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1922 LH Title Bouts

WBA

Battling Levinsky CH (37-13-2) vs Georges Carpentier #7 (43-8-2)

Carpentier seeks to regain the WBA title he lost in 1917. Third meeting of the pair, who each won one of the previous bouts.

After a close opening round, the Orchid Man moves inside to press the action in round two, another close round. Levinsky moves inside in round three and the Frenchman connects with a wild overhand right; the Champ's eyes start to swell (both of them) from Carpentier's two-fisted attack. Round four, Levinsky is able to stave off his aggressive challenger. Round five, both men work outside, and the Champ is back on track (it's 47-all on the unofficial card despite the early knockdown). Round six, another even round as Levinsky presses the action. Round seven, Carpentier is the aggressor but Levinsky scores more points. Round eight, Carpentier's repeated efforts have an effect, as the swelling worsens. Carpentier dominates again in round nine, which sees both men wailing away on the inside. Round ten, Levinsky is the aggressor, but he falls to a barrage of Carpentier punches and can't recover. Carpentier wins by TKO 10 to recapture the belt.

Georges Carpentier CH (44-8-2) vs Harry Greb #3 (32-6)

First meeting of the two; Greb is coming off wins over Dillon and Siki.

Strong start by the Orchid Man, who takes round one. Round two, both work inside, Carpentier pulls ahead at the end of the round. Round three sees both men stay outside, and again the action favors the Frenchman, who lands a devastating cross. Round four is a close, even round. The Human Windmill gets more aggressive in round five, plants a straight right to the jaw of the Champ to take the round. Carpentier, however, leads 49-46, on the unofficial card. More toe-to-toe action in round six, and Greb gets the best of the inside exchanges. Round seven, Greb is the aggressor but strong counterpunching by the Frenchman wards off the Pittsburgh native. Strong round eight for Greb as the two slug it out from the outside. Round nine sees Carpentier slowed by a cut above the right eye, which starts to swell. Greb tries to follow up in round 10, but can't land the haymaker. 94-all on the unofficial card going into the final five rounds. Carpentier is bothered by the cut as Greb pounds away on the inside. Greb solidifies his advantage with a three-punch combo that staggers the Champ, followed up by a vicious uppercut to score a knockdown near the end of the 13th. Two more rounds, and Greb is the winner by UD15 (144-137 on all three cards).

Harry Greb CH (33-6) vs Gene Tunney #1 (24-5-2)

Third meeting of the two; 1-1 in two prior bouts. Tunney is unbeaten in his last five bouts, Greb has won his last three.

Bout starts with an action-packed opening round, both men scoring well. Greb moves inside in round two, a huge round for the Human Windmill as Tunney's left eye starts to puff up. Greb continues to press the action in round three, but Tunney holds him off. After a couple of inconsequential rounds, Greb is ahead by 49-47 on the unofficial card after five. Tunney tries to work inside in round six, another close round. More toe-to-toe action in round seven -- another even round. Greb starts wearing Tunney down with a persistent inside attack, and he pulls ahead by 97-95 (after ten rounds) on the unofficial card. Tunney gets increasingly desperate as he can't find the range against the wily Greb. The bout goes the distance, and Greb wins the rubber match by UD 15 (145-141, 147-139, 146-140); this loss causes Tunney to leave the division by the end of the year.

Harry Greb CH (34-6) vs Tommy Gibbons #2 (33-11-2)

Second meeting of the two (Greb won the first by SD back in 1919). Gibbons is coming off three successful NABF title defenses going back to 1921.

Gibbons staggers Greb with a strong uppercut in round one. The Champ's left eye starts to swell in round two. After a close round three, Gibbons gets the best in the toe-to-toe action in round four. An aggressive Greb starts to turn things around in round five, but by this point Gibbons has a 49-46 lead on the unofficial card. The Human Windmill presses home the action on the inside in round six, and Gibbons' left eye starts swelling. After an even round seven, Greb clocks Gibbons with a strong cross at the end of the eighth. Gibbons is starting to tire and Greb pulls ahead (96-95) on the unofficial card after a strong round 10. Greb steps up the pace in the later rounds, and Gibbons simply runs out of gas. Greb scores a knockdown in round 13, and the cut is reopened in round 14. Swelling around the eye leads to a stoppage in the final stanza. Greb by TKO 15.

NABF: Gibbons defends versus Bob Sweeney, who suffers from an early cut that leads to a quick stoppage. Gibbons by TKO 3 (cut). Mike McTigue gets the next opportunity, but Gibbons decks him three times (in rounds 4, 7 and 9) and then delivers the coup-de-grace with a brutal uppercut. Gibbons by KO 9.

USBA: Tunney defends this title, first versus Frank Farmer, who battles back after being overmatched by Tunney's boxing skills in the early rounds. Tunney hangs on to score a UD 12 victory. Kid Norfolk provides even more competition for the Fighting Marine, with some strong back-and-forth action (including one KD for Tunney); Gene survives a late rally and escapes with a SD12 verdict.

CBU: Harry Reeve defends versus Aussie Albert Lloyd, who stuns Reeve with a hook to the head in round one. Reeve nails Lloyd with a straight right in round two. Lloyd sustains a cut above the eye in round three, but then he lands a strong counter that decks Reeve, who is down and out in round four. Lloyd defends versus GBU titleholder Jack Bloomfield, who drops Lloyd in round three and then finishes the job with an 6th round KO.

GBU: Bloomfield defends versus Tom Berry, coming off the canvas after a 9th round KD to rally for a narrow UD win, taking rounds 10-12. Then he gives a title shot to youthful Gypsy Daniels, who appears overmatched; the result is a much easier UD 12 defense for Bloomfield, who ends the year with both the CBU and GBU title belts.

EBU: Senegalese Battling Siki, fighting under the French flag, retains the belt, winning via TKO in the fourth against the hapless Swiss challenger, Charles Baechli.