Boris Malenko
In the late 1950s, he joined the carnival circuit as a wrestler. Sharkey was trained by Boris Malenko, Bob Geigel, and Joe Scarpello. Sharkey made his American Wrestling Association (AWA) debut in Fargo, North Dakota in 1961 where he was a babyface. He had feuds with Danny Hodge, Bob Boyer, and Jack Donovan. Sharkey left the AWA over a disagreement with promoter Verne Gagne.