Maybe he was a ten fight novice at the time fighting a far more active and experienced foe ... Rocky was fighting six rounders against his brother in Providence at the same point in his career ...
Where did you read this? Have not seen enough of Sharkey to say he beats Rocky ... I do feel it would be a very tough match up ...
I have read this quote many many times in mags . When in 1925-26 Dempsey and Harry Wills were on the brink of signing the contract, for their bout,Sam Langford ,who as we know fought Wills 20 or more times was asked the logical question,"who will win the fight between Dempsey and Wills?.He answered, Well if they fight, my MONEY is on Dempsey, he is the greatest heavyweight I ever saw"....Langford had nothing to gain by this comment...After all he was over 40 years old at that time,1925-26...Such was the regard young peak Dempsey was held then in the boxing community....Unfortunately, as we rememeber a meal in a restaurent,by the cup of coffee,lastly tasted, we remember Dempsey as a slow past peak Dempsey of the Tunney fight...But not I....
"Rocky was fighting six rounders against his brother" Marciano did not fight a pro fight against his brother. He fought exhibitions against his brother, who billed himself as Peter Fuller. Jeffries, Patterson, and Ali also fought exhibitions against their brothers.
"virtually all the great sportwriters who saw both in their primes always picked the Manassa Mauler" The ones that survived to 1964 were unanimous that Liston would beat Ali, if I remember. All of us have seen both in their primes, after all, on film.
I'm with those who think Marciano would have beaten Sharkey. It would have been a great fight to watch, with both, obviously, brave fighters with tons of heart.
Me too. I think Marciano would prove quite a bit more polished with just as much strength and a better chin.
I believe Dempsey had less film of him in his prime between 1917-1923...We today can only guess what Dempsey pre Willard looked like when he kodlarger men Carl Morris 1rd/Fred Fulton 1 rd/Arthur Pelkey 1 rd/Gunboat Smith 2 rd/ and Jess Willard ,who though old had never been floored before..By todays laws Willard ho was floored seven times in the first round,would have been a first round kayoi victim also...This is the Dempsey that the old time scribes saw and judged Dempsey as superior to Marciano,m because of his Duran type of handspeed... True Liston was favored over Ali, in their bout in 1964...Boxing picks are not as accurate as math, but heavy favorites picked to win before the fights USUALLY prevail..Such I believe Faster punching Dempsey over , the slower and LESS accurate Marciano, as the writers who saw them both believed, as I do....No fighter, I believe once hit by Dempsey or Joe Louis, at their best would have survived, unless they could evade Jack or Joe, by being on a bycicle, ala Tunney or Ali....But I doubt it....Certainly not a plodder like tough Marciano...Hand speed kills, I say...
No offense, but there is now way Tom Sharkey is in the same class as Ezzard Charles and Jersey Joe Walcott. I would place him more along the lines of a Rex Layne.
Right, except when the other fighters fought their brothers, they were announced as their brothers , not other fighters ...