Irish Gorgas
Irish Gorgas was a middleweight who fought out of Pittsburgh, from the "Irishtown" area and Lawrenceville. He battled Harry Greb twice in the ring during 1914. The first fight took place in June. The fight was a newspaper win for Greb according to the Pittsburgh Post. "For five rounds Greb did everything to Gorgas that was possible without having a manslaughter charge against him." In the 5th round, Gorgas screamed "foul" after taking a left coming out of a clinch. His seconds took up the cry. One of them, a fellow named Malone, hit Greb, which started a ruckus that the police had to stop. The sixth round was then fought, Greb winning it by a wide margin.
They met again two months later in August with about the same results. The fight was a newspaper win for Greb according to the Pittsburgh Post. Greb's superiority was great. He "was constantly on top of (Gorgas) and forced the milling and did not allow him to get set." Greb won every round.
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---The following is an article from the June 30, 1914 issue of the Pittsburgh Press, about his first fight with Greb:
Rough House Tactics Are Used By Greb- by Jim Jab
It was a fight without the box but had real trimmings on the side. This sizes up the glove fiesta in Lawrenceville last night. Pounders and even partisans mixed it up. Harry Greb, pride of Garfield, lost his head, took a crack at Manager Maloney, esquire for Irish Gorgas. Fine Sport. Something like the old days to see a bunch of bluecoats go hopping into the ring and grabbing belligerents. Any way there was fun for everybody, and when the side line stunt subsided the battlers were called to quarters for the sixth and last round, a seance not less strenuous than the previous five. Greb didn't show as well against the comical Gorgas as he did against Walter Monoghan. "Rooster" Gorgas may be near sighted and slow footed, but he can stand alot of rough stuff in the scrap pile. He worried Garfield's handsome scion. Greb may have beaten him, but the margin was a darned sight slimmer than Greb's pals wished for. Lots of best bets flew wide.
Instead of illustrating any ring cleverness, Greb forgot most of his boxing points and seemed too eager to get at Gorgas. This resulted in a mauling, mugging muss. Referee Donnelly dropped four pounds in avoirdupois by his efforts to part the climbers. Breaking them for the fifth stanza was the cause of the strife. Greb excitedly swung over the referee's head. Claims of foul stirred the Gorgas faction and when one of "Rooster's" handlers invaded Greb's corner to make a spiel mto the arbiter, Greb leaped to his feet and sent rights and lefts. The lad attacked returned the fire and it was merry until Director Hubbard's cop squad took a hand. Hand the bobbies a tribute. They were onto the job alright.
---The following is an article from the Aug 11, 1914 issue of the Pittsburgh Press, about his second fight with Greb:
Harry Greb Gets Shade In Great Go- by Jim Jab
Screaming shirt-waisters turned Waldemeir hall, Lawrenceville, into a bear pit last night. You wouldn't blame them if your optics were given the treat theirs sustained. Harry Greb and Irish Gorgas, rival slamsters, lammed each other until Gen. Emmich's coup de main before Liege was shaded 40 ways. The final 3 minutes of the scrap was so peppery that a captain of the line shouted for the referee to sound a "cease firing". Gorgas stood with hands and head down while the tiger-like Greb was emulating a Uhlan and lancing him right and left. Gorgas, a passenger on the boat, tried to fight back over and anon, but his strength had waned and there was no Landwehr within call. This inning was such a thriller that every bug in the house stood up and howled their glee.
The round incidently cinched a triumph for the Garfield goer. Otherwise a dandy dead heat would have been in a just verdict. Gorgas didn't do enough fighting in this seance to entitle him to the draw ruling. In the third stanza, however, the Celt was all to the good and shot a crisp left into Greb's mug so often that Harry grew rattled and tried to make mince meat out of his foe. Watching Greb's lead, Irish shoved his fist through the hole and, well, maybe they didn't hurt. Finally one of Gorgas's big benders pierced Greb's armour and for a quarter minute Harry executed something rare for him, viz., a defensive cover, Getting his bearings he tried a counter charge and was bending them over nicely when the gong belled the round's end. Harry emerged from this mess with a bloody nose.
Round 4 was tame, neither man risking frontal attacks. Round 5 was a trifle speedier with Greb driving Gorgas to cover and clinch. Rooster seemed tired and had a pair of bellows full of rents. However, pals were still bellowing for him to "Get into the game." Then came the corker of the night. The best turnout of the summer season in Hatfield enjoyed the finale. Just a few words more about the main bingo. The timer's watch took a fit in the sixth stanza and "went dead". Fact. It is a dandy timekeeper and had never been so peaky before. The timer had to guess the last minute and he didn't make a bum surmise either. The gladiators got a square deal and grinned through their bleeding cheeks when the last chime rent the air. Some fight, some crowd. A fellow who used to count up at Old City hall in the haleyon days said: "Must be $450." Think of it! Nearly half thousand for a box fight between homeboys with Gen. Humidity in command. Here's the way the partisans do it. One Garfield boniface sells 100 tickets whenever Greb dons the spangles.
Tale Of The Tape Born: unknown Place: unknown Hometown: Pittsburgh Weight: middleweight Height: unknown
RING RECORD : (unknown)
selected bouts
1910 Nov 14 1910 Whitey Wenzel Pitts. ND 6 (win) Nov 28 1910 Al Grayber Pitts. ND 6 (loss) 1911 May 22 1911 Al Grayber Pitts. ND 6 (loss) 1912 Mar 30 1912 Swats Adamson Pitts. ND 6 (loss) close fight Apr 8 1912 Al Grayber Pitts. ND 6 (loss) 1914 Jun 29 1914 Harry Greb Pitts. ND 6 (loss) Aug 10 1914 Harry Greb Pitts. ND 6 (loss) 1915 Jan 14 1915 Kid Smith Pitts. ND (win) Mar 13 1915 Eddie Coleman Penns. ND 6 (draw) IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ON IRISH GORGAS PLEASE E-MAIL ME www.harrygreb.com