Harry Greb

Harry Greb was a legendary American professional boxer. He was active from 1913 until 1926. Many people called him "the Pittsburgh Windmill." This nickname described his incredibly fast and aggressive movement. He used a swarming fighting style to overwhelm opponents. Greb was known for his extreme toughness and a strong chin. He held the American light heavyweight title from 1922 to 1923. He was also the world middleweight champion from 1923 to 1926. Today, experts consider him one of the greatest boxers of all time.

Greb's fighting style was unique and relentless. He used quick movements to stay close to his opponents. He was famous for using aggressive tactics to gain an advantage. This included spinning his opponents and using the heels or laces of his gloves. He was a fighter who would take on almost anyone. He fought 299 times during his thirteen-year career. He faced many different types of athletes. He defeated top-rated fighters ranging from the welterweight division to the heavyweight division. He even holds the record for defeating the most Hall of Fame opponents. Out of 17 Hall of Fame fighters, Greb defeated 16 of them.

His career was marked by incredible activity and records. In 1917, Greb fought 37 times in a single year. He won 34 of those bouts, either officially or unofficially. In 1919, he set an even larger record by winning 45 fights. This is a feat unlikely to be repeated in modern boxing. Greb also had a long winning streak of 52 consecutive fights. During this period, he beat several future champions. These included Mike McTigue and Battling Levinsky. He defeated Levinsky six times in total. Greb was also notable for his willingness to fight. He regularly accepted matches against top Black fighters like Jack Blackburn and Tiger Flowers. This was significant because many white boxers of his era refused to do so.

The physical toll of boxing caused Greb serious injuries. In 1921, he was hit in the eye during a match with Kid Norfolk. This injury caused a retinal tear. It eventually led to permanent blindness in his right eye. Greb kept this injury a secret from most people. He even memorized eye charts to pass his medical exams. Later, his right eye was removed and replaced with a glass prosthesis. He also suffered a broken radius in his left arm during a fight with Kid Graves. These injuries did not stop him from competing for many years. He continued to fight even as his vision began to fail.

Greb's rivalry with Gene Tunney is one of the most famous in sports history. In May 1922, Greb fought the undefeated light heavyweight champion, Tunney. Greb won that match by a unanimous decision. This was the first and only professional loss of Tunney's career. The match was named the "Fight of the Year" by Ring Magazine. They fought again in February 1923 at Madison Square Garden. This time, Tunney won a very controversial split decision. The two men met three more times to settle their rivalry. In one match, Greb asked Tunney not to knock him out. Tunney later called this request a great tribute to Greb's character.

Greb also fought for the world middleweight title. He faced Johnny Wilson on August 31, 1923. Greb won the title by a 15-round decision. He later defended his title against Mickey Walker in 1925. Walker was the reigning world welterweight champion. Despite many doubts, Greb won a unanimous decision. His final major matches were against Tiger Flowers in 1926. Flowers won two disputed decisions to take the title from Greb. These fights marked the end of Greb's long and busy career.

After retiring, Greb planned to open a gym in Pittsburgh. In September 1926, he underwent surgery to repair his nose and respiratory tract. He had suffered damage from his boxing career and several car crashes. Unfortunately, complications arose during his medical treatment. Greb died of heart failure on October 22, 1926. He was 32 years old. He is remembered through many prestigious awards. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. He was also named the Fighter of the Decade for the 1920s by The Sporting News. BoxRec ranks him as the fourth greatest pound-for-pound boxer of all time.