How good of a fighter was Tom Sharkey?

No problem.

Always nice to have a topic to "geek out" on.

 

I actually have a glove from his bout with Kid McCoy on January 10, 1899.

 

I could probably post tens of contemporary opinions to the contrary. To the point that sometimes he was mocked that if the rules were enforced strictly, he'd have lost the majority of his fights.

 

The Fitz win was widely condemned as a blatant robbery. Fitz apparently should've been credited with a KO win off of a body shot, but instead it was ruled a low blow and Fitz was DQ'd.

 

Sharkey game the best of them a good row and proved Jeffires was a very over-rated fighter. Gameness beyond parallel.

 

You could but you have to look for the counterpoint as well.

Somtimes when a fighter gets a reputation like that it gains a life of its own. Harry Greb being a case in point. Some fighters with a reputation for fighting dirty either only do it at a given phase of their career, or tend to deploy dirty tactics in a retaliatory manner responding to 2 with 10.

Perhaps Sharkey was a comparativley clean fighter (by the standards of the day) under certain circumstances.

 

Sharkey was a top level fighter in his day. A wolverine like fighter, Sharkey hit hard, was game, could fight all night, had hart, and could foul with the best of them. Some refer to him as an uncrowned champion.

Because his style was that of a swarmer, Shareky's prime was not very long. He was pretty much ruined after the 2nd Jeffries fight. I do think he has a top level resume, and could beat quite a few lineal champions before him and after him. He had the style to eat up quick boxer types in McCoy and Corbett, and often beat pure slugger types to the punch.

Those who say Shakrey was too light at 183-185, but Dempsey and Marciano were not often contradict themselves. Sharkey wasn't small. He was very compact and strong, with some Sam Langford tale of the tape measurements.

Ring Magazine did an article on all time puncher and all time chins, and Sharkey made both cuts.

I recommend reading Shareky's fighters I meet article. Its a great read.

 

I dont think its so much his weight ,but his height he was only 5 8in .Dempsey was 6 1 in, Marciano 5 10 1/2in.
But bear in mind Sharkey fought Corbett ,a big LHvy twice and Sharkey was the lighter man in both fights.In one fight only a pound over the Lhvy limit of 175.

 

If you are a in-fighter / swarmer then height really doesn't matter as much as you're strategy is to get in close and trade punches. Tom Sharkey liked to rush in, and mix it up. Langford had similar tactics, and he was only 5'7" tall. Joe Frazier listed height is 5'11", but those who stood next to him said he's closer to 5'9" 1/2. Tyson's listed height is about the same as Frazier, but he looks about 5'9 1/2" to me.

A swarming attacker needs power, durability, speed, heart, and stamina. Sharkey had all of the above, though I can not say for sure how fast he was due to lack of flim. It appears he was fast enough to track down and hurt fighters with excellent mobility such as Corbett, Kid McCoy, and Joe Choynski, so he had to decent speed otherwise he would not lay a glove on them.

 

Sharkey, a notoriously dirty fighter was made of the right stuff to upset a cleansing brand of boxing like Corbett's, so regardless of the stories what we may take away from that incident is that Sharkey was causing problems and getting on top.

Tom was at the heels of a somewhat reluctant James J. Jeffries who was later slated through the ink for not getting rid of his smaller adversary, but perhaps that said more about Sharkey's resistance than it does of Jeffries much discussed 'merciful attitude' in the ring.

Bob Fitzsimmons had Sharkey on toast for he had the strength in the clinches that Corbett did not and he severely punished ropey defensive manoeuvres of which Sharkey was guilty of as he rushed in.

Having marked the black marks on his record it must be noted that Fitzsimmons and Jeffries were both two rather exceptional fighters and Sharkey did take some good lumps out of the division while he was around.

His hustle and heart combined to make a meal hard to digest. You had to be real gutsy or special to topple the ‘Sailor’ when he came rushing at you. A very good fighter whose contribution to the era in which he existed is underrated.

 

Johnson was briefly a sparring partner for Sharkey he said he was strong but limited,Sharkey hated Johnson and tried to take him out.
Even when Johnson and Sharkey were old men Jack was spieling at a Coney Island flea circus sparring with paying customers a couple of gentle rounds.
Sharkey turned up one day insisted on having a go, and tore into Johnson like he had Jeffries,Johnson grabbed his biceps squeezed them and talked to Tom till he had calmed down .
I read that Sharkey landed his sunday punch on Jeffries ,Jeff reeled but didnt go down ,Sharkey bellowed at him" fall damn you",Sailor Tom was a Tiger!

 

a top guy for years with fitzsimmons, jeffries and corbett as contemporaries. not bad at all.

 

Johnson is reported to have said something like" take it easy Tom ,we is just funning ,aint we?"
Sharkey would probably have been more at home in the L P R days.
Its nice that he and Jeffries remained firm friends ,after Jeffries Wife died in a traffic accident ,Sharkey came to live with Jeffries,Jeffries was in reduced circumstances he had lost his dough in the wallstreet Crash ,but he found room for his old adversary.
They raised funds for charity and other worthy causes by donning the gloves occasionally,I bet Jeffries kept a careful eye on his old mate, in case he slipped a big un over !