Harry Greb

Harry Greb
Statistics
Real name Edward Henry Greb
Nickname(s) The Pittsburgh Windmill
Smoke City Wildcat
Rated at Welterweight
Middleweight
Light heavyweight
Heavyweight
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Reach 71 in (180 cm)
Nationality American
Born (1894-06-06)June 6, 1894
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Died October 22, 1926(1926-10-22) (aged 32)
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights 298
Wins 261
Wins by KO 48
Losses 17
Draws 19
No contests 1

Edward Henry "Harry" Greb (June 6, 1894 – October 22, 1926) was an American professional boxer. Nicknamed "The Pittsburgh Windmill", he was the American light heavyweight champion from 1922 to 1923 and world middleweight champion from 1923 to 1926.[1] He fought a recorded 298 times in his 13 year-career, which began at around 140 pounds. He fought against the best opposition the talent-rich 1910s and 20s could provide him, frequently squaring off against light heavyweights and even heavyweights.[1] Widely considered one of the best fighters of all time, Greb was named the 7th greatest fighter of the past 80 years by the Ring Magazine, the 5th greatest fighter of all-time by historian Bert Sugar and ranked as the #1 middleweight and the #2 pound-for-pound fighter of all-time by the International Boxing Research Organization.[2][3][4] Statistical boxing website BoxRec lists Greb as the #3 ranked middleweight of all-time and the 8th greatest pound-for-pound fighter ever.[5][6]

Greb had a highly aggressive, very fast, swarming style of fighting and buried his opponents under a blizzard of punches. He was elusive with very good footwork to jump in and out on opponents. He was also a master at dirty fighting and had no qualms about employing all manner of dubious tactics, such as spinning his opponent and using the heel and laces of his gloves.[7] Greb often got as much as he gave and unbeknownst to the press continued to fight a number of matches even as he became blind in one eye, due to an injury suffered in an earlier match. The 'Pittsburgh Windmill' was also very durable, suffering only 2 TKO losses in his whole career. The first was in his seventh bout when he was knocked out by an opponent who heavily outweighed him, the second happened 3 years later when Greb broke the radius of his left arm. Greb finished the round but was unable to continue the fight.[8] Greb's ultimate weakness may have been his lack of knockout power; although he was able to hurt and bust up many opponents due to the constant onslaught of clean punches he landed on them, he rarely stopped them. He launched a vicious beating on Gene Tunney on two separate occasions, cutting him and hurting him badly, but was unable to knock him out both times. It was the same process with many opponents.

Professional career

Born as Edward Henry Greb to a German immigrant father and mother of German descent, Pius and Annie Greb, who raised him in a blue collar household. Although Greb didn't need to fight as his family earned enough money elsewhere, he began his professional boxing career in 1913, fighting mostly around his hometown of Pittsburgh.[9] By 1915, he was fighting world class opposition, notably hall of famer Tommy Gibbons and reigning middleweight champion George Chip, whom he faced twice during 1915–1916 in non-title fights.[1] Greb would lose both fights by "newspaper" decision (at the time, the rendering of an official decision at the end of a fight was prohibited, so newspapers covering the fight would render a decision), losses he would later avenge.[1]

Greb would fight 37 times in the sole year 1917 (a record), winning 34 of those fights either officially or unofficially. Among his victims that year were the reigning light heavyweight champion Battling Levinsky (in a non-title fight), former light heavyweight champion Jack Dillon, middleweight George Chip and heavyweight Willie Meehan, who had beaten future heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey earlier in the year.[1]

Despite all these great results, Greb was still denied a chance to fight for a title. A February 1918 newspaper loss to Mike O'Dowd, who would go on to win the middleweight title during the year, didn't help in his effort.[1] After that setback though, Greb would go unbeaten for over two years. During that stretch, he would beat future light heavyweight champion Mike McTigue, heavyweight contenders Gunboat Smith, Billy Miske, and Bill Brennan, and defeat Battling Levinsky no less than five times in newspaper decisions. Levinsky was the reigning light heavyweight champion at the time.[1]

