Sailor Tom Sharkey vs Joe Louis anyone?

Both Tom and Jack Johnson held Louis in low esteem compared to the fighters of their day and both thought they would take him out in short order. Some years ago I considered this a matter of their egos, especially with Jack, but am more convinced now that they thought he had big short comings and wouldn't stand up with them and I'm not discounting this. Nonetheless I see a prime Louis ripping far too many combo's off Tom's face for him to have had much of a chance.

 

Louis chops him up in the grinder as Tom walks in, Tom was tough and strong but there was nothing like Joe before Tom nor after that could compare an offensive tool chest to the brown bomber....not even today

 

Well said.

 

Louis whacks him out early or Tom who was a notorious dirty fighter gets dq'd once he realizes he is outclassed.

 

IT could be wild for a bit if the ref allows it but I just don't see Tom surviving ..

 

A come forward style against Louis, generaly resulted in a sore head.

 

Well, on the one hand, I wouldn't bet on Sailor Tom; still, why mightn't he have done as well as Two-Ton Tony?

 

I think Joe slices him up in brutal fashion. Really, this would get ugly, made worse because I don't think Sharkey would fold all that quickly. He'd absorb a vicious, one-sided beating.

 

Louis to win of course but Tom's style might pose some problems, he was faster than Galento and think how the agressive Godoy and Farr did against Joe.

 

Yup!:good Plus Tom was a harder puncher than those guys. He could take you out with EITHER hand.

Though Louis would eventually KO him. Louis is Louis.

 

This is how I see it. Louis said he coudl not beat Marciano because he did not like to be crowded. Sharkey would be on top of him. An upset is possible.

 

Have to pick Louis to win, but there would be plenty of fireworks while it lasted. A bad style matchup for Sailor Tom. While Sharkey would certainly come to fight, and be punching for three minutes out of every round, Louis' pinpoint accurate shots would quickly take their toll on him, as Sharkey's defense largely was his offense. While Sharkey gave Jeffries and Corbett all they could handle, Fitz seemed to have his number. Like Louis, Fitz was a fast and accurate puncher. Rightfully he had two stoppage victories over Sharkey - the loss by foul was VERY suspicious and Fitz had been handily winning. The stoppage due to a 'foul' robbed Fitz of a knockout victory. In their return go some years later, Fitz KOd Sharkey in the second round, but the tough sailor had started to slip by then. I believe Louis' blazing combinations and power would duplicate Fitzsimmons' result. I can picture Joe landing straight right and left smashes as he did against Galento. Then, as fists of fury described quite well, it would get ugly as Sharkey's toughness would keep him going. The referee would probably stop the fight to save Sharkey from further punishment, with the sailor loudly protesting the stoppage.

 

Harder than Farr, for sure.

Harder than Godoy, yes.

Harder than Galento, I am not so sure.

 

Sharkey came to dance in such a jagged, blustery fashion that Louis getting knocked off those closely-knit feet is a distinct possibility. He may even pick up a sliced lid as Tom tells the referee to pipe down after a call of foul, but surely, this would all amount to nothing more than choppy waters for a ship closing in on its destination. After showing everybody he wasn't awed Sharkey's grizzled mug would be thumped into something lumpy and red. He'd still protest at the stoppage but last no more than two rounds in a rematch.