NO. 6 HARRY GREB
Record: 107-8-3 (48 KOs)
Years active: 1913-26
Titles won: World middleweight
Among his victims: Jeff Smith, George Chip, Jack Dillon, Battling Levinsky, Mike McTigue, Billy Miske, Mike Gibbons, Gunboat Smith, Tommy Gibbons, Gene Tunney, Tommy Loughran, Tiger Flowers, Jimmy Delaney, Mickey Walker, Maxie Rosenbloom
Background: Greb has gained true legendary status for a reason. The Pittsburgh Windmall earned that nickname, throwing vicious punches from a full spectrum of angles. Indeed, he was a swarming fighter who gave his opponents no opportunities to breathe and seemed to have a bottomless reservoir of stamina. He reportedly pushed the limits when it came to rules but he was DQ’d only once in a reported 118 fights (many more according to some sources). And his skills are underappreciated. After he beat Gene Tunney – becoming the only fighter to do so – a reporter for the Pittsburgh Press called Greb a “spectacular ring marvel.” And “Greb’s shiftiness nullified the New Yorker’s best bet. Harry is like a floating ball in a shooting gallery.” You get the idea. The man could bang and box, which is why he was able to beat a long list of future Hall of Famers. And get this: He reportedly was blind in one eye during the final four years of his career. Even a one-eyed Greb was nearly unbeatable. Greb died of heart failure at 32 after surgery to repair damage in his nose. Boxing aficionados will never forget him.