Interesting Interview. Sharkey is well spoken and comes across as very intelligent in a common sense fashion. He discusses the Dempsey fight but doesn’t raise the low blow contention. He in fact states that he and Jack became good friends thereafter. There is a definite show of respect for Dempsey as a man and a fighter. The titles reads that the IV was in 1974. However, Sharkey states that he is 68 yo (his YOB was 1902) and answers a question referring to Frazier as the current Champ - so I can safely say the IV was conducted in 1970. Radio Interview: - This content is protected Here’s a very nice 14 min or so compilation of interviews and Sharkey training in fantastic colour. Just imo, the guy had charisma and some very nice skills - somewhat heavily built (for the times) in the upper body also. He’s also nicely depicted as a family man. I believe his young son (Jackie) shown in the clips grew up to be an engineer. He might’ve seemed enigmatic and erratic in terms of some ring performances but that aside, he seemed like a pretty well balanced guy - which might’ve actually lent to some of his “problems” in the not so rational world of boxing. Lol. This content is protected
The Gob's science is certainly underappreciated, sure his footwork was a bit sloppy and his right hand wasn't very good but every other aspect of his game was tip top. Great jab, head movement, left hook, inside fighting. He's close to the complete package
He was great friends with Ted Williams. They would go fishing together often. Sharkey is often overlooked imo and unjustly called inconsistent, he was on a terrific run going into the Dempsey bout and he looked pretty fantastic in that fight until the controversial ending. I do think Dempsey was gaining steam but there is no question Sharkey was ahead. Then after that loss maybe it took him awhile to get motivated or heal - because he suffers the bad draw with Heeney and the loss to Risko. Slowly he rebuilds and goes on another terrific run including icing Tommy Loughran with one punch during Tommy’s best run of his career. Finally he loses to Schmeling on a foul in a fight again where he looked terrific. And again it may have taken some time to emotionally recover because he gets held to a draw in his next bout with Mickey Walker. By the time he gets his rematch with Schmeling, he doesn’t look like the same fighter. I don’t know if the fix was in, so he just played keep away or if his athleticism began to wane but he can’t Bob and weave like he used to, he becomes much more a straight up fighter to his own detriment. I’ll say this his resume is very deep and he looks quite slick on some his videos.
There have been many fighters who appeared not to be truly in love with the game - fighters who might’ve risen that much higher otherwise. Max Baer has long been a poster boy for the aforementioned type of fighters...the “IF only..” guy. Sharkey himself has been primarily tagged as a highly emotional and, by association, erratic fighter. But I wonder if Jack also falls into the category of a guy who, while he achieved plenty, wasn’t exactly in love with the game himself. It seems well implied that he liked the $$$ (doesn’t everyone? Lol). For the Gob, perhaps it was so much more about the money than passion for the sport. He did end up as quite a wealthy man with all his marbles. He was also a terrific, long living source for information re boxing’s bygone era. I can’t say for sure, but I assume he retained his faculties through to the grand old age of 91 (just a few months shy of turning 92). I note Jack took a couple of years off before a few comeback fights and then the match with Joe Louis. I don’t know the backstory - was Sharkey seriously contending to put himself back in the picture or was it simply very good money on offer? Of course he became one of several ex champs that the Great Joe Louis disposed of. If you haven’t read IN THIS CORNER by Peter Heller, I would say it’s a must. In that book there is a chapter, about 12 pages, dedicated to an IV with Jack Sharkey - among a number of chapters focused on other past greats. See below for a link to that book to read online. You have to sign up but it’s absolutely free, NO strings attached. Takes just a min or two. Too easy. The site provides for numerous books and various publications on boxing at your fingertips - as well as other great literature in general. Kindle without the cost - that’s what I’m taking about. https://archive.org/details/inthiscornerfort0000hell/page/3/mode/1up
