Jack Sharkey, Boxing Champion, Dies at 91 - NYTimes.com Jack Sharkey, Boxing Champion, Dies at 91 By ROBERT McG. THOMAS Jr. Published: August 19, 1994 Jack Sharkey, the bantering, cocksure boxer who captured the world heavyweight championship in an unlikely victory over Max Schmeling in 1932 and relinquished it a year and eight days later in an even less likely loss to Primo Carnera, died on Wednesday at the Beverly, Mass., hospital. He was 91 years old and had been the oldest former heavyweight champion. His family said the cause of death was respiratory arrest. For all the glory of his yearlong reign as champion, Sharkey's entire 13-year career was studded with bright-line footnotes to the Golden Age of Boxing. Among other things, his battered body served as the lone bridge between successive eras. He was at once the only man to have faced two sets of champions who never fought each other, Jack Dempsey and Schmeling and Dempsey and Joe Louis.

Sharkey-Dempsey in 1927 Partly because he had changed his Lithuanian name to win acceptance in the Irish-dominated boxing world of Boston and partly because he was a bit better at boasting than he was at boxing, Sharkey was as hated as Dempsey was beloved when the two faced each other at Yankee Stadium on July 21, 1927. Through the first six rounds, the resounding boos that had greeted Sharkey's introduction were largely stilled as it became painfully obvious that the 32-year-old Dempsey, who had lost the championship to Gene Tunney the previous September, was no match for the 24-year-old Sharkey. Then in the seventh, Dempsey, swinging furiously, landed a low right and Sharkey, clutching his midriff, turned to the referee to complain. While he was looking away, Dempsey landed a haymaker that knocked Sharkey into the middle of the previous morning. After he revived, Sharkey reminded his manager that he was to fight Dempsey that night. No Apologies From Dempsey For Dempsey, the knockout was the last victory of his career, and he did not apologize for it.

When asked why he had hit a man who wasn't looking, Dempsey replied, "What was I supposed to do, mail him a letter?" Sharkey's first title fight also featured a famous low blow and his last produced an even more famous complaint. On June 12, 1930, fighting Schmeling for the title that had been vacant since Tunney's retirement two years earlier, Sharkey landed a low blow in the fourth round, knocking Schmeling out, but giving the German the title by foul. Within months, New York State boxing authorities abolished the foul rule. From then on, the penalty for a low blow was a loss of round and any resulting knockouts were allowed to stand.

Two years later, after fighting Mickey Walker to a famous draw and winning a decision over Carnera in 1931, Sharkey fought Schmeling again, on June 21, 1932, winning the title in a controversial split decision that drew boos from the crowd and a legendary lament from Schmeling's manager, Joe Jacobs, who shouted into the radio microphone, "We wuz robbed." Knocked Out by Canera Sharkey did not defend his title until a year later, when Carnera, a half-foot taller at 6-6, landed a stunning right-hand uppercut that knocked Sharkey out in the sixth round. After two more losses, Sharkey retired, but