This thread is about the murky circumstances surrounding the Corbett Sharkey fight. Before the fight Sharkey claimed that Corbett had written to him offering to fix the result one way or another. This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected
The fight itself This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected
Following the debacle there was an investigation. Corbett mannaged to diffuse the siuation with his erudite oratory. This tells us a lot about Corbett. My impression is that above all he was a ruthless and resourcefull man. This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected
Corbett is the kind of guy who would probably never have gone into boxing if he had been born today. He would have made more money for less effort doing something else. His talent for selling himself and his ruthless willingnes to use any methods to get results would have got him far in any field.
He made plenty on the stage,I suppose he was the dawn of a new age really,in that respect the film of him got it right, remember the last bit? All very sentimental ,Ward Bond as Sullivan ,now humbled and defeated ,coming to pay his respects to Corbett at his victory party, [can you see that happening? they hated each other], shaking hands with Errol Flynn, [Corbett] and wishing him well, in taking the boxing game into respectablility.Corbett damn near got it banned all over again.
I think that a lot of how Corbett is perceived today is down to how well he marketed himself on the day. History has been kind to him because he wrote it. He did not invent the left hook and he did not win every round against Jeffries. He was a grade one sh1t albeit a verry charming and eloquent one. Sullivan was gracious towards Corbett after his defeat despite the fact that Corbett was less than gracious towards him, taunting and insulting him as he beat him up. In the film "Gentleman Jim" Corbett says to Sullivan "I hope I can do this belt as much honour as you did" and "I hope that when my time comes I can go out with as much dignity as you did". He clearly did neither.
Yeah, the scene wasn't very good history, probably. Then again, it was probably the strongest scene in a pretty fair pop-corn flick. Like Goethe said, the artist draws from the realms of truth and illusion to create yet a third world. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iShuZvyDHA"] This content is protected [/ame]
Actually, that first article posted was written after the FIRST Corbett-Sharkey go in 1896, the 4-rounder. Looks to have been written in early 1897, prior to Corbett-Fitzsimmons, talking about Jim's chances with Fitz. Regarding the allegations of a a fix in their second bout, held in 1900, I devote an entire chapter to that fight in my latest book, In the Ring With James J. Jeffries.
btw, apollack's coverage (in 'In the Ring Bob Fitzsimmons) with of the fall out from the first Fitzsimmons-Sharkey meeting is incredibly thorough and also incredibly entertaining.