Vision problems

In 1921, during a fight with tough light heavyweight Kid Norfolk (real name William Ward), he was thumbed in the right eye and is believed to have suffered a retinal tear, which would eventually lead to permanent blindness. Greb fought on admirably, winning via ten round newspaper decision and finally getting a shot at the middleweight title. It is commonly believed that Greb completely lost sight in the eye after his fifth bout with Bob Roper, taking almost two months to recover and being seen in a hospital with patches over both eyes.[10] Incredibly, he kept the injury a secret from all but his wife and closest friends, fooling physicians during pre-fight physicals by memorizing the order of the letters on the eye chart (Greb would later lose some vision in his good eye and his gradual loss of sight led him to always go to bed with the light on).[7][11]

Greb vs. Tunney

On May 23, 1922, Harry Greb was matched with Gene Tunney, the undefeated American light heavyweight champion (the world title was then in the hands of Frenchman Georges Carpentier) in what would arguably end up being the defining bout of his career. In the first round Greb immediately fractured Tunney's nose in two places and then proceeded to open a deep gash over the reigning champ's left eye. According to eye-witness reports, Greb was subsequently forced to commission the referee to intermittently wipe off his bloodstained gloves with a towel. Throughout the bout, Greb would repeatedly petition the referee to stop the fight while a determined Tunney concurrently implored him to allow the contest to continue. Round after round, the beating continued with Tunney refusing to submit and even smiling during the bloodshed to keep the referee from halting the match. At the end of fifteen brutal rounds, Tunney was a bloody mess and Greb was crowned champion via unanimous decision. This was the first and only professional loss in Tunney's career, with the bout being hailed as the Fight of the Year for 1922 by the Ring Magazine.[12]

After defending his title against Tommy Loughran, Greb granted Tunney a rematch. In a hotly disputed battle, fought at Madison Square Garden in February 1923, Tunney regained his title by a highly controversial split decision. Multiple eye witness reports state that Greb controlled the fight and battered Tunney, cutting him and rocking him from punches on more than one occasion. But Tunney was able to fight back unlike in the first encounter and at some points was competitive with Greb. The crowd booed heavily when Tunney was announced as the winner.

The two men would meet three more times, with Tunney successfully defending his regained title in another fifteen round bout and then splitting a pair of no decision battles. 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. 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 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".[12] Tunney would go on to beat Jack Dempsey 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.[13]

Middleweight champion

One month after losing his light heavyweight title to Tunney, Greb set his sights on middleweight champion Johnny Wilson; however, when Wilson's manager Marty Killelea refused to offer him the bout Greb reportedly devised an ingenious solution. He apparently paid a few speakeasy waiters in Pittsburgh and New York to serve him water in colored tumblers, and then proceeded to feign intoxication in a highly theatrical spectacle. When Killelea witnessed one of these performances, he assumed Greb was ripe for the taking and hurriedly arranged for the bout to take place.[14] On August 31, 1923, Greb faced Wilson for the world middleweight title, winning a workmanlike 15 round decision in what would be nothing short of a roughhouser battle. When referee Jack O'Sullivan stepped in to separate the fighters during a particular rough clinch, he incredulously asked Greb what he thought he was doing, to which Greb responded, "Gouging Johnny in the eye, can't you see?"[12] Greb would grant Wilson a rematch on January 18, 1924, in Madison Square Garden, winning another 15 round decision.

