What if Mickey Walker got the decision over Jack Sharkey?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by janitor, Jun 7, 2025.


  1. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    A majority of ringsiders had it for Walker.

    I don't think that it was a robbery, but it is certainly not far fetched to imagine Walker getting the decision.

    What direction does the heavyweight timeline take in this situation?

    His next two fights are Carnera I, and Schmeling II, so both of those are thrown into question for a start.
     
  2. HistoryZero26

    HistoryZero26 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Walker becomes ABA champ fights Schmeling and probably loses. I don't think hes winning that one if we change the day.

    Because of the nature of Sharkey v Schmeling I Walker narrowly winning isn't going to kick Sharkey out of the mix here. We'd really just be swapping the order of Schmeling v Sharkey II and Schmeling v Walker.
     
  3. RockyValdez

    RockyValdez Active Member Full Member

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    Is it confirmed that a majority had it for Walker? I looked at this fight one time and most of the reports I read had Sharkey winning but putting up a poor performance.
     
  4. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    I will try to find the reference.
     
  5. RockyValdez

    RockyValdez Active Member Full Member

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    This is what I was able to put together:


    Sharkey
    1. James Kilgallen
    2. Walter Trumball
    3. “Rosie” Bayonne Times
    4. Bill Corum
    5. Dixon Stewart
    6. Dan Parker
    7. Murray Lewin
    8. James Dawson
    9. George Kelleher
    10. Bill Cumningham
    11. William Braucher
    12. Joe Williams
    13. David Egan
    14. Henry McLemore
    15. Kirk Miller
    16. Charles Vackner
    17. Murray Robinson
    18. Frank Casale
    19. Ed Hughes
    20. William B. Loftus
    21. Jim Rooney
    22. John M Flynn
    23. Harold W Heinz
    24. Guy Butler

    Mickey Walker

    1. Hype Igoe
    2. Wilbur Wood
    3. J Lewis Medoff
    4. Al De Greco
    5. Damon Runyon
    6. Ed Frayne
    7. Bill Farnsworth
    8. Paul Gallico
    9. Jackie Farrell
    10. Sam Taub
    11. Jack KoFoed
    12. Tim Byrne
    13. Marty Berg
    14. Harry Singer
    15. Frank McDonald
    16. Warren Brown
    17. Harry McNamara
    18. Ray Zimmerman
    19. Jimmie Feming
    20. Grantland Rice
    21. Westbrook Pegler
    22. Frank Dunham
    23. Jimmy Wood
    24. C. Byron Wortman
    25. William Granger

    Draw

    1. Edward J Neill
    2. Grantland Rice 8-Walker 7-Sharkey but said Sharkey landed the harder punches which offset Walker's slight lead.
    3. James J. Corbett
    4. William Doc Morris
    5. Alan Gould
    6. Perry Lewis
    7. Albert W. Keane
    8. Art McMahon
    9. William S Conklin

    Based on all of the reports I could find from reporters present at the fight they were pretty split right down the middle as to who won. However, I did notice some interesting trends. Most of the people who thought Walker won had the fight extremely close, by a round a two. Most of the people who thought Sharkey won, thought he won by a much wider margin. It was noted that the crowd's sentiment was with the underdog Walker and many of the reporters thought this accounted for Walker getting more credit than he was due. A lot of reporters also noted that Sharkey underperformed and some held this against him more than Walker actually outpointing him.

    Strangely there was a wide difference of opinion on the fight itself. Many thought it was a poor fight with both fighters not looking good and several others thought it was a great fight. Several reporters thought that both fighters had eliminated themselves from contention with Sharkey being clearly past his prime and Walker not being a legitimate heavyweight.

    Sharkey jumped right back on the horse after this fight by beating Carnera three months later to earn a shot Schmeling. He defeated Schmeling in what I think is a poor decision. Walker eventually got a chance at Schmeling as well and was brutally beaten inside of eight rounds.
     
    Last edited: Jun 8, 2025
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  6. Woller1

    Woller1 Member Full Member

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    That shows that the so called Newspaper Decisions are totally crap. Reporters cannot agree to anything if not paid in advance.
     
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  7. RockyValdez

    RockyValdez Active Member Full Member

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    Weird take for a close fight but ok. You do realize that the official judges split along these lines as well right? One voting for Walker, one voting for Sharkey, and one calling it a draw. Does that mean judges cant agree unless they are paid off as well? So a wide survey of newspaper decisions actually reflected the official decision almost exactly.
     
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  8. Melankomas

    Melankomas Prime Jeffries would demolish a grizzly in 2 Full Member

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    Judges rarely agree on anything either, if a fight was one-sided then you’ll usually see an overwhelmingly majority of reporters have the fight going one way. For polarizing close fights like this, it’s a toss up amongst all sides: fans, the judges and reporters.
     
  9. Lonsdale81

    Lonsdale81 Member Full Member

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    A Walker victory over Jack Sharkey would have ranked among the most significant upsets and achievements in boxing history & would elevate Walkers already legendary legacy to near-mythic status.. but he would have lost to Schmelling at any point i feel..

    Schmeling was a strategic counterpuncher who prioritized precision and efficiency, setting traps and capitalizing on mistakes. He fought with a chess-player’s mindset, always planning several moves ahead.. versatile, effective at range with his jab and counters or inside with body work and short punches. He could dictate the fight’s range.
     
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2025 at 5:11 AM
  10. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    As is the case today.

    Even so, by looking at enough of them, you can usually get a clear ide what happened.

    In this case what we are seeing, is a fight that divided opinion, and that you could probably have it for either man within reasonable interpretation.
     
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  11. Greg Price99

    Greg Price99 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    How so?

    If we there was no film of this fight and all we knew was 25 reporters scored for Walker, 24 for Sharkey and 9 as a draw, we'd conclude it was a close fight.

    Ironically, in this case, the case you cite as demonstrating that newspaper decisions are "crap", the even split of reporters would mean this contest would have been deemed a newspaper decision draw, which is both a relatively rare result and exactly how the 3 x official judges scored it.

    If I knew nothing else, I'd have more confidence in this being close fight that could have been reasonably scored for either fighter or as a draw, based on the 25-24-9 split from reporters, than I would based on a 1-1-1 split from the judges.
     
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  12. Historical boxing society

    Historical boxing society New Member Full Member

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    This might have a nugget of truth. As some see thing's differently. But for any event there are dozen's of newspaper's to cross reference any controversy. Making such a blanket statement is rather ignorant. Reporter's paid in advance is just about laughable. Have you never read fight report's from the past. You're not paying off the entire press from coast to coast that's literally ridiculous statement.
     
  13. RockyValdez

    RockyValdez Active Member Full Member

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    This says it all. Tell me which is cheaper, buying off a bunch of newspapermen or two judges? Pretty much a no brainer.
     
  14. FrankinDallas

    FrankinDallas FRANKINAUSTIN

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    You actually looked up the articles by those writers? Props.
     
  15. RockyValdez

    RockyValdez Active Member Full Member

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    Yes, and I just found another win for Sharkey from Kirk Miller of the Washington Times. Im sure there are quite a few more for both guys and a draw but those are all the ones I could come up with. It is remarkable that they are split perfectly down the middle.