The Greatest Boxing Champ You've Never Heard Of - Gene Tunney (Book Review)

[@ullupdrost4740]

Gene is my great uncle. I'm 6'4 -- 76'. Gene is strong in us. My brother is a devastating puncher. Punch strong, play smart.

[@JKDandWingChun]

Your great uncle? Wow. That’s amazing…and it’s an honor to have you on the channel. Hope you liked the video. As you can see, Gene has always been a big inspiration for us here. A masterful boxer and true gentleman indeed.

[@emu8584]

He's also my great auntie's brother and Mike Tyson is my daddy and Sonny Liston my granddaddy

[@cosmickinks]

Gene Tunney is my grandpa's cousin! My kids watched some clips of him and said I have his smile 😊

[@twilightwolf549]

My father was the one who told me about Gene. He is a distant cousin of mine and it’s honestly really cool to have a heavyweight boxing champion in the family.

[@valeries120]

Mc mom was a McCarthy Her mom was a Mulhern. It was through Mulhern, I believe, that Gene Tunney and my mom are related.

[@jherl8307]

Thanks for keeping memorry of this great man alive. He was way before his time technique wise. Handsome, charasmatic, very intelligent, tough. Easy to see why he along with Jack represented the Golden Age of sport (1920's) well. Also he was the first athlete in history that was handed a check for 1 million dollars (for one of his bouts with Dempsey).

[@duchi882]

When you realize You're just 20 years old and you've actually heard of Gene Tunney Its unfortunate that most people of my generation haven't heard many great names like Gene Tunney's before

[@JKDandWingChun]

Duchi wow. Just 20!!! Good for you!!!

[@yaakov1039]

Duchi when I realize I'm 12 and know who Gene Tunny, Jack Dempsey, Sam Langford, Harry Greb, Georges Carpentier, Archie Moore, Sam Mcvey, Joe Jeannette, Luis Firpo, Harry Wills, Jack Johnson, Barbados Joe Walcott, Jersey Joe Walcott etc and the kids I'm around don't even know who Roy Jones Jr is it's absolutely crazy that they don't even know someone who was as dominate as Roy it's such a shame.

[@itsallaroundyou7085]

Currently reading jack dempseys book. Championship boxing. Hands down the best book on fight training in any system I've ever read. Talks about some things I did naturally when I started out that my trainer tried to train out of me lol. The falling step. I always knew it felt right.

[@theonofswords3764]

The whole Tunney Dempsey paradox reminds me of mike Tyson Lennox Lewis. It’s all about styles. Most fight fans love a brawling knock out puncher to a crafty smart fighter. Tunney wasn’t just better than Dempsey when they fought. He was much better. Like Lewis was v Tyson. They’ll never be as popular though because they were gentlemen who fought more methodically. Fight fans prefer a bad boy with an edge. I personally find Tunneys displays v Dempsey a joy to watch. He just picked him apart. Wonderful boxer

[@itsallaroundyou7085]

@@theonofswords3764 I used to think of Dempsey as a mindless brawler but after reading his book I realized he actually owned I wide knowledge of the sweet science. He was a puncher and definitely intended to hurt his man with every shot but he was a tactician non the less. I love a fine display of defense: Pernell, Ali, pep, guys like that but my favorite is a guy like pacquiao, comeback foreman, Shane Mosley. A real boxer puncher. I'd say robinson but he was just about every style in one lol.

[@benjaminlord7762]

Fabulous book for anyone who likes the olden days of boxing! Enjoyable read. Historical but readable.

[@lydon2006]

His mum was my great great auntie out of County Mayo Ireland. Gene is one of the answers to the best quiz question ever! If you ask anyone who the first undefeated heavy champion of the world was they will always say Rocky! But it was actually Gene, whilst he may have lost prior to the first Dempsey fight he only fought twice more as champ then retired! Therefore he was first person to win the title then defend undefeated Eddie retiring!

[@cammfrfr]

No way he was my dads grandmas cousin!

