Sailor Tom v Rocky Marciano???

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by mcvey, Aug 27, 2011.

  1. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member

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  2. Surf-Bat

    Surf-Bat Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Thanks for posting, McVey. I hate to be a pessimist, but I'm betting that about 99% of the posters who answer this one will be those who have a lot of info and knowledge on Marciano (easy to come by) and very little on Sharkey (harder to come by) other than what they glean off of Boxrec. This will be a lazy historian's thread.

    As soon as you start reading posts that say things like "Well, Sharkey was floored by Kid McCoy so..." you know you are dealing with a 'rec ranger who hasn't done his homework.

    I will hold off on giving my opinion until I see how many come out of the woodwork;)
     
  3. SonnyListonsJab

    SonnyListonsJab Active Member Full Member

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    It happened twice. You have to admit, that is quite embarrassing. Imagine if Carmen Basilio twice floored Rocky Marciano if they fought.
     
  4. he grant

    he grant Historian/Film Maker

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    A tremendous fight ... the prime Sharkey was a tireless, extremely fast, and strong physical bruiser .. a terrific fight .. I favor Rocky in a terrific brawl ....
     
  5. Mendoza

    Mendoza Hrgovic = Next Heavyweight champion of the world. Full Member

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    This would be a war with many swings and misses, and some bombs landed! The two best punchers Rocky fought were older guys who floored him. Sharkey who likely hit harder and had a tougher chin than Moore or Walcott could Rocky all he could handle. I would give Marciano a slight edge, but a lot of that has to due with a better trainer in Goldman. Could go either way.
     
  6. Mendoza

    Mendoza Hrgovic = Next Heavyweight champion of the world. Full Member

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    Did Marshall drop Liston or not? Ring Magaizne thought enough of Kid McCoy to list them in their top 100 punchers of all time. Sure the list is done in a pound for pound sense. Just saying McCoy could hit. Sharkey came back to win the fight. Choynski who could also hit knocked Sharkey out of the ring, and Sharkey broke the fall with his head. Sharkey climbed back in the ring and won. Tom Sharkey was a tough son of a gun. A knockdown in his prime was not the end for him, unless it was Fitzsimmons.
     
  7. PowerPuncher

    PowerPuncher Loyal Member Full Member

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    Rocky would destroy him in the first couple of rounds the same way Fitz did, except Rocky is 100 times better than Fitz
     
  8. janitor

    janitor VIP Member

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    He might be better than Fitz, but he is not exactly similar.
     
  9. SonnyListonsJab

    SonnyListonsJab Active Member Full Member

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    Can anyone imagine Marciano twice getting floored by a 155lb fighter? Embarrassing for Tom Sharkey.
     
  10. SonnyListonsJab

    SonnyListonsJab Active Member Full Member

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    Marty Marshall weighed 181lb when he "supposedly" floored Liston. There is no conclusive proof that Marshall ever floored liston. Can you imagine Liston getting floored by a man who weighs 155lb?

    Yes at 155lb


    :lol: So time and time again, Tom Sharkey's chin failed him against Super Welterweights and Middleweights.

    Sure, he was tough. His chin wasn't tough enough to withstand punches from 155-165lb fighters though. This should tell you something.
     
  11. janitor

    janitor VIP Member

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    This would likley be the most important factor.

    I see Marciano as being generaly better all round, but the critical factor would be subtle refinments of defencet which would mean that the traffic was not equaly telling both ways.

    It would look like an Irish brawl, but when you played the video back you would see that Marciano was taking a lot less clean shots.
     
  12. janitor

    janitor VIP Member

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    It is possible to make too much of the 155lb thing.

    McCoy was a helacious puncher for his weight, who easily carried his power up to heavyweight. When he fought Corbett for example, nobody questioned that he was the harder puncher of the two.
     
  13. SonnyListonsJab

    SonnyListonsJab Active Member Full Member

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    Both guys rated # 4 and # 63 in the Ring Magazines top 100 punchers of all time list. Both guys also were 196lb and 189lb respectively.

    Tom Sharkey was floored and knocked out by men weighing 156lb, 165lb, and 173lb. Sharkey was also twice knocked out by the average hitting Gus Ruhlin.


    There is no question who had the better chin between Marciano and Sharkey. There was no question who recovered better when they were hurt. There is no question who was the harder fighter to knockout.

    Sharkey hit harder than Moore and Walcott? :lol::rofl


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    Or the fact Marciano was a much greater fighter than Sharkey? Marciano was better than Jeffries too, in my opinion.
     
  14. he grant

    he grant Historian/Film Maker

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    Archie Moore was a former middleweight and he dropped Rocky so it proves little ...
     
  15. Seamus

    Seamus Proud Kulak Full Member

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    Great match-up. I give the nod to Marciano based on a few factors. One is that he was able to adjust in the ring, something I have never heard of Sharkey doing. I think both trained to a fine point with equal stamina and fitness. Given what footage we have available of Sharkey's era, I suspect Marciano to be more "boxerly". And if Sharkey starts the rough stuff, and the ref allows it, Marciano will finish it.