Greb vs. Walker

Greb's most notable defense of the title was against reigning world welterweight champion, Mickey Walker in July 1925, at the Polo Grounds in New York. Most pundits and even Walker himself believed that Greb would have trouble making the 160 lb weight limit, but when it was reported that Greb weighed in at 157 1/2 lbs he was inserted as the 9–5 odds favorite.[15] During the first few rounds of the battle, Walker came out attacking Greb to the body as the defending champion apparently tried to stave off cramps in both his legs. The middle rounds saw Greb starting to relax and control the pace of the bout while Walker was still able to land some eye-catching combinations. The championship rounds were all Greb, who during the 14th round, attempted to knock out a tiring Walker by overwhelming him with a torrid onslaught of punches. Walker was able to withstand the assault, and Greb was awarded a unanimous decision by the judges and retained the championship.[15] Walker, a great fighter who would win the middleweight title the following year, stumbled upon Greb at a nightclub after their fight, and, according to the legend, the two fought an impromptu rematch there. According to some reports, Greb easily won the spontaneous rematch while the general consensus maintains that Walker landed a sucker punch on Greb that knocked him out cold. According to Walker himself, the two were sat discussing their fight over a drink when Walker made a comment stating that he felt had it not been for Greb thumbing him in the eye, he would have won the fight. The heavily intoxicated Greb took great offence to this and jumped to his feet to fight. As he was struggling to take off his jacket, Walker seized the moment and landed a vicious uppercut that put him down for the proverbial count.

Later career

At 32, a shopworn Greb was years past his best when he was matched with tricky southpaw Tiger Flowers (who was a one-year junior of Greb) in Madison Square Garden on February 1926. Flowers, a defensive specialist, countered the Smoke City Wildcat's attacks well and won a disputed decision after fifteen rounds to annex Greb's middleweight title.[7] Flowers beat Greb again in their rematch six months later, on an even more controversial decision, with the fans storming the ring in protest of the outcome.[7] Greb later stated, "Well that was one fight I won if I ever won any.", in reference to what would end up being the last battle in a legendary career.[10]

Retirement and death

Greb retired following the second Flowers loss and related to a friend that he planned on opening a gym in downtown Pittsburgh. In September 1926, he had his right eye removed and replaced with a glass prosthesis.[10] Having declined a job as Jack Dempsey's sparring partner in preparation for Dempsey-Tunney I (Greb declaring: "I'd feel like a burglar taking Jack's money. Nobody can get him in good enough condition to whip Gene"), Greb checked into an Atlantic City clinic for cataract surgery to repair damage to his nose and respiratory tract caused by his ring career and several car crashes.[8][16] However, complications occurred and he died of heart failure on October 22, 1926, at 2:30 pm, never waking up from the anesthetic.[10] Greb was buried at Calvary Cemetery in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Legacy

Greb's is remembered for his indomitable fighting spirit and the will to face all viable opposition despite assumed disadvantages. Especially laudable was his willingness to box highly skilled African-American fighters that included Jack Blackburn, Kid Norfolk and Tiger Flowersin an era when many white boxers refused to do so.[10] In total, Greb faced 16 Hall of Famers, a combined total of 48 times during his career, going 33–9–6 against men who would later be defined as all-time greats.[1] In 1919 alone, He fought 45 times, a feat that is very unlikely to be repeated given the current trajectory taken by modern boxers.[8][10] Greb was enshrined in the Ring Magazine Hall of Fame in 1955, the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1970, the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1980, and the International Boxing Hall of Fame as a first-class inductee in 1990.[11]

