wasnt blinded?

also kind of interesting is that there is some speculation as to whether he was murdered on the operating table during a routine surgery, though i guess no one really looked into that

[Barn]

Had Armstrong at 4 for a while now. Greb's usually 1,2 or 3.

[New England]

both are in my top5

voted for armstrong because he's higher in my top 5... duh, get to the point, NE.


perhaps that has something to do with the absence of film of greb in fights


he certainly looks the part in pictures, but that doesn't say much really. so does steve cunningham.


like robinson, many of the people who saw greb fight (many of them, more than any other fighter in his era) insist he's the best fighter they've ever seen

he's one of the few fighters in history who fit that bill (WW robinson, Prime, pre layoff ali, MW greb, LW duran, and very few others)

[JAB5239]

harry greb, im biased im from pittsburgh, but harry also fought a good bit of his fights while blind in one eye. these fights were at the end of his career yes, which is when most of his losses came, so who knows what would have happened if he wasnt blinded?

also kind of interesting is that there is some speculation as to whether he was murdered on the operating table during a routine surgery, though i guess no one really looked into that

I've done my fair share of research on Greb and never come across anything that suggested it. Can you give a little more info as to who was speculating about this? Tiger Flowers, the last man to beat Greb, died from this same type of procedure just over a year later. The anesthetic they used back then was very dangerous and caused many deaths.

[alexd*]

There is actually a lot of film of many of Grebs top opponents. And while we can't see him fight we can see them fight as well as take in newspaper accounts of the day. I think an educated conclusion can be reached like that. I do agree with NChristo that it is difficult to match him up h2h because we can't see him fight. The things we do know are that he fought a ton of great fighters and beat most of them easily.

Spot on! There's a fair amount of film of the likes of Gene Tunney, Mickey Walker, etc. And, in any case, surviving film should be only one factor in assessing an old-time fighter's merits. You've got to look at his record, the quality of his opposition, and go by the opinions of fight reporters and others who witnessed his fights first-hand.

Greb gets my vote.