THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1957.
Dirtiest Fighter in the Ring
TARRY GREB enme back to his corner at the end of that act on specially for those
seventh round mies poc around, the time be was reventeen. in
Walker at the New York Polo Grounds and there was a wicited gleam in his eye.
"Who's the dame in the second row, behind the time. keeper?" he asked. "Be a pal and date her up for me at the "Silver Slipper" after the fight-will yer?"
All I'd had was ginger
Ble."
They had nipper, then Greb decided ho wanted to dange
mow a place," and Mickey, ro oft they went, taking Harry's girl friend along with them.
. י
Outside "I
His munnger, who, was busy cleaning up Harry's sweaty, blood-stained countenance, glared at him. s'pose you know you're defending your world's champion. ship?" he inquired. "You're fighting the most dangerous man in the business who hates your guta, And all you can think about is women.”
"One wernan," corrected Grch. "The one with the trea sure chest, remember, Ill look after the title, you
secure the
Indy. Otherwise I get me an
oiler manager, tee,"
Eho el clanged
went Many to set about
rhallonger as it i
cat
he
WUS the
of aning of the match ant not
the halfway stage.
Up to this point Walker was
probably a shade ahead. True,
he was giving half-stone away. but he was seven years younger
d had outpaced Grew in the early stage,
Mickey
been weller- weight champion for several years, now he wanted Greb's
middleweight le
A thekset,
warrior, twith Lerring
saerdy
punching power
ne, they called
Putting.
in he short
in the Toy
He'd told them all he could
ick Grey. He knew the Horry was blind in the eye and was rapidly going over the hill,
Humour had it that Grei had clubs been visiting the night levke the kales toe inuch. He'd even been coming drunk out of the "Silver Slipper a Jew hts befor the championship
fight.
Old man in
5 Walker wäert rurprised when he took some of the early
Was
they called a taxl and just as they were about to get in Walker said: "I just want you to know, you cutch rat. That you wouldn't have Helted FBC tonight it you
Harry Grob (right) and Mickey Walker before their
title fight in 1925.
and promptly stuck his thumb hadn't stuck your thumb into the challenger's eye.
19
and by clear marglas. Now
At the Anish Walker luckçel he would turn on the heat and
as if he had been ploughed fake the 29-year-old champ.
up. The decision went But it
had retained his Harry
Greb, who who
Title. whipped up the pace from the eighth round onwards, leaving Miekty standing as he leapt tra and out with whirling, no. step arms. hoolden Jubbasmp. swinging and uppersulting.
The blonde had been booked for a supper date and Harry could not get to the "Silver Supper" quick enough. He hadn't been there long
shouted Greb. down."
when
pal,"
niy eye,"
bouts he was
had been fighting from
one of his early
nocked out by Joe Chip, bur that was the only thane in a egreer lasting 15 years.
He fought dirty because he used it that way and when an Nikewise opponent
discorded the rule book ho never squealed.
Sometimes he would cone up agplust zomeone as tough and as: relentless as himself, lite the time when he met a sawn-off coloured heavy called Kid Norfolk.
Finding the going was getting hard. Harry stuck his thumb in his rivals eye, only to get back more than he bargalued for.
Blind fight
Norfolk proved that he owned the biggest mumb, and next day, after a doctor had priser Harry's eye open, he told the lighter he would never see aut of again.
Greb soon earned a reputation · as bang the dirtiest man in the
business, Managers with gooi-
looking fighters would have
HARRY GREB-the middleweight fighting machine.
nono of him, SOME Doxior in 1924 Grel was within six From then
was wir. Comunissions would not fet bird months of his 30th birthday. They butted, gouged, kieked,
ppear in the States.
Pretty late in the day to become palined and did everything but a world's chump, but larry hite. was as old as he fell and just Then he felt pretty chirpy
He went after, light-heavies and heavies, and even chal- Jeg the
redoublable Jack But the mulch was Denipsey. never made.
from When he caine
The ring he dressing-room to the
booed at the was hooted und
The fans boord himn way,
the throughout
contest, whether he fought foul or not.
Harry didn't mind. He knew they packed in just is the hope o seaing him toke a hiding. The boos sounded le
to his unmusicat cars, and ned bow to all sides of the house as they roared abure at him.
At the end Caeb was named the winner, hay complained bit- terly in his dressing room.
That's the last time I tr anyone who says 1 took the words clean out of his mouth. From now on flight dirty."
