Today in Boxing History: Harry Greb Dead At 32
On this day in 1926, Harry Greb died of complications from nose and eye surgery in Atlantic City. He was 32 years old.
The “Human Windmill’s� brutal, relentless attack left more than 200 opponents in its wake. Writer W.O. McGeehan called the style, “The Manly Art of Modified Murder.� All in all, Greb fought 299 bouts in his pro career.
His most famous win was a 15-round decision over Gene Tunney for the American Light Heavyweight Title in 1922. It was the only loss of Tunney’s career. Greb beat Tommy Loughran in his only defense of the belt, before losing it back to Tunney in February of 1923.
Greb won the World Middleweight Title from Johnny Wilson in August of 1923. He would successfully defend the championship six times against fighters like Mickey Walker and Bryan Downey.
He lost his belt in a decision to Tiger Flowers in February of 1926. After losing a rematch to Flowers in August of that year, Greb announced his retirement.
In October, Greb went to an Atlantic City clinic to have a fractured bone removed from his nose and a cataract taken from his eye. Tragically, he died of heart failure caused by shock from the operation.
A final testament to Greb’s greatness came in his death when the doctors found that he had fought the last third of his career with blindness in one eye.
Joe Frazier fought his ENTIRE career with one eye. Beat that.