Better All-Around Fighter: Primo Carnera or Riddick Bowe?

Even in that slowed down version you really can't tell where the punch lands, and frankly if it was the glove or the forearm. I would lean towards it was the glove landing, but it's not clear. Sharkey's movement and reaction is more my issue than whether it was a glove or forearm that landed. His reactions and movement just seemed off. Regardless, even if it was a legit KO punch, that doesn't make his defense marvelous, nor does it put him in the same ballpark as Bowe from a technical standpoint imo.

 

After 40 odd years I doubt it.Both managements of the fighters were dubious, I don't buy it

 

What do you mean by forearm?
How can a forearm lift someones head like that from that angle?
Like, you think his forearm scrubbed against the side of his face lifting him up? I don't understand that as a possible explanation.

Sharkey clearly has no control over his body until it collapsed on the canvas. His back is stretched out, he is looking into the sky with perplexed emptiness, his legs are bent unnaturally under him (a sign of being knocked out). And he gets smacked in the head on the way down, without reacting to it to block or avoid, meaning the guy is out.

The reason I just posted this was in response to a point that has nothing to do with his defense.

 

This really does makes it look peculiar. A punch that, even if it did land, was not driven directly underneath Sharkey's face, but sweeps in from right-to-left, somehow sends Sharkey's head straight upwards and backwards, without any hint that he's been struck to his left-hand side. Odd.

 

That's ignorant.
Many credible people like Fliescher etched it in lore that this was an invisible punch.
Clearly it lands, and yet it's not enough to revaluate the contemporary accounts that said it didn't?
Only someone who wants to convince others the he is right would ignore new evidence that points to the truth.

And this is why your view point shouldn't be trusted.

 

Physics would seem to dictate that Sharkey's head would be twisted from the point of impact ,[the jaw,] towards his right, away from the camera,instead of which it flies directly straight back.
It's possible the punch caused a legit ko ,that wouldn't change my opinion of Primo one iota. I would however possibly revise my opinion of Sharkey's chin a bit.

It's also possible Sharkey went into the water and looking for a moment to make it look good thought, this looks a good chance I'll give it my Laurence Olivier bit now!
As far as I'm concerned the jury is still out and will be all my lifetime.

 

The insults have started early tonight,even for you.

 

I will say, that somebody saying that nothing landed is wrong. If Nat wrote that, then he was mistaken and that story should be put to rest. Something landed, it's a question of where it landed and how hard it was. My issue has always been that, Sharkey's movement in that sequence. He had no reason to bend over unnaturally like that, but not just bend over, bend over like that and look away from his foe. It's just odd he does that for almost no reason. Then the trajectory of the punch doesn't seem to coincide with his body language after the "punch" lands. It just strikes me as odd. Something did land, I'll say that though.

 

What are you talking about?
Sharkey is looking down at the ring.
Primo hits him with an uppercut from under, directly on his face, lifting his head upwards.

If an uppercut lands from that angle, why would there be any hint he was struck from his left hand side?
Foreman uppercuts Roman from his left side, and Roman falls towards the left side as well.
https://streamable.com/43bth

Just look at Sharkeys face as soon as it goes up, his lips are everywhere and his eyes are not focusing on anything. You think he is acting that??

 

I truly think, and I've watched this fight dozens of times through the years, that he seems to be inviting uppercuts.

 

It's essentially the same reaction as this.

https://streamable.com/edd8a

See the delayed looking reacting?
See the head flinging up?
See the leg bending underneath?

You don't act this.
It's a scary reaction to a violent impact.

 

Because he was struck from the left side?

 

Clearly an uppercut from below like that can come up at any angle. As you can see in the Foreman clip.
Another example, Tyson Fury punching himself in the face. Uppercuts from below can go forward, backward, left, right.

 

You can't be serious.

 

Uh, no. Physics would indicate that you can uppercut towards yourself. A la Fury. And Foreman.

If by acting you mean sacrifice his body to the shadow realm via vicious KO.