Dempsey's "duck" of Greb

[McGoorty]

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The guy named Clompton who wrote the book on Harry Grebb, in a recent interview i heard from him saying, Doc Kearns, "Never returned the telegrams Grebb's manager sent"... This is now nearly 100yrs later regarded as "DUCKING"...ffs.

Clompton in the same interview described Grebb's fighting style to be similar to a cross between Calzaghe & Mayorga...me personally i don't feel he would have stood much chance of defeating Jack Dempsey.

The film-footage which exists of Grebb, signing to fight Mickey Walker. shows him to be a small guy in height and body size. Dempsey was the size of Holyfield... Calzaghe vs Holyfield?

There you have it mate, big versus little... in heavyweight fights the heavyweight always beats the light heavyweight and Greb was a small LHW being a natural MW. You mention Klompton, that dude will say anything to make Greb look better........ the ****** thing is, Greb's record is so good he doesn't need any mythology being built around him. On another note, it's great to see McGrain on here.... so g'day McGrain from Greg.

[McGoorty]

Could have been an all time classic, I think Dempsey's handlers chose for him, and probably only got a passing thought from him, either way I doubt he cared much about whom he fought as he probably was like most Champs and legends, he had to believe in that Legend some himself, and act it when he was in public, so he had to think he was invincible, if you were Dempsey at the HW Champ at that time, in his shape and Physical condition, you would have thought so also, and figured you could beat anyone alive, even Greb, and more so because he was MW, so I truly doubt Jack had any doubts he would have bested anyone at the time, his people wanted to make the most money possible and they knew that Greb or Langford or any other big name at the time they wanted to avoid, had a Punchers chance to win at anytime, so yes, there were fighters that most likely were avoided, but not by Dempsey himself, but by the people that made his decisions for him.
But I wish he had fought Greb, Langford, Wills, Jeannette, Mcvey, Uzcudun and Others, but he didnt, so we can't cry over what should have been, because as with most promoters and handlers and owners of great fighters, they were too greedy to do what should have been done.

I would say that as far as Dempsey was concerned, Langford was far more dangerous than Greb and I do think Sam is a better fighter than Harry and I have not much doubt that Sam beats Greb...... When we talk about resume we must realise that the names on there don't count as much when those names have beaten the guy. Greb was a great MW don't get me wrong and as a LHW he had some goos wins but here he is beatable, at that weight, Loughran and Tunney beat Harry and so did Kid Norfolk, Greb beat Maxie Rosenbloom but Maxie was still a bit raw at the time, he had just over 30 fights by then. Yes Harry beat Loughran before he lost to him but look a little deeper, when he beat Tommy, Tommy had only had 18 fights.... a novice, and yet, before that fight the their 1st meeting Tommy had only 12 fights, then Tommy beat Harry and at that time he had only 15 fights. This probably says more about how good Loughran was than a plus for Harry wouldn't you say ?, gene Tunney lost only the first meeting yet against Gene it was all downhill for Harry after that.... my point here is that at LHW in those days there were better guys than Harry. Greb had quite a few fights with Jeff Smith a guy who was slaughtered by Les Darcy yet I think Smith always went the distance with Harry.. .................................................. .................................................. ............ ...................... So when we mention resume, remember we have to look into it deeper, not just list all the names a guy fought, as far as I am concerned losses count against you they are rarely plusses........ I now await Klompton.

[billeau2]

Deconstructing these things always seems to lead to an agenda. I happen to thnk both guys were the bees knees.

[McGoorty]

Deconstructing these things always seems to lead to an agenda. I happen to thnk both guys were the bees knees.

Which guys ? Greb and Darcy ?

[The Old LefHook]

My own feeling is Greb might have done well for a while against Dempsey, but the heavy barttering would have begun to tell by mid fight and Greb gets KO'd.

From movie stars to athletes, look at the history of it, celebrities of that era did not control or guide their own careers. That is a phenomenon of our era. A few like Mae West were bright enough to take control, but most were tools in the hands of managers and publicists. How do you argue with the likes of Tex Rickard and Doc Kearns? Dempsey was a pug, not a hustling money man. Others made things happen and he got in the ring. I don't hink he feared Greb, and the supposed Dempsey quote at the end of the article is apochryphal.

[McGoorty]

My own feeling is Greb might have done well for a while against Dempsey, but the heavy barttering would have begun to tell by mid fight and Greb gets KO'd.

From movie stars to athletes, look at the history of it, celebrities of that era did not control or guide their own careers. That is a phenomenon of our era. A few like Mae West were bright enough to take control, but most were tools in the hands of managers and publicists. How do you argue with the likes of Tex Rickard and Doc Kearns? Dempsey was a pug, not a hustling money man. Others made things happen and he got in the ring. I don't hink he feared Greb, and the supposed Dempsey quote at the end of the article is apochryphal.

Yeah, there was no fear, how can anyone think he was scared of Greb, hell if he was maybe he was afraid of Jimmy Wilde

[sonnyboyx2]

I would say that as far as Dempsey was concerned, Langford was far more dangerous than Greb and I do think Sam is a better fighter than Harry and I have not much doubt that Sam beats Greb...... When we talk about resume we must realise that the names on there don't count as much when those names have beaten the guy. Greb was a great MW don't get me wrong and as a LHW he had some goos wins but here he is beatable, at that weight, Loughran and Tunney beat Harry and so did Kid Norfolk, Greb beat Maxie Rosenbloom but Maxie was still a bit raw at the time, he had just over 30 fights by then. Yes Harry beat Loughran before he lost to him but look a little deeper, when he beat Tommy, Tommy had only had 18 fights.... a novice, and yet, before that fight the their 1st meeting Tommy had only 12 fights, then Tommy beat Harry and at that time he had only 15 fights. This probably says more about how good Loughran was than a plus for Harry wouldn't you say ?, gene Tunney lost only the first meeting yet against Gene it was all downhill for Harry after that.... my point here is that at LHW in those days there were better guys than Harry. Greb had quite a few fights with Jeff Smith a guy who was slaughtered by Les Darcy yet I think Smith always went the distance with Harry.. .................................................. .................................................. ............ ...................... So when we mention resume, remember we have to look into it deeper, not just list all the names a guy fought, as far as I am concerned losses count against you they are rarely plusses........ I now await Klompton.

I agree Langford seemed far more of a dangerous fighter than Harry Grebb.. Yet Sam Langford claimed the greatest fighter he ever seen in his life was :

Jack Dempsey!

[McGoorty]

I agree Langford seemed far more of a dangerous fighter than Harry Grebb.. Yet Sam Langford claimed the greatest fighter he ever seen in his life was :

Jack Dempsey!

Wow that is interesting, many from his time said that so who are we to say otherwise ?

[joeandthebums]

Sam Langford claimed the greatest fighter he ever seen in his life was :

Jack Dempsey!

Supporting evidence?

Here's an opinion of Langford's given in 1935...

[sonnyboyx2]

Wow that is interesting, many from his time said that so who are we to say otherwise ?

i have tried to argue that line for over 20yrs, who are we to say, "Dempsey was not the greatest"... fighters as great as Sam Langford & Gene Tunney along with Ledendary trainer Ray Arcel, all claimed to the day they died, "Dempsey was the greatest fighter ever"...

Gene Tunney was sat ringside at the Norton vs Holmes bout in 1978.. interviewed after the fight, Tunney said "Jack Dempsey would have KOd both in the first round"... Tunney was not joking, he was deadly serious...who are we to say, "Tunney was talking rubbish and is just some old fool"

Ray Arcel - arguably the greatest trainer of all times. Who seen them all from Joe Louis, Marciano, Ali, Tyson etc.. claimed Dempsey was the Greatest fighter who ever lived.