Professional boxing record

105 Wins (48 knockouts), 8 Losses (2 knockouts), 2 Draws, 1 No Contest[1]
Res. Record Opponent Type Rd., Time Date Location Notes
Loss 104–8–3 United States Tiger Flowers PTS 15 1926-08-19 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City For world middleweight title.
Win 104–7–3 United States Allentown Joe Gans UD 10 1926-06-15 United States Artillery Park, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Win 103–7–3 United States Art Weigand PTS 10 1926-06-01 United States Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York
Loss 102–7–3 United States Tiger Flowers PTS 15 1926-02-26 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City Lost world middleweight title.
Win 102–6–3 United States Owen Phelps PTS 10 1926-02-12 United States Capital City Arena, Phoenix, Arizona
Win 101–6–3 United States Jimmy Delaney PTS 10 1926-02-03 United States Oakland Auditorium, Oakland, California
Win 100–6–3 United States Buck Holley TKO 5 (10) 1926-01-29 United States Legion Stadium, Hollywood, California
Win 99–6–3 United States Ted Moore PTS 10 1926-01-26 United States Los Angeles Arena, Vernon, California
Win 98–6–3 United States Joe Lohman PTS 10 1926-01-19 United States Omaha Auditorium, Omaha, Nebraska
Win 97–6–3 United Kingdom Roland Todd PTS 12 1926-01-11 Canada CNE Coliseum, Toronto, Ontario
Win 96–6–3 United States Soldier Buck PTS 8 1925-12-14 United States Nashville, Tennessee
Win 95–6–3 United States Tony Marullo PTS 15 1925-11-13 United States Coliseum Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana
Win 94–6–3 United States Tony Marullo PTS 10 1925-10-13 United States Motor Square Garden, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Win 93–6–3 United States Pat Walsh TKO 2 (10), 1:05 1925-08-12 United States Atlantic City Airport, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win 92–6–3 United States Ed Smith KO 4 (10) 1925-08-04 United States Memorial Hall, Kansas City, Kansas
Win 91–6–3 United States Otis Bryant TKO 3 (10) 1925-07-31 United States Floto Outdoor Arena, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Win 90–6–3 United States Billy Britton PTS 10 1925-07-22 United States Anti Horse Thief Association Stock Show, Columbus, Kansas
Win N/A United States Maxie Rosenbloom NWS 10 1925-07-16 United States Taylor Bowl, Cleveland, Ohio Newspaper decision
Win 89–6–3 United States Mickey Walker UD 15 1925-07-02 United States Polo Grounds, New York City Retained world middleweight title.
1925 Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine.
Win 88–6–3 United States Jimmy Nuss KO 4 (10) 1925-06-05 United States Palestra, Marquette, Michigan
Win 87–6–3 United States Billy Britton PTS 12 1925-05-06 United States Fairmont Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Win 86–6–3 Chile Quintin Romero Rojas PTS 10 1925-05-01 United States Arena Gardens, Detroit, Michigan
Win 85–6–3 Canada Jack Reddick PTS 10 1925-04-24 Canada Arena Gardens, Toronto, Ontario
Win 84–6–3 United States Johnny Wilson PTS 10 1925-04-17 United States Commercial A.C., Boston, Massachusetts
Loss N/A United States Gene Tunney NWS 10 1925-03-27 United States Saint Paul Auditorium, Saint Paul, Minnesota Newspaper decision
Win 83–6–3 United States Young Fisher DQ 6 (10) 1925-02-23 United States Town Hall, Scranton, Pennsylvania
Win 82–6–3 United States Billy Britton PTS 10 1925-02-17 United States Allentown, Pennsylvania
Win 81–6–3 United States Johnny Papke TKO 7 (12) 1925-01-19 United States Weller Theater, Zanesville, Ohio
Win 80–6–3 United States Augie Ratner PTS 10 1925-01-01 United States Motor Square Garden, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Win 79–6–3 United States Frankie Ritz TKO 3 (10) 1924-11-25 United States Wheeling, West Virginia
Win 78–6–3 United States Jimmy Delaney PTS 10 1924-11-17 United States Motor Square Garden, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Win 77–6–3 United States Ray Nelson KO 3 (6) 1924-11-11 United States Midway Auditorium, Philipsburg, Pennsylvania
