Primo Carnera vs. Jack Sharkey II

What a stretch. To me the film definitely shows Sharkey trying.

I posted that I hope Adam Pollack does one of his books on Carnera, because I would want to see a cross section of what ringsiders really thought watching him.

Here is an example. Ed Sullivan from the March, 1930 Ring Magazine.

"This Carnera, the 'Walloping Wop,' took Broadway completely by storm in his American debut at Madison Square Garden."

"His dressing room, after his spectacular one-round knockout of Peterson, was the tip-off as to his drawing power."

"It was the kind of dressing room gathering reserved for a Dempsey."

"Whether or not Peterson had any thought of fight was unimportant. Carnera swept out of his corner and was on top of the Chicagoan before Big Boy knew what had overwhelmed him."

"It is in clinches that his terrific strength is most deadly. Tearing his arms loose by sheer power, he flails that right hand back and forth in a clubbing uppercut that sprawled Peterson on the floor as though he had been ejected from a cannon."

"Leo P Flynn and Dan Morgan, two canny veterans, watched him and were eloquent. 'He's the next world's champion,' said Flynn. "He's your next million dollar gate,' said the more practical Mister Morgan."

I am certainly not saying this is the last word, but it is a very different take, and I really would like to know what was the general ringside opinion in this or any other given Carnera fight. Sullivan was impressed and saw uppercuts sending Peterson down. Sportswriters then and now are as often professional "aginners" as puff artists.

 

Peterson 209 Primo Carnera 269 16 2 0
Madison Square Garden, New York
L
KO 1/10

time: 1:10 | referee: Arthur Donovan
"Peterson showed no inclination to fight. He dropped under a grazing left hook for a count of three to give the crowd its first thrill soon after the opening gong". He was down four times. New York Times
Attendance: 17, 69