[@ConnieHeartsValentino]

Gene was also a stunt double for the Legendary Rudolph Valentino in his last movie, Son of the Sheik! There is a pic of Rudy doing Gene's movie makeup in their dressing room! 🙂

[@janerkenbrack3373]

The "long count" is a description from Dempsey supporters. The count wasn't long at all, it just started late. It started late because Dempsey didn't go to a neutral corner as directed by the ref. This is clear in the video replays available online. Once the count started, Tunney shifted to one knee with one foot on the mat, and he looked up at the ref listening to the count, and waited until 8 to rise. The slow-motion of this segment of the fight shows that Tunney appeared alert and ready to rise well before he did, and simply gave himself more time. To Dempsey's defense, his earlier fights were under different rules, and he would (as mentioned in this video) stand over the downed man and hit him as he tried to stand. This was no longer allowed by the time he fought Tunney, but Jack seemed to forget this in the heat of the moment. My take away is that Dempsey caused the delay in the count starting, and it seems Tunney could have risen earlier had the ref been able to start the count earlier. Tunney was the better fighter. Oh, and he married a US Steel Heiress, and smartly withdrew from the fight game while his brain was still good.

[@jimmurray9032]

Oddly enough I think thst both fighters had ancestry in county mayo Ireland

[@TARUNKUMAR-xu4qf]

Gene Tunney was a thinking boxer who preffered to make boxing into a game of chess.

[@JKDandWingChun]

Indeed. He was pure class all the way around. Smart, mobile, hard hitter, and - by virtue of fighting both Greb and Dempsey multiple times - a man of great courage too.

[@TARUNKUMAR-xu4qf]

@@JKDandWingChun What's more astoshing to me is Gene Tunney is the only the person who defeated the ferocious and terrifying Manessa Mauler Jack Dempsey not once but twice. It a shame to neglect such a gifted athlete.

[@tarquiniussuperbus21]

Nice , but the book: "The boxer and the playwright" is even better since it is written by his son.

[@vincentjoyce455]

I was coming on here to suggest it as well. FANTASTIC book.

[@tarquiniussuperbus21]

@@vincentjoyce455 Unfortunately both books never delve into the later years of Mr. Tunney probably because he became addicted to alcohol due to the double homicide perpetrated by his daughter.

[@terrycarthy4433]

Gene Tunney was just too handsome ! Lucky dude ! He had it all.

[@billyv46]

This is a great post. I've read the book, and watched many films of Gene Tunney. The fastest and slickest heavyweight ever, until Ali came along.

[@robertzierler6564]

I read that book it is a very very good read.

[@JohnKobaRuddy]

I’m related to him he was my dads grans or great grandmothers sisters son and much like him me and my dad hold similar stances to Gene and we are willing to let an opponent rest the water and wait for the right moments to deal out what needs dealt out. And my little sisters middle name is Tunney.

[@bigd5349]

Shut the fuck up get offline and stop chattin shit on the internet u fuckin clown id outbox you any day

[@sujie7274]

I went to college with his grandson John? back in 1996 ish, who looks very similar and I believe practiced some martial arts. He looked deadly !

[@JKDandWingChun]

Su Jie wow. That’s awesome.

[@JohnKobaRuddy]

The Tunneys are a generally big family and can handle ourselves

[@treydees929]

Gene Tunney was the first Ali style. Ali even remarked to that about him.

[@JKDandWingChun]

Trace Deez absolutely! Great point.

[@abudujana13]

Thanks for the video!

[@dieselmoser]

SEMPER FI, MARINES!!!

[@fonzgoose2279]

Enjoyed this. Thanks.

[@paolosmaldone9856]

I read about Gene doing hundreds of press ups against the wall with fingertips in preparation to fight Dempsey

[@gheudbbn9134]

Tell me more!

[@JohnKobaRuddy]

Gheudbb N exactly more more more

[@gheudbbn9134]

John Ruddy yes m8 tell me more do u know more?

[@julianlavalley7454]

Cool. I want that book

[@yaakov1039]

In my opinion I think the greatest boxer who you've never heard of is a tie between Sam Langford and Harry Greb.

[@JKDandWingChun]

Deus Vult amen to that!!! You’re only 12??! And you know Greb? Dude, your parents are raising you right. 🤣

[@yaakov1039]

Greenville Academy of Martial Arts thanks.

[@gheudbbn9134]

Kevin's Father I’m training boxing atm and I’m thinking that a mix between George firemen’s style and mike Tyson’s style would dominate. I wanted to get your opinion on this. Wondering wether or not George foreman and gene Tunney Or mike Tyson or George foreman would be better. I’m also 12 :) I’m 5’9 and 63kg atm

[@yaakov1039]

Gheudbb N If you've used to the mix between Mikes and Georges I would say go with that but the other option is like primarily counter punching style I say do what your more used to doing.

