Sailor Tom v Rocky Marciano???

It was a response to this:

Why was Ruhlin highly rated at the time? Perhaps his KO over the impressive pugilist that was Woolf Bendoff? Or the hard-fought 10 round loss to Kid McCoy? Maybe the news writers saw in the future and envisioned Ruhlin KO'ing Sharkey 2 years later.

 

As the old saying goes, "It ain't the years, it's the mileage". Sharkey's give and take style guarantees a short shelf life for any fighter. Tom was often slamming dukes with guys who were much bigger than he and he was doing it for 20 and 25 rounds without backing up.

This thread wasn't about putting Sharkey on the same pedestal as Marciano. It was about how a fight between the two might unfold. Oscar Bonavena wasn't on the same pedestal as Ali or Frazier either. But he still gave them hell and the gap in class between Oscar and those two is far wider than the gap between Marciano and Sharkey.

Sharkey gives Rocky hell in the ring. He loses, but he makes a showing.

 

............

 

SHADDUP!

:smoke

 

Even I would admit that Sharkey gives Rocky a go, but you made it seem like he would outmuscle Marciano. I appreciate putting old Tom under the spotlight again but he had his limitations. You're right that he could never have had much longevity, but that's because he was not an overwhelming physical force or a skillful boxer, simply a very gritty, hard man who had trained himself to incredible shape.

 

I think Rocky was more than just an atrition style finisher. Rocky had the Suzy Q right hand, a deadly one punch knockout blow that could be looped or thrown short. It produced multiple deadly one punch knockouts on film over highly rated contenders/champions. I would argue Marciano packed more one punch knockout power than most heavyweight champions based on what we have seen on film, certainly of the pre 1954 Rocky Marciano.

 

The people who were in the ring with him would disagree with that statement. But your other points are well taken :smoke

 

I could bring you newspapers stating the same exact thing.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...J&pg=3263,5957887&dq=gus+ruhlin+sharkey&hl=en

Ruhlin's claim to fame here seems to be the decision loss to McCoy.

http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30715FD3A591B728DDDAF0A94DE405B828CF1D3

"Both fighters were in the acme of condition."

 

I was hoping I'd deleted that post before you saw it. On reread it appeared condescending and a bit nasty. I apologize. Cuz that ain't my style

 

No worries. I've used it on others in order to make them back up their views.

 

SurfBrat,

What on film or by record leads you to believe Marciano was not as hard hitting or strong as Tom Sharkey? What did Sharkey have that could match Marcianos Suzy Q right hand?

 

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04-24-2011, 05:25 PM #249

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Undisputed Champion
East Side VIP

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Re: So Fitzsimmons gets destroyed 2x by Jeffries yet he has a shot vs Louis and Marci

Surf Brat,

The very fact you think Tom Sharkey is on an level playing field with Rocky Marciano speaks volumes. I doubt you will find many in agreement with you. Marciano was in a different class. A much better comparison would be to compare Jeffries and Marciano, and compare Sharkey with Layne. I would still favor Marciano over Jeffries both in head to head, dominance, and resume.

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(just in case there was ever any doubt as to the dual identity of SuzyQ/SonnyJab)