Why was Gene Tunney so under appreciated for his Time?

[- Ram Raid -]

Nice discussion. I add my two cents worth.

I'm not making a direct comparison, because obviously there are some major differences, but Tunney was in a position similar to the one that Holmes found himself in.

Both came after men that weren't just Heavyweight Champions, they were men of their times. You could make a case that both Dempsey and Ali transended boxing and became cultural icons who people invested heavily in.

It's near impossible to follow that when you're 'just' a damn fine boxer. Or an excellent one in Tunneys case. Personally, I rate Tunney above Dempsey both as a boxer and a man but he didn't represent the Roaring Twenties quite like Dempsey did.

[mickey malone]

Nice discussion. I add my two cents worth.

I'm not making a direct comparison, because obviously there are some major differences, but Tunney was in a position similar to the one that Holmes found himself in.

Both came after men that weren't just Heavyweight Champions, they were men of their times. You could make a case that both Dempsey and Ali transended boxing and became cultural icons who people invested heavily in.

It's near impossible to follow that when you're 'just' a damn fine boxer. Or an excellent one in Tunneys case. Personally, I rate Tunney above Dempsey both as a boxer and a man but he didn't represent the Roaring Twenties quite like Dempsey did.

Great post for a lean budget, and gives insight to the lack of popularity incurred to both fighters.. It's not the only comparison either. I've always thought their boxing styles, as being remarkably similar.

[Sugarj]

Great post for a lean budget, and gives insight to the lack of popularity incurred to both fighters.. It's not the only comparison either. I've always thought their boxing styles, as being remarkably similar.

I'll second that, very similar styles Holmes & Tunney!

[C-ORTIZ]

Was it for Following an icon or being a book reader?

Mainly because black fans are so racist that they don't want to acknowledge a fighter of another race as superior. Tunney was the most skilled heavyweight in history and certainly would have to be favored head to head against any heavyweight of any era with maybe the exception of the big K brothers. That includes the highly overrated Ali.

[C-ORTIZ]

I'll second that, very similar styles Holmes & Tunney!

Tunney was much sharper with his jab and footwork than Holmes. Tunney was much smarter in the ring too. You would never see Tunney get caught by one dimensional fighters Ernie Shavers and Renaldo Snipes. That separates the two.

[- Ram Raid -]

Great post for a lean budget, and gives insight to the lack of popularity incurred to both fighters.. It's not the only comparison either. I've always thought their boxing styles, as being remarkably similar.

Stylistically that had never occurred to me, I'll enjoy going back and seeing the comparisons.

In terms of fundementally sound technique both fighters were of an unusually high quality. As well as what has already been touched upon, maybe that contributed to their unpopularity?

To be as popular as Dempsey and Ali, you've got to pull in a lot of fans from outside of the sport and maybe that entails fighting in a manner that appeals to those that might not have any knowledge or understanding of the actual craft of boxing?