Sharkey was knocked out by the scrawny little bob fitzsimmons and twice flattened by the scrawny little Kid McCoy. Ketchel hit as hard if not harder than both of them and was on Fitzsimmons level as a finisher. Take your head out of your ass. if Fitzsimmons can flatten Sharkey, Ketchel can.
Jeffries was a shrinking violet at that time of his career, playing the game of attrition with middles and light heavies. History has not been kind to my estimation of Jeffries' abilities, at least earlier in his career.
How do you know ? Fitzsimmons knocked out several top heavyweights. How many good HWs did Ketchel KO ? Almost everyone who saw Fitzsimmons and Ketchel believed Fitzsimmons was the more devastating fighter.
Yes. A past prime Sharkey. And Fitz was roughly 15 pounds OVER the middleweight limit when they fought in 1896, but he's a "middleweight" in 1900, four years later?
Surf, 100% correct. Stanley Ketchel might have been the greatest middleweight of alltime, but at his best he was 153-55 pounds. He would have no chance against a Tom Sharkey,who would have 30 pounds of sheer brawn over Ketchel. The only reason Ketchel wanted Jack Johnson was for the title. Tom Sharkey though not the best of his time,was a tank much like the later Tom Heeney,and probably superior... P.S. like pitting a Gerald Maclellan against a Rocky Marciano,in a way...
Ketchel was like a poor man's fitz imo. I actually like mendoza as a poster but this thread is so transparent it makes me cringe.