[@robert43er]

From my point of view - the Tunney-Greb story is reported different from many sources: General accepted is that Greb won the first fight an Tunney the last one. Most sources called the forth one a draw. The reports of the outcome of the second and the third bout were highly controversial. Tunney was a great boxer but also a smart "politician". He was clever networked in New York an had a protected boxing record in his younger years. Nevertheless your intention of remembering a former master of boxing (100 years ago) is great.

[@SHIMMY_KG]

He's my great great uncle

[@MuttonBiryani1994]

Seamus Buckley-Smith That is incredible!

[@JohnKobaRuddy]

Same he’s my great great great uncle or great uncle x4 on my dads side

[@managment1]

for sure?

[@amadeuschavez.]

A lot of people claim he’s their great great uncle.

[@mikeveith7322]

He’s my great uncle as well

[@valeries120]

My great or great great uncle was Gene Tunney.

[@striplingwarrior6309]

Very smart fighter. Held his guard quite low. A bit like wado ryu karate. His sparring drills look like set patterns. I've seen this in savate. Which influenced JKD

[@VictorFightingSpirit]

Awesome! I like it.

[@OlympicLeprechaun]

i don't think you mentioned that Tunney's loss to Greb was the only loss of his entire career.

[@juliandenormanville5225]

He dominated both bouts with Dempsey yes...but not by 19 rounds to 1...more like 14 to 6...dont get carried away...in the first bout Tunney was almost stopped in the 4th round..I'm a great admirer if Tunney..one of the all time greats...but no question he got Dempsey at just the right time..

[@mblasini]

I might be mistaken, but the story you said about Gene Tunney and his mother might have been about another great boxer, Benny Leonard.

[@illman8876]

Did Bruce take anything from Rocky Marciano?

[@1saxonwolf]

Tunney said it was Mike Gibbons, Toms brother that was the biggest influence in his career. He would watch Gibbons in the gyms in NY to learn from the master boxer.

[@michaelobrien8420]

Is it me, or did Tunney hit Carlentier low ?

[@bsjeffrey]

i lean towards the idea that if cus d'amato was still alive mike tyson would have been almost unstoppable against the later fighters who beat him. post cus mike was a similar but different fighter.

[@JKDandWingChun]

bs jeffrey you’re certainly not alone in thinking that.

[@dancruz4635]

Booze and drugs caused the decline in Tyson.. Even if Cus was around I don’t think things would be different.

[@bsjeffrey]

@@dancruz4635i would argue the booze and drugs became an issue because of/after the death of cus.

[@dancruz4635]

Good point

[@cammfrfr]

I’m related to him 😅

[@JKDandWingChun]

@cammfrfr so cool!

[@terrygribb9185]

Maybe but he never fought Demsey in his prime.

[@jasvirmahal7066]

Not beat Dempsey twice

[@John-xk2sd]

Heard that Bruce Lee claimed that Tunney would never be able to touch him

[@jasvirmahal7066]

Referee doesn't count proper

[@noloferratus]

During Tunney's term as a district attorney in Sonoma county he tried to prosecute me for knocking out a drug dealers bodyguard who attacked me in a bar in Rohnert Park California for no apparent reason. After the case was dismissed and they realized they had made a mistake Tunney never apologized to me for putting me through a year of hell trying to prosecute me for defending myself against a man who was more than twice my size and was clearly trying to kill me. I will always remember Tunney as a true creep. I guess it is too late for Tunney to apologize to me since he is now dead.

[@djjohnson9389]

only schlubs and fairweather dont know who Mean Gene is.

[@muaythairaja]

A paper champion who avoided black fighters all his life. Had he faced all comers, he would be outside the top 20 of his time.

[@kainzow3956]

How do you figure he’s a paper champ? And he didn’t avoid black fighters. Blacks weren’t given the same opportunities at the lower ranks and at title contention level it was Tex Rickard who forbid Tunney from fighting black boxers

[@muaythairaja]

@@kainzow3956 excuses

[@kainzow3956]

@@muaythairaja who’s making excuses, you? 🤣

[@juliandenormanville5225]

You talk nonsense you woke prat... The best black fighter of the time, Harry Wills , was soundly defeated by Sharkey and Uscudun, neither of whom were as good as Gene...

[@angelvalle9963]

If you've never heard of gene "the fighting marine tunney" you dont know anything about boxing.

[@wilfordgrimley4339]

What martial artist hasnt heard of Gene Tunney? This channel is delusional

[@MrRoccoMarchegiano]

Never LHW champion, only beat Jack at HW, dude's overrated.