The man who fuitly took the middleweight title from ho was it good clean Bahter called Tiger Flowers. He had a tempestuous style, very much like Greb's, it lived deaner and bis south- paw stance had Harry bewilder-
chcera
like,"
said: When you gonne fight
Ight you any time
Answered Jack.
pring Dempsey one
day, "yo, bum. Harry
nie?"
you
You
it
મા
on,"
When he'd run out of middle- find the promoter who'll put weights ko challenged Gene Tunney for the American light- heavyweight tite. Tunney was One time they matched him
licked
only once and retired undefeated for the world's heavyweight title.
In
"Why you Irish lug, I could lick you the best day you ever caw," thundered Greb. "Right now here, I'li Hek you."
Then he made the mistake of tearing off his coat, With- out hesitation Mickey hit him A right-hander between the eyes and bounced him off his fect.
The winner
round la
a heavyweight named with Chuck Wiggins at Grand Rapids. They'd ne before In Toledo, Detroit, Kalamazoo, Benton Harbour, South Bend and Cin- cinnati.
Old man out
Six months later he gave Greb a chance to win the title back, Harry really trained conscien-. tiously this time and came into the ring fighting ft.
Wiggins wasn't as dirty, but he was bigger, and he was de-
No
The guy who licked him was lighted when Hurry took him Gre. In the first
afide at the weigh-in and sold: broke Tunney's nice, în thewatcha say we make it a nice next he slit open his left eye.
elesa fight."
In succeeding rounds run- roy's right eye went, his face was cut in a dozen places, 05 If Harry was holding a fistful of razor blades.
Tunney swallowed so much
Nice'n clean
Chuck made a hace that his passed for a mile on leather-battered features. "Harry
But the result was the same, doubt the old fighting machine was wearing down, fle had been in there over 300 times, alving everything he'd Rot and out of the ring he had set himself just us fast a pace, No matter how much he frled, fair or foul, he could not cope with the Tiger and had lost on points at the finish.
"Come and sit the door panel of the taxi. Then of his own blood he vomited boy, you took the words clean eye for many years, the sight
it was when they went to cane Walker. "Hiya, a clinch that Walker really law he wa out of his class with Grob, Harry gave him a going over such as few men are asked to take in the course of a glove fight.
He butted him, gave him the shoulder, the elbow, the wrist. ltin He massaged his face the palm of his gloves, rubbed his knuckles into his eyes, and Bave him several taps with his beny forehead.
When Mickey Tot rough himself Harry took this as Д
In a taxi
Wolker was wearing a dis- coleured eye, but mado 110 refer:uce to it. You stayed Better than I thought you would," he remarked,
"Sure I alld." larry, "You fall phoney stuff about
sign that it was now "all-in” drunk the other night.
Zanies
Greb's head made a dent in
the corner bucket. He passers-by saw an even greater into scrap than the one fans had paid lost his title and stayed in bed 15 dellars to see earlier in the for three weeks recovering from
the ordeal. evening.
The first
fore a cop
info one
round bad been During that time he worked going about five minutes be- out a way to heat Greb, and in came along and four subsequent meetings no stopped It. He bundled Walker gained complete revenge.
taxi and then put Greb into another and sent it in the opposite direction.
Without any doubt, Greb was the dirtlest fighter ever to pull on a pair of gloves. He wouldn't I put have lasted long in Britain.
responded for that me being
of The Ring-3
The last time they met Greb was well tamed and towarts the end of the contest he begged Tunney not to knock him out.
When ho won the middle- weight title from Johnny Wilson
Now it transpired that while he had fought with anly one out of my mouth. We'll maito in his other was fading rapidly. Greb was 32, but ill felt ho a nice clean fight as you say. Shake."
had many more Oghts to come.
Ho W25 told an operation They shook and for the first half-dozen rounds each bebaved might restore his sight to sonte- Rentleman, while the thing like normal. "Just as long like crowd looked on In disappoint as can see 'em" quoth Harry,
"that's all I want. ed amazement
But he'd fought his last fight. Then Mr Wiggins tonir' un- fair advantago of Mr Grab when Greb falled to come out of the He anaesthetic and dled on the coming out
The Human took a sneak punch Harry, operating table.
a full who promptly put his foot aut Windmilli had come to and sent
stop. Chuck through, the ropes with a neat unklē kick,
of a clinch.
By GILBERT ODD
<
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