Just How Durable Was Tom Sharkey?

Thiiiisssss much

 

He was durable in the same was as somebody like Derek Chisora.

He could ship a lot of punishment, and get away with it, but it sometimes caught up with him against the best finishers.

 

In terms of recovering ability and actual tolerance to pain, about as good as you get. He would've fit in fine in the bareknuckle era. Jim Jeffries quoted about Sharkey: "Sharkey the roughest, gamest, and most willing fighter in the world".

His fights with Jeffries were brutal. Sharkey's nose was broken, two ribs broken, his face cut up, and his left ear had cauliflowered badly, yet Jeffries could not stop him. Jeffries stood 4 inches taller and had 30lbs on Sharkey.

He fought other massive punchers in his prime like Choynski, Maher and Fitzsimmons. Sadly he fell out of his prime quickly because of how much punishment he was absorbing in his fights and how frequently he was fighting, by the turn of the century he wasnt the same fighter.

He's up there with the toughest of them to ever lace the gloves up.

 

All true. He'd still get murdered by Iron Mike

 

A terrible matchup for an already heavily outclassed Sharkey. Once Tyson takes a round adjusting to punching someone shorter than himself, he puts Sharkey on his ass thrice for a TKO

 

interestingly Fitz, Choynski, Maher and Ruhlin all dropped him heavily

 

Well as you keep repeating Joe Choynski was the hardest puncher around for the times and Sharkey took his best and bear him. He also went the distance with Jeffies twice overcoming knockdowns. And he beat Kid McCoy who qualifies as a pound for pound puncher also overcoming a knockdown.

Sharkey in his prime could take a good punch. And he needed to based on his style and lack of focus on defense. But there’s more than taking a punch . His heart was excellent too.

 

Tom survived his first Choynski fight by going to the mat multiple times, got the police forced stoppage after Maher floored him, beat Fitz on a dubious foul while on the floor. Jeffries seemed to have the most trouble downing him.

 

Literally like a fighting Popeye.

 

Old Tom, by all accounts was a tough SOB. Against the big hitters of the division through the years, he'd soak up a lot of leather. Probably lose to the top guys but put up a hard grueling fight.

 

He could be hurt, but recovered freakishly well.

 

Good one !

 

Calling Chosynki a harder hitter than Fitzsimmons is something I never heard ANY historian say. Talk about being ignorant. You have an agenda here, Joe Choynski Ko'd your boy cold in 3 rounds, so sure in your mind he's the biggest puncher.

I'd wager than most on the board think Fitz hit harder than Choynski. As you like to say who besides Johnson did he knockout? Indeed.

Puncher's score KO"s, Choysnki's KO% is not high even vs. tier two opponents. I'm not saying he couldn't punch, just that you're overstating it with the backdrop of an agenda.

Or to use your words if he was the hardest puncher of the times than Corbett and Sharkey must have iron chins as he could stop or beat neither. You can't have it both ways.

McCoy was listed as one of Ring Magazine's top 100 all-time punchers. He could hit. Edcuate yourself.

As for Sharkey he must have been a very exciting guy to watch.