Langford vs Greb

[JAB5239]

Was there ever any talk of Sam Langford meeting g Harry Greb in the ring? Both were fighting at the sale time though Langford was closer to being done than Harry. And both had mutual competition including Kid Norfolk, Gunboat Smith and Tiger Flowers.

Sam would have been stronger and Greb faster. I'd probably lean towards Sam, but you can never look past Harry against anyone.

So was there any talk of this fight ever? And who do you think would win and how would it play out?

[Rosco3387]

Wow! Imagine that? What a match up!

[JAB5239]

Interesting, the fought on the same card along with Dempsey.

[markusmod]

Interesting, the fought on the same card along with Dempsey.

Now that's a find!

[Dr. Z]

Was there ever any talk of Sam Langford meeting g Harry Greb in the ring? Both were fighting at the sale time though Langford was closer to being done than Harry. And both had mutual competition including Kid Norfolk, Gunboat Smith and Tiger Flowers.

Sam would have been stronger and Greb faster. I'd probably lean towards Sam, but you can never look past Harry against anyone.

So was there any talk of this fight ever? And who do you think would win and how would it play out?

He would not have been faster, Greb speed was legendary. Even guy who didn't to praise other fighters called him the fastest fight he ever saw.

But there is no film of Greb in the ring for us to guess at his style. He has a A plus chin a supieror work rate. Combed with toughness and elite speed that is hard to beat.

My best guess is Greb on points. Sam for all his skills could be out boxed. Did Kid Norfolk, or Gunboat Smith ever compare and contrast the two?

[Dr. Z]

Now that's a find!

That painting of Greb is outstanding! Good article.

[JAB5239]

Harry Greb was not the dirty fighter he is often portrayed to be. I've said for many years that Gene Tunney himself said this but could never find the source again. I came across this article this morning while looking deeper into Harry's career, who is definitely one of my all time favorites.

[QueensburyRules]

Was there ever any talk of Sam Langford meeting g Harry Greb in the ring? Both were fighting at the sale time though Langford was closer to being done than Harry. And both had mutual competition including Kid Norfolk, Gunboat Smith and Tiger Flowers.

Sam would have been stronger and Greb faster. I'd probably lean towards Sam, but you can never look past Harry against anyone.

So was there any talk of this fight ever? And who do you think would win and how would it play out?

- - Already done the research after asking myself how they managed to avoid each other. Sam started 9 years before Greb, so was shot when Harry was prime years, but in Valhalla they already done be matched prime to prime age 29 to 29.

Don't want to give away the results of such an exclusive fight, but here are those best years for them, so let the mugs speculate.

1924 was the year Harry turned 30 during the Jack Dempsey nonfighting Hollywood era. Greb had 17 fights with 5 vs HOF fighters; 2 Draws vs Gene Tunney and Tommy Loughran, 2 Wins vs Jimmy Slattery and Tiger Flowers, and 1 DQ Loss vs Kid Norfolk that seems to have been one of the most poorly officiated fights in boxing history, the ref having to flee the ring for his life after the crowd erupted with dangerous portent because of his gross negligence to the rules of boxing. So in 1924 Harry was 14-1-2, HOF record 2-1-2.

From 1912-13 Sam set sail at age 28 during the Jack Johnson era for his coastal tour of Australia that finished in Boston at age age 30. Had 16 fights with 7 vs HOF fighters; 1 Win and Draw vs Joe Jeannette, and 4 Wins and a Draw vs Sam McVea, his sole loss being his last in Boston vs Gunboat Smith that was also highly disputed with the Sheriff having to intervene over the Mayor who was against mixed Black/White bouts so the fight could be made. His record for those 2 years was 13-1-2, HOF record 5-0-2.

And so, who U Mugs got?

[Dr. Z]

Harry Greb was not the dirty fighter he is often portrayed to be. I've said for many years that Gene Tunney himself said this but could never find the source again. I came across this article this morning while looking deeper into Harry's career, who is definitely one of my all time favorites.

Tunney said he was dirty and other did too. Even in his own time some old timers refused to rank Greb because he was an something of an all timer who mixed in things we all call fouls today along with being " that good "

“Harry was most often described as a ‘wildcat,’ due to his boundless aggression, and as a ‘kangaroo’ because of his occasional leaping attack and retreat tactics.”

" In the first 10 seconds of the first round Greb broke Gene's nose in two places. Seconds later he opened a long, ugly gash over Gene's left eye, and from then on until the bell ended it in the 15th round Tunney's face was an inch-thick mask of blood. Doctors estimated he may have lost two quarts. "By the third round," wrote Grantland Rice, "Gene was literally wading in his own blood." The gore was so thick on Greb's gloves that he had to step back and hold them out so the referee could wipe them off with a towel.
And Greb himself said " - Give him to the angles book

Tunney and several boxing people say Greb smashed his into Tunney face during one of kangaroo moments in round one. I can't prove he did or did not, there is no film of this fight or any to Greb's fights for that matter.



Greb mentions he would hit a man on the under side of his foot if he only would lift it. The man was a very fast fouler who mixed in remarkable boxing during his the fouls.

[JAB5239]

- - Already done the research after asking myself how they managed to avoid each other. Sam started 9 years before Greb, so was shot when Harry was prime years, but in Valhalla they already done be matched prime to prime age 29 to 29.

Don't want to give away the results of such an exclusive fight, but here are those best years for them, so let the mugs speculate.

1924 was the year Harry turned 30 during the Jack Dempsey nonfighting Hollywood era. Greb had 17 fights with 5 vs HOF fighters; 2 Draws vs Gene Tunney and Tommy Loughran, 2 Wins vs Jimmy Slattery and Tiger Flowers, and 1 DQ Loss vs Kid Norfolk that seems to have been one of the most poorly officiated fights in boxing history, the ref having to flee the ring for his life after the crowd erupted with dangerous portent because of his gross negligence to the rules of boxing. So in 1924 Harry was 14-1-2, HOF record 2-1-2.

From 1912-13 Sam set sail at age 28 during the Jack Johnson era for his coastal tour of Australia that finished in Boston at age age 30. Had 16 fights with 7 vs HOF fighters; 1 Win and Draw vs Joe Jeannette, and 4 Wins and a Draw vs Sam McVea, his sole loss being his last in Boston vs Gunboat Smith that was also highly disputed with the Sheriff having to intervene over the Mayor who was against mixed Black/White bouts so the fight could be made. His record for those 2 years was 13-1-2, HOF record 5-0-2.

And so, who U Mugs got?

In 1916, 1917, and 1918 Langford was still fighting at an elite level. This is the same time Greb was at the top of his game. Not uncommon for two men at a crossroads to meet in the ring. And as I said they fought .usual opponents which would have made a fight viable since Harry never drew the color line.