[1927 article] Sharkey on Dempsey's Power

Sharkey is being disingenuous here. He stated the following after fighting Dempsey:

Dempsey hit harder than Joe Louis.

Never thought anyone could hit as hard as Dempsey.

When Dempsey hit you to the body it felt as if his fist was coming out your back.

If you watch the fight you can see Sharkey bending real low at the waist doing everything he could not to be hit to the body in rounds 6 and 7 especially.

Sharkey had a long history of trying to claim foul. It’s what concerned Dempsey’s corner more than anything going into the fight.

Finally if you watch the fight there is zero evidence that any of those final three body blows was to the groin. You do know where your groin is right? Add this to the referee who stated none if those three blows were low (he called them “three right uppercuts” which is exactly what they were so he did see them).

 

Are you going to contrast that with all the comments about how no one hit as hard as Dempsey?

 

Sour grapes on Sharkeys part. Disappointing

 

There is an interview on YouTube where Sharkey expresses a few of these quotes. Originally they come from an interview with Sharkey in the 1950’s.

 

Looked low to me. Dempsey finished the job wherever the previous blow landed.

 

Rex Layne said something similar about Marciano. How Rocky never hurt him until the final punch.

Both are full of crap

 

None were to the groin. They were at hip bone level which was and I believe still is the demarcation point of a fair vs low blow. On the belt line, an imaginary line that joins the hip bones, is fair. They were fair and the ref stated so as well.

 

"Dempsey is the hardest hitter i ever met" tough jess 1919

 

i always do......nytimes july 5, 1919

 

Things i learned today... Some Sharkey quotes are true. Some Sharkey quotes are viciously false. As to which you qualify as which there is no better arbiter than some slack jawed internet board posters in the following century.

 

Don’t forget Sam Langford who was quoted in an Georgia newspaper article as follows:

“Jack Dempsey is the greatest fighter I have ever seen.”

 

Evening star, September 15, 1923, Page 10, Image 10
By Luis Firpo
"The crushing blows of Dempsey that beat with such fearful force upon my face and body finally beat me to the canvas in such a state of agony that I could not rise. If you will ask any man who sat near and saw he will tell you that I strove to rise and fight on as I had promised. Nothing of flesh and blood could have risen after the punishment that I received. I admit that the blows of Dempsey were harder than I thought any man could deliver, but I believe also that Dempsey will admit that the blows of Luis Firpo were harder than he thought any man could deliver".