Dempsey vs Sharkey - No low blow

[HOUDINI563]

The day after the bout they replayed the fight at Yankee Stadium for the sportswriters. Slow motion of the ko blows reveals that the body blows were legal punches.

[Rusty Tromboni]

Yup lots of hard body shots. Sharkey hiked his trunks up high, though. Not Urkel-high, like Lewis, Bowe, Mayweather, Holmes and all these Downlow Chumps today. But it's noticeable for the day.

Anyway, it's the uppercut that ended it. Beautiful punch.

Really, Sharkey was doing well. Probably he didn't really remember the moments leading up to the knockout. That happens a lot. We've all been there.

And I do feel for Sharkey. He was putting up a solid fight. Lots of fighters ( cough, Marciano) would've already been back in their dressing room getting stitched up, while Jack would be out celebrating. I think that's why the myth perpetuates, sympathy for Sharkey .

[GhostofDempsey]

The right hand of Dempsey that was allegedly called a low blow by Sharkey, didn't look like it was low enough to cause any groin pain. Dempsey's body work was starting to get to him. Dempsey had taken Sharkey's best punches all night and walked right through them, still moved forward, took the fight to the inside, worked the body. From the time Sharkey tries to complain to the ref to the left hook that KO'd him was maybe a split second in the middle of Jack's combination. Sharkey also snuck in cheap shot after the bell to end the 6th round. Sharkey fought a scrappy fight, but Dempsey could box and fight.

[HOUDINI563]

I rank Dempseys body work here as the greatest display of inside fighting by any heavyweight (in this case former) champion.

You can see Sharkey bend very low at the waist in round 6 and 7 trying to not be hit to the body.

It’s incredible to me that there is no evidence whatsoever any of those last three right uppercuts were low (you can see two of the three land on the belt line) yes many feel today Dempsey hit Sharkey in the balls. Absolutely no chance this occurred.

The referee stated absolutely none of the three body punches were low and he described the punches exactly as they were “three right uppercuts to the pit of the body”.

Then you have the fact that the film of the fight was shown at Yankee stadium the next day to all the reporters. Headline.... “Film of bout shows body blows were legal”

One point that’s overlooked is in those days a sports reporters prediction of the winner of a major bout was a huge deal. Large bets were won or lost based upon these expert opinions. To save grace after this bout those that picked Sharkey had an easy out... Sharkey would have won but Dempsey fouled him!

Benny Leonard had a daily article in the New York papers regarding this bout. The day before his prediction was Sharkey all the way. Dempsey had no chance to win. After the bout he wrote that he saw three very low punches to Sharkeys groin. Really? No matter how many times I watch those blows none were anywhere close to the groin. Beltline Yes but no lower. Remember the beltline was and is described as an imaginary line joining the hip bones.

Sharkey could not take it to the body and those three body blows caused him severe agony. He had enough and was looking for an excuse to salvage the win by claiming foul.

[Willie Pep 229]

I rank Dempseys body work here as the greatest display of inside fighting by any heavyweight (in this case former) champion.

You can see Sharkey bend very low at the waist in round 6 and 7 trying to not be hit to the body.

It’s incredible to me that there is no evidence whatsoever any of those last three right uppercuts were low (you can see two of the three land on the belt line) yes many feel today Dempsey hit Sharkey in the balls. Absolutely no chance this occurred.

The referee stated absolutely none of the three body punches were low and he described the punches exactly as they were “three right uppercuts to the pit of the body?

Then you have the fact that the film of the fight was shown at Yankee stadium the next day to all the reporters. Headline.... “Film of bout shows body blows were legal?br />
One point that’s overlooked is in those days a sports reporters prediction of the winner of a major bout was a huge deal. Large bets were won or lost based upon these expert opinions. To save grace after this bout those that picked Sharkey had an easy out... Sharkey would have won but Dempsey fouled him!

Benny Leonard had a daily article in the New York papers regarding this bout. The day before his prediction was Sharkey all the way. Dempsey had no chance to win. After the bout he wrote that he saw three very low punches to Sharkeys groin. Really? No matter how many times I watch those blows none were anywhere close to the groin. Beltline Yes but no lower. Remember the beltline was and is described as an imaginary line joining the hip bones.

Sharkey could not take it to the body and those three body blows caused him severe agony. He had enough and was looking for an excuse to salvage the win by claiming foul.

From A Flame of Pure Fire: Jack Dempsey and the Roaring '20s By Roger Kahn:

Dempsey threw his great left hook into Sharkey's jaw. Sharkey fell and rolled awkwardly so that he was lying face down. He clutched his groin and writhed and winced. But he didn't start wincing until after Dempsey's hook to the jaw. He was hooked to the jaw and fell clutching his groin.

Add, technically speaking, Sharkey isn't looking at the ref, he turns 'nicely' right into the punch so he takes it flush on the chin, not to the side or back of the head.

[QueensburyRules]

- -Flush Leffy hook to the jaw shook Sharkey all the way down to his ancestral family ***els.

It happens as they say when it happens even today.

[HOUDINI563]

There is actually a SECOND film of the 10 count. Look at Pathe Films France web site. I don’t know why but the film of the ten count was all that was retained. Even though it looks like Sharkey is kinda sorta reaching to clutch his groin in the well known filmed version the Pathe version was filmed at a more direct angle. Sharkey is in actuality groping with his gloved hands trying to get off the canvas not groping for his groin.

[HOUDINI563]

More: