Could Sailor Tom Cut It Today?

You stated he was in no condition for a fight. The newspapers state that he was in fine fighting trim. A bit of ring rust? OK. That's fair I suppose. But he'd trained hard, was focused and ready to fight.

Sharkey was a bad style matchup for Corbett. Too strong and too relentless. Prime for prime I'll take Sharkey every time.

 

From all I read Corbett was lucky to escape being KO'ed twice by Sharkey. Jim was clearly no where near the fighter he was for Sullivan condition wise but who knows how , even at his best, he responds to a high pressure fighter where he is forced to fight and not just run for twenty or thirty rounds ..

 

You might want to check your math here. Corbett was a two months past his 32nd birthday for the 2nd fight with Sharkey. How you came up with 34 is beyond me.

Its obvious you are hoping to discredit Sharkey Corbett, and by doing so Jeffries

Sharkey had an aggressive style that was the ban of boxers. He would rush them and force them to exchange punches.

 

Not realy.

Sharkey lasted the distance in the first Jeffries fight, but it wasn't competitive.

 

You have to look at it this way.

The only fighters apart from Sharkey who were ever up on the cards against Corbett, were Jeffries in Corbetts last profesional fight, and arguably Burke early in his career.

This suggests to me that Sharkey was an effective pressure fighter.

 

Sure it was. It was also noted how clean Sharkey fought and gave a nod to his ducking ability as well. Look http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/l...arkey&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=9

 

The SF Chronicle reports the same thing. Close, competitive and hard fought bout.

 

Exactly.

And the article should also dispel the notion of Sharkey as some face first brawler who never evolved and never learned any defense. The evidence shows that this is untrue.

 

In reading reports a while back regarding Sharkey, I do believe his whole "reinvention" is largely overblown. He was still a wild swinging, fouling brawler when the business really got to hand. Go ahead and think of him as Jimmy Young the Elder if it makes you feel better.

 

Not sure where you're getting this notion from, but OK.