Navy hero, lumberjack and boxing legend Gene Tunney still holds record for heavyweight undefeated st

KNOWN as "The Fighting Marine", Gene Tunney has some decent claims to be regarded as one of the greatest boxers ever.

First is his impressive record.

In a career that spanned 1915-1928 Tunney fought 65 times, losing only once and drawing another.

Of those victories, 48 were by KO - not bad considering he was labelled as more technical than raw power.

He also had a 49-fight undefeated record between 1915 and 1922, ended by what was his only ever loss to Harry Greb on points.

Tunney would go on to avenge this defeat by beating Greb twice, firstly on a split decision a year later and the unanimous that same year.

They drew their other clash.

That 49-fight run equals Rocky Marciano's record at heavyweight level - though some of Tunney's were fought at light-heavy.

Two of his most famous victories came against a man many consider to be the best of all time, Jack Dempsey, to win and then defend the National Boxing Association world title.

He is one of only four heavyweight champs to have retired as champ - the others being Marciano, Lennox Lewis and Vitali Klitschko.

He is also one of only five champions to retire without ever suffering a stoppage defeat.

The other four are Marciano, Riddick Bowe, Sultan Ibragimov and Nicolai Valuev.

Tunney retired in 1928 after retaining his world title with victory over Tom Heeney. It led to Ring Magazine naming him "Fighter of the Year".

The New Yorker actually had 85 pro fights, but 17 of these were not regarded as "official".

And the reason for this? Because they were scored by the MEDIA.

Tunney bagged 17 wins by NWS - which stood for a "newspaper decision".

This was taken when both boxers were still standing at the end of the bout and there had been no KO, no official decision had been made and neither boxer was declared the winner.

IRISH HERITAGE

It obviously helped that Tunney had a fair few of these wins in his home city of New York!

Tunney was born in New York in 1987 to Irish parents. His mother Mary Lydon had left the Emerald Isle after the Great Famine and met John Tunney over in the Big Apple.

Growing up in New York, Tunney was once of seven children, and always took a liking to physical fitness.

So it was no surprise when he joined the Marines, and also embarked on what would become a hugely successful boxing career.

But it seemed the 6ft powerhouse enjoyed some time out of the spotlight too.

In the winter of 1921, in the middle of his boxing career, Tunney worked as a lumberjack in Ontario, Canada.

At the time he said the "solitude and strenuous labours" would prepare him his career ahead.

But there was no escaping stardom when he agreed to star in a film about himself once his career had finished.

Unfortunately the 1926 movie "The Fighting Marine" is now believed to be lost. He played the role of Marine Dick Farrington.

In 1928 Tunney married wealthy socialite Mary Lauder, and the couple had four children.

But shockingly their only daughter, Joan Tunney Wilkinson, was jailed in 1970 after the murder of her husband Lynn Carter Wilkinson in Amersham, UK.

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Six years later he did another bit for the arts when he published a book called "A Man Must Fight" where he critiqued his career as well as shared techniques.

In a life just as colourful as that led by current heavyweight kings Deontay Wilder, Andy Ruiz Jr and Tyson Fury, Tunney should be regarded as one of the best ever.

He died of natural causes in Connecticut at the age of 81 - but his all-American legacy will live on.

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