Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-01-26

~ pCc1 I'LL dI GlSt
for some time.
Mickey even
paints moods"
Grantiand Rice. and illusions"
as well as landscapes and sea-
scapes. But a big part of his
heart still belongs to the ring.
my biggest thrill?" he said.
well, I guess it was an evening
I spent with a fellow by the name
of Harry Greb. It was a long
evening, starting in the ring
around 10 o'clock and winding up
around daybreak.
"I'd heard Greb hadn't been
training right. In fact. he staged
a visit to a restaurant I was in,
staggering a little. 1t was an act.
I was dead sure I could beat him.
He was just as sure he could beat
me.
II knew after the first minute
of the first round that I was in
for stormy night. Greb was in
perfect condition. His act had
been phony. I was never in better
shape. He almost knocked me
out in the second round. almost
stopped him in the third. But he
was a dead game guy and he
could take it. Ask Gene Tunney.
Neither one of us wasted two
seconds. We threw all the punches
we carried and I know Greb car
ried a lot. He was fast and strong
and rough. He was only a danger
GUS puncher when he got tired
and quit moving around. Then he
could hurt you. I was in at 148
and Greb was around 100. He had
too much for me. I knew by the
twelfth round that I had little
chance to. win. But we kept on
punching to the final bell.
Second Fight On Same Night.
"It was a great fight" Mickey
said. But I liked our next fight
better, that same night. lost the
first one and I think I won the
second. I'll tell you about that
one"
After the fight Doc Kearns
and I dropped into the tavern. I
heard someone call my name. It
was Greb. So I went over and sat
with his gang. Later on, the
others left us. leaving only Harry
and myself. BY that time my
right eye was closed tight and
badly swollen. We became great
friends and the ale we drank
didn't hurt us any.
About 8 am. we decided to
look UP another tavern. As we
got to the door I said to Greb,
say. if you hadn't closed my right
eye I could have licked you
"Greb turned on me with a
snarl. ! thought he was going to
bite me. Say he said, You
couldn't lick me If I cut off both
arms
Now" Mickey recalled, I'VE
had just fought before a packed
house at Madison Square garden
at plenty dollars a seat. We had
just been paid very big money.
And here we were heading for
another fight with just three
spectators who were paying moth
ing.
"'Come on Greb said, Let's
fight it out here He started TAX
ing off his coat. AS he got the
coat about halfway off, which
locked up or tied up both arms,
/ nailed him on the chin with
everything I had. 1t was a nee
tarine, full of Juice. Greb spun
and crashed into the side of a.
car SO hard he dented the running
board. I never threw a harder
punch and he was wide open.
Il guess I was lucky. You
couldn't kill Greb with an ak.
He bounded back from the car
and started for me, when a pair
of cops arrived. Our three no.
pay spectators were still there.
They showed me In one cab and
Harry in another.
100000 Offer Turned Down.
"Greb was a. great fellow. II
never liked anyone better. The
next day Tex Rickard sent for
us. He offered us $100, 900 each
for a return match. Now $780,
600 isn't goulash. But Greb turned
to me and said-'Mickey, there are
too many guys around can beat
easier than can beat you. II
like the easy dough. can make
just as much fighting them. Be-
sides, I happen to like you. II
wouldn't get any fun punching
you. Besides, little guys bother
me. You and Tiger Flowers. II
like the heavyweights.'
" I feel the same, way I said
to Greb. One hundred grand is
a lot of cash, but there must be
easier ways to make it. And II
don't get any fun swinging at you.
So we turned down Richard S
100000 offer and Tex could never
understand why.
"Ill tell you this about Greb.
He was a great guy. He was a
great fighter and one of the
gamest men I ever met. And don t
believe all those stories about
his being out of condition He