Perhaps it was legit, yet it's always struck me as odd. Building on what mcvey said, the immediate reaction after the punch almost looks like a conscious decision, a bit of a WWE 'sell'. When Foreman lands his uppercut on Frazier you can see legs buckle. With most knockdowns that's how it goes. Sharkey seems to...err...bend? If one could provide an example of a similar knockout it would help. There's probably not many and that's why the alarm goes off.
I think part of it is Sharkey moving his head to try and get away from the punch. Could well be a fix though, you can never be sure with these things
He was faking it like Al Ettore faked his knockout to Joe Louis. Primo needs a presidential pardon. He got a bad rap.
Can’t think of any other knockdown similar to when Frazier was lifted off his feet by Foreman and landed on a knee. How is that even possible? I think it’s very odd. Very weird. As if he like jumped on purpose? Not saying he did. Just saying it’s suspicious and inconclusive.
Isn’t it weird that someone who is bent over while taking an uppercut, has their head and torso lifted upwards with the trajectory of the punch? Shavers vs Norton never sat well with me. Neither did Muhammad vs. Mwale.
This content is protected His leg even goes backwards just like Sharkey’s. Now we know where Mwale learned how to dive.
Do you know what is the worst part of all this? Sharkey had won the title on an unjust decision. Schmeling had won the title on a low blow. This was the first time that anybody had won the title convincingly, since Gene Tunney had dethroned Jack Dempsey, and it should have been celebrated as such!
No,not Carnera,the apologists for his career,an entirely different matter. I'm pleased to see that two respected posters such as Ted Spoon and BPV entertain the possibility that it could have been a tank job.I personally find that a much more mature reaction than the sarcastic comments that their views engendered.
Plus Primo knocked out no one else of any merit , plus with all his KO's he's on no one's list of top 100 punchers, plus both fighters have all sorts of questionable ties ... the punch does not look solid to me but if you watch the film Sharkey was not the same Sharkey from their previous fight ... either he aged or had cuffs on ... Carnera to his credit rarely looked better through out the whole fight .. based on the actors, it's a tough call ..
Carnera was mob controlled in big way so legitimacy of any result is open to question. I believe the punch was legit, we cannot forget that Carnera was a tall, heavy strong guy, a uppercut from such a heavier taller guy with Carneras strength would be sufficient to alter your consciousness, Sharkey had not fought for just over a year, in the 7 fights Sharkey had after the Carnera bout he only won 2, so career most certainly was not in the ascendency. Legit or not we don't know, however the result stands. A side note, it's always pleasing to see a boxer retire from the sport with brain, health and finances in tact as Sharkey did, living a long active life until the final 10 count at age 91, of course only heavyweight champ to outlive him, was his title predecessor Schmeling who got to age 99 before his lights went out.
