Who had the better chin Rocky Marciano or Tom Sharkey?

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For OLD FOGEY

Sharkey was most certainly used up after the 2nd Jeffries fight, and was not in his prime. Just like Charles was used up after the 2nd Marciano fight and suffered KO losses that he would have likely won if he was in his prime. A fighter’s age is not the best way to determine his prime. Ruhlin did not beat a Prime Sharkey. He beat a past his prime declining Sharkey who restless style and lack of defense put many ring miles on his body.

I agree with you that Marciano had the better chin, but not by a wide margin.

However we must look at how durable each guy was in their prime. And we must look at the conditions in which they fought under. I believe chins are best tested when they are hit by big punchers. You also have to factor in that Sharkey fought in a time with lighter gloves, longer rounds, tougher outdoor conditions, and less defensive equipment…no mouth pieces to asorb head shots, or foam guard cups to cushion body blows. Even the ring floors back then were harder. Clearly Sharkey fought in a harder era to take a punch. Would you agree?

The next question is who fought better punchers?

Elielte level punchers fought. Sharkey 5 ( Fitz 2x, Jeffreis 2x Choysnki ). Amount of official KO losses in his prime? Just 1, with a questionable DQ that might have been a legit KO depending on the source. The Choynski fihgt was a classic. Sharkey fell out of the ring, and landed head first on the floor. He climbed back in the ring and won. Only an iron man could do this.

Elite Level punchers Marciano fought? Zero. And no Walcott or Moore did not hit in Fitz or Jeffries class.

If one does not fight an elite level puncher, then how he did vs. solid to medium level hitters is even more valid. In this case, Marcaino was down vs. Walcott and hurt, and dropped but not hurt vs. Moore, who seemed to gas our early. He was also stunned by lighter hitters in Vingo, and Lowry, neither guy had a respectable KO%.

The fact that Marciano was never Ko’d is impressive, but it does not make him the most durable fighter. For example Riddick Bowe was never Ko’d, but Holyfield was. Who has the better chin? Holyfield of course, and he faced more dangerous punchers too, which proved it.

 

Actually, the New York Times writer did comment that McCoy looked to be about the weight he claimed ("within four pounds")--He questioned Sharkey's weight more. He seemed to think Sharkey looked bigger than 173 lbs.

There is a photo of the two posing before the fight and while about the same height, Sharkey clearly was a much more solidly built and heavier man.

 

You really think that Holyfield had a better chin than Bowe? I would have thought Bowe's chin was quite a bit better than Holy's. It was made of iron, i thought. No disrespect to Holy, but i couldnt see him taking some of the punishment that bowe took agaisnt Golota or Holyfield himself even.

 

Yes Moore was a great light heavy, but as a heavy, get real I could easily name 50 better punchers.

Kid McCoy made the cut in the rings top 100 punchers, so Mr. Double standard, do you give Sharkey credit here for the come back KO win despite being knocked down? After all, Rocky had to do the same.

If you must take Choynski out of the mix. There is little doubt Sharkey faced better punchers in comparison to Marciano. Fact.

 

Yes, I think Holy had a better chin than Bowe. I would be surprised if most here so it the other way around.

 

I agree that it is more likley in that situation that Sharkey would misreport his weight than McCoy.

 

My understanding is that Fitzsimmons reported in at 167lbs for the Corbett fight.

If so then that is not one of his more far fetched claims e.g. 155lbs for the Ruhlin fight.

 

Good, this has been an excellent debate !

 

The idea that Fitzsimmons was anything more than a middleweight is a myth. Fitzsimmons began boxing professionally in 1883 and when he won the middleweight championship of the world in 1891 by knocking out the “Nonpareil” Jack Dempsey he weighed 150 ½ pounds. For his 1894 championship defense against Dan Creedon, for example, he weighed 155 ½ according to the Oct. 13, 1894 National Police Gazette. When he fought for the heavyweight title he was stripped down and privately weighed on the morning of Mar 17, 1897, the day of his fight with champion James J. Corbett, and “tipped the scale at 156 ½ pounds” according to Bob Davis a reporter and friend who was following Fitzsimmons (See Book of Boxing p 71). Further the San Francisco Chronicle reported the day before the second Jim Jeffries fight that “Fitzsimmons claims to weigh only 160 pounds and hardly looked that heavy.”
This is an extract from Cox's Corner.The weights can also be found in an article by Bob Davis in The Book Of Boxing ,edited by W C Heinz.Davis predicted the round Fitz would ko Corbett,and made the term, "Solar Plexus Punch", famous.He also bet,on Fitzs advice, 80$ in gold on the result.The idea that Fitzsimmons was anything more than a middleweight is a myth. Fitzsimmons began boxing professionally in 1883 and when he won the middleweight championship of the world in 1891 by knocking out the “Nonpareil” Jack Dempsey he weighed 150 ½ pounds. For his 1894 championship defense against Dan Creedon, for example, he weighed 155 ½ according to the Oct. 13, 1894 National Police Gazette. When he fought for the heavyweight title he was stripped down and privately weighed on the morning of Mar 17, 1897, the day of his fight with champion James J. Corbett, and “tipped the scale at 156 ½ pounds” according to Bob Davis a reporter and friend who was following Fitzsimmons (See Book of Boxing p 71). Further the San Francisco Chronicle reported the day before the second Jim Jeffries fight that “Fitzsimmons claims to weigh only 160 pounds and hardly looked that heavy.”

 

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I think you are right. He probably went up to about 167 for some fights where he didnt really train properly (first Jeffries fight?) but it seems pretty clear that when trained and in shape he was around the 160lbs. Either way, his power was lethal at any weight, against any weight.

I really think this debate is a little hard to lose for Marciano. We dont know what it takes to break his chin, because quite honestly, no one was ever good enough to do so. Therefore, we need to say it was up there with the very best of them. Truthfully, his chin never ever looked like failing him. Tom Sharkey on the other hand, did get KOd a bit. Sure, he probably was hit harder than Rocky, and faced bigger punchers (Though Rock faced his share to, they just didnt land as cleanly). If taking bets, i think taht Rocky showed enough to say that his chin was as good as anyones.

I agree with Mendozas, in that Sharkey had a proven chin but not as good as Rockys. There does seem to come a point with punch power, Chin etc where it does start to level off and mean less. For example, Rocky's chin might stand 10 Fitzsimmons bombs before it breaks. Sharkey only withstands 9. There isnt that much difference. If you are hit with 9, the 10th is probably coming. Also, does it really matter if Oliver McCall might last 11? Because nobody is going to last 12 or more. Not sure if that made sense, but you get the point.