Draw 76–6–3 United States Tommy Loughran PTS 10 1924-10-13 United States Philadelphia Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Draw N/A United States Gene Tunney NWS 10 1924-09-17 United States Olympic Arena, Cleveland, Ohio Newspaper decision
Win 76–6–2 United States Billy Hirsch TKO 8 (10) 1924-09-15 United States Wabash Park, Mingo Junction, Ohio
Win 75–6–2 United States Jimmy Slattery PTS 6 1924-09-03 United States Bison Stadium, Buffalo, New York
Win 74–6–2 United Kingdom Ted Moore UD 15 1924-06-26 United States Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York Retained world middleweight title.
Win N/A United States Tiger Flowers NWS 10 1924-08-21 United States Legion Stadium, Fremont, Ohio Newspaper decision
Win 73–6–2 United Kingdom Frank Moody KO 6 (12) 1924-06-16 United States Brassco Park, Waterbury, Connecticut
Win 72–6–2 United States Pal Reed PTS 10 1924-05-12 United States Motor Square Garden, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Win 71–6–2 United States Jackie Clark TKO 2 (12) 1924-05-05 United States Ben Franklin Arena, Kenilworth, Maryland
Loss 70–6–2 United States Kid Norfolk DQ 6 (10) 1924-04-19 United States Commercial A.C., Boston, Massachusetts
Win 70–5–2 United States Fay Keiser TKO 12 (15) 1924-03-24 United States 104th Regiment Armory, Baltimore, Maryland
Win 69–5–2 United States Jack Reeves PTS 4 1924-02-22 United States Oakland Auditorium, Oakland, California
Win 68–5–2 United States Johnny Wilson UD 15 1924-01-18 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City Retained world middleweight title.
Win 67–5–2 United States Tommy Loughran PTS 10 1923-12-25 United States Motor Square Garden, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Loss 66–5–2 United States Gene Tunney UD 15 1923-12-10 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City For American light heavyweight title.
Win 66–4–2 United States Bryan Downey UD 10 1923-12-03 United States Motor Square Garden, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Retained world middleweight title.
Loss 65–4–2 United States Tommy Loughran PTS 10 1923-10-11 United States Commercial A.C., Boston, Massachusetts
Win 65–3–2 United States Johnny Wilson PTS 15 1923-08-31 United States Polo Grounds, New York City Won world middleweight title.
Win 64–3–2 United States Len Rowlands KO 3 (10) 1923-06-16 United States Craft's Five Acres, Uniontown, Pennsylvania
Loss 63–3–2 United States Gene Tunney SD 15 1923-02-23 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City Lost American light heavyweight title.
Win 63–2–2 United States Young Fisher PTS 12 1923-02-16 United States Syracuse Arena, New York City
Win 62–2–2 United States Tommy Loughran UD 15 1923-01-30 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City Retained American light heavyweight title.
Win N/A United States Tommy Loughran NWS 10 1923-01-15 United States Motor Square Garden, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Newspaper decision
Win 61–2–2 United States Bob Roper PTS 12 1922-11-10 United States Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York
Win 60–2–2 United States Larry Williams TKO 4 (12) 1922-10-27 United States Marieville Gardens, North Providence, Rhode Island
Win 59–2–2 United States Al Benedict TKO 2 (10), 2:40 1922-09-26 Canada CNE Coliseum, Toronto, Ontario
Win N/A United States Tommy Loughran NWS 8 1922-07-10 United States Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Newspaper decision
Win 58–2–2 United States Gene Tunney UD 15 1922-05-23 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City Won American light heavyweight title.
1922 Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine.
Win 57–2–2 United States Al Roberts KO 6 (10) 1922-05-12 United States Boston Arena, Boston, Massachusetts
Win 56–2–2 United States Tommy Gibbons PTS 15 1922-03-13 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City
Win N/A United States Jeff Smith NWS 10 1922-02-20 United States Freeman Avenue Armory, Cincinnati, Ohio Newspaper decision
Win 55–2–2 United States Whitey Allen TKO 6 (10) 1921-12-23 United States Syracuse Arena, Syracuse, New York
Win 54–2–2 United States Homer Smith TKO 5 (12) 1921-11-25 United States Newark Athletic Club, Newark, New Jersey
Win 53–2–2 Austria Charley Weinert TKO 5 (12) 1921-11-04 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City
Win 52–2–2 United States Jimmy Darcy PTS 10 1921-10-24 United States Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York
Win 51–2–2 United States Joe Cox PTS 12 1921-09-20 United States Palace of Joy, Brooklyn, New York
Win N/A United States Kid Norfolk NWS 10 1921-08-29 United States Forbes Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Newspaper decision
Draw 50–2–2 United States Jeff Smith PTS 15 1921-05-20 United States Louisiana Auditorium, New Orleans, Louisiana
Win 50–2–1 United States Jimmy Darcy PTS 10 1921-05-13 United States Boston Arena, Boston, Massachusetts
Win 49–2–1 Canada Soldier Jones KO 4 (10) 1921-04-11 Canada The Armouries, Toronto, Ontario
Win 48–2–1 United States Happy Littleton PTS 15 1921-04-01 United States Louisiana Auditorium, New Orleans, Louisiana
Win 47–2–1 United States Jeff Smith PTS 10 1921-02-25 United States Commercial A.C., Boston, Massachusetts
Win 46–2–1 United States Pal Reed PTS 10 1921-01-29 United States Commercial A.C., Boston, Massachusetts
Win N/A United States Jeff Smith NWS 10 1920-12-25 United States Motor Square Garden, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Newspaper decision
Win 45–2–1 United States Bob Roper PTS 10 1920-12-21 United States Commercial A.C., Boston, Massachusetts
Win 44–2–1 United States Jack Duffy TKO 6 (10) 1920-12-11 United States Motor Square Garden, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Win 43–2–1 United States Gunboat Smith KO 1 (10) 1920-10-21 United States Springbrook Park, South Bend, Indiana
Win 42–2–1 United States Ted Jamieson TKO 6 (10) 1920-09-22 United States Milwaukee Auditorium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Win N/A United States Tommy Gibbons NWS 10 1920-07-31 United States Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Newspaper decision
Loss N/A United States Tommy Gibbons NWS 10 1920-05-15 United States Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Newspaper decision
Win 41–2–1 United States Bob Roper PTS 12 1920-04-05 United States Stockyards Stadium, Denver, Colorado
Win 40–2–1 Greece George KO Brown PTS 12 1920-03-25 United States Stockyards Stadium, Denver, Colorado
Win 39–2–1 United States Tommy Robson PTS 12 1920-03-17 United States Industries Building, Dayton, Ohio
Win N/A Republic of Ireland Mike McTigue NWS 10 1919-12-12 United States Ideal Park Pavilion, Endicott, New York Newspaper decision
Win 38–2–1 Canada Soldier Jones KO 5 (10) 1919-11-28 United States Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York
Win N/A United States Battling Levinsky NWS 10 1919-09-03 United States Wheeling, West Virginia Newspaper decision
Win N/A United States Jeff Smith NWS 12 1919-09-01 United States Idora Park, Youngstown, Ohio Newspaper decision
Win 37–2–1 United States Terry Kellar PTS 15 1919-08-11 United States Highland Park, Dayton, Ohio
Win N/A United States Battling Levinsky NWS 6 1919-07-14 United States Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Newspaper decision
Win 36–2–1 United States Bill Brennan PTS 15 1919-07-04 United States Convention Hall, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Win N/A United States Mike Gibbons NWS 10 1919-06-23 United States Forbes Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Newspaper decision
Win 35–2–1 United States Yankee Gilbert TKO 4 (10) 1919-06-20 United States Wheeling, West Virginia
Win 34–2–1 United States Joe Borrell TKO 5 (6) 1919-06-16 United States Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Win 33–2–1 United States Clay Turner PTS 12 1919-05-06 United States Boston, Massachusetts
Win N/A United States Battling Levinsky NWS 12 1919-04-28 United States Canton Auditorium, Canton, Ohio Newspaper decision
Win N/A United States Leo Houck NWS 10 1919-04-25 United States Carney Auditorium, Erie, Pennsylvania Newspaper decision
Win 32–2–1 United States Tommy Madden KO 2 (10) 1919-04-02 United States Butler, Pennsylvania
Win N/A United States Billy Miske NWS 10 1919-03-31 United States Duquesne Gardens, Erie, Pennsylvania Newspaper decision
Win N/A United States Leo Houck NWS 6 1919-03-06 United States Lancaster, Pennsylvania Newspaper decision
Win N/A United States Battling Levinsky NWS 10 1919-02-17 United States Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York Newspaper decision
Win 31–2–1 United States Len Rowlands TKO 4 (10) 1919-02-03 United States Southside Market House, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Win 30–2–1 United States Leo Houck PTS 12 1919-01-14 United States Boston Arena, Boston, Massachusetts
Win N/A United States Billy Miske NWS 10 1918-09-21 United States Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Newspaper decision
Win N/A United States Battling Levinsky NWS 6 1918-08-06 United States Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Newspaper decision
Win 29–2–1 United States Eddie McGoorty PTS 10 1918-07-27 United States Fort Sheridan, Illinois
Win N/A Republic of Ireland Mike McTigue NWS 10 1918-03-11 United States Moose Hall, Cleveland, Ohio Newspaper decision
Win N/A United States Jack Dillon NWS 12 1918-03-04 United States Toledo Coliseum, Toledo, Ohio Newspaper decision
Draw N/A United States Mike O'Dowd NWS 10 1918-02-25 United States Saint Paul Auditorium, Saint Paul, Minnesota Newspaper decision
Win 28–2–1 United States Bob Moha PTS 10 1918-02-18 United States People's Theater, Cincinnati, Ohio
Win 27–2–1 United States Jack Hubbard KO 3 (10) 1918-02-04 United States Lonaconing, Maryland
Win 26–2–1 United States Augie Ratner PTS 20 1918-01-21 United States Lonaconing, Maryland
Win 25–2–1 United States Battling Kopin KO 1 (10) 1918-01-14 United States Skating Rink, Charleroi, Pennsylvania
Win 24–2–1 Norway Terry Martin KO 3 (10) 1917-12-08 United States Skating Rink, Charleroi, Pennsylvania
Win 23–2–1 United States Gus Christie PTS 8 1917-10-23 United States Chattanooga, Tennessee
Win 22–2–1 United States Johnny Howard TKO 9 (10) 1917-09-25 United States Broadway S.C., Brooklyn, New York
Win 21–2–1 United States Battling Kopin TKO 3 (10) 1917-09-22 United States Skating Rink, Charleroi, Pennsylvania
Win 20–2–1 Greece George KO Brown TKO 9 (10) 1917-09-17 United States Highland Park, Dayton, Ohio
Win 19–2–1 United States Jack London TKO 9 (10) 1917-09-14 United States St. Nicholas Rink, New York, New York
Win N/A United States Jeff Smith NWS 10 1917-09-11 United States Milwaukee Auditorium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Newspaper decision
Win N/A United States Battling Levinsky NWS 10 1917-09-06 United States Forbes Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Newspaper decision
Win N/A United States Jack Dillon NWS 10 1917-07-30 United States Forbes Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Newspaper decision
Win 18–2–1 United States Buck Crouse TKO 6 (10) 1917-07-02 United States Exposition Hall, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Win 17–2–1 United States Frank Mantell KO 1 (10) 1917-06-14 United States West End Theatre, Uniontown, Pennsylvania
Win N/A United States Jeff Smith NWS 10 1917-05-19 United States Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York Newspaper decision
Win 16–2–1 United States Harry Baker KO 5 (10) 1917-05-09 United States West End Theatre, Uniontown, Pennsylvania
Draw 15–2–1 United States Jackie Clark PTS 20 1917-05-03 United States Cumberland, Maryland
Win 15–2 United Kingdom Young Ahearn KO 1 (6) 1917-04-02 United States Power Auditorium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Win 14–2 United States Young Herman Miller TKO 5 (10) 1917-03-23 United States Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Win 13–2 United States Tommy Gavigan TKO 5 (6) 1917-03-20 United States Palisades Rink, McKeesport, Pennsylvania
Loss N/A United States Mike Gibbons NWS 6 1917-02-10 United States National A.C., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Newspaper decision
Win 12–2 United States Fay Keiser PTS 20 1917-01-29 United States Lonaconing, Maryland
Win 11–2 United States Jules Ritchie TKO 4 (6) 1917-01-20 United States National A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Win 10–2 United States Eddie Coleman KO 2 (10) 1917-01-13 United States Skating Rink, Charleroi, Pennsylvania
Win 9–2 United States Jackie Clark KO 3 (10) 1916-11-14 United States Lonaconing, Maryland
Win 8–2 United States Jackie Clark PTS 10 1916-10-16 United States Lonaconing, Maryland
Win 7–2 United States Fay Keiser PTS 10 1916-09-04 United States Cumberland, Maryland
Win 6–2 United States Kid Manuel KO 1 (6) 1916-06-03 United States Power Auditorium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
NC 5–2 United States Grant Clark NC 1916-04-27 United States Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Loss 5–2 United States Kid Graves TKO 2 (6) 1915-12-16 United States Power Auditorium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Greb was forced to retire after completely
fracturing the radius of his left arm.
Loss N/A United States Tommy Gibbons NWS 10 1915-11-16 United States Saint Paul Auditorium, Saint Paul, Minnesota Newspaper decision
Win 5–1 United States George Hauser KO 6 (6) 1915-07-21 United States Knoxville Elks Club Picnic Grounds, Elwyn Grove, Pennsylvania
Win N/A United States Jack Blackburn NWS 6 1915-01-25 United States Duquesne Gardens, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Newspaper decision
Draw N/A United States Billy Miske NWS 6 1915-01-12 United States Fairmont A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Newspaper decision
Win 4–1 United States Mickey Rodgers DQ 5 (8) 1914-03-02 United States Steubenville, Ohio
Win 3–1 United States Young Battling Nelson TKO 3 (6) 1913-12-12 United States Mishler Theatre, Altoona, Pennsylvania
Loss 2–1 United States Joe Chip KO 2 (6) 1913-11-29 United States Old City Hall, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Greb weighed in at 142 pounds, while Chip
weighed 156 pounds.
Win 2–0 United States Floyd Crotzer KO 1 (6) 1913-08-13 United States Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
Win 1–0 United States Battling Murphy TKO 2 (6) 1913-07-19 United States Old City Hall, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Harry Greb's Professional Boxing Record. BoxRec.com. Retrieved on 2011-10-22.
  2. "IBRO All-time Middleweight Rankings". Retrieved 2012-01-30.
  3. Bert Sugar's All-Time Greatest Fighters. SportsIllustrated.com. Retrieved on 2014-04-11.
  4. The 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years. BoxRec.com. Retrieved on 2014-04-11.
  5. All-Time Middleweight Rankings. BoxRec.com. Retrieved on 2014-04-11.
  6. All-Time Pound-For-Pound Rankings. BoxRec.com. Retrieved on 2014-04-11.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Casey, Mike (October 30, 2012). "Phenomenon: Why Harry Greb Was So Great". Boxing.com. Retrieved 2014-04-11.
  8. 1 2 3 Cox, Monte D. "Harry Greb, The Human Windmill..."A Perpetual Motion Machine."". Cox's Corner. Retrieved 2014-04-05.
  9. "Both of Harry Greb's parents came from German families..."
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Toledo, Gregory (May 3, 2009). "Where Have You Gone, Harry Greb?". The Sweet Science. Retrieved 2014-04-11.
  11. 1 2 Cyber Boxing Encyclopedia - Harry Greb CyberBoxingZone.com
  12. 1 2 3 Fair, James R. (March 27, 1967). "Blood, Sweat, Toil But No Tears From Tunney". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2014-04-12.
  13. Terceira, Keith (August 27, 2006). "Harry Greb: "The Big Ones Grunt Harder"". Boxing Scene. Retrieved 2014-04-12.
  14. Harvey, John (March 30, 1987). "The Sugar Ray Of His Day". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2014-04-13.
  15. 1 2 McKenna, John F. (January 5, 2012). "Famous Ring Wars: Harry Greb vs. Mickey Walker". Boxing New 24. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  16. Harry Greb - Encyclopedia Britannica. Britannica.com. Retrieved on 2014-04-15.

Further reading

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Harry Greb
Achievements
Preceded by
Gene Tunney
American light heavyweight champion
May 23, 1922 – February 23, 1923
Succeeded by
Gene Tunney
Preceded by
Johnny Wilson
World middleweight champion
August 31, 1923 – February 26, 1926
Succeeded by
Tiger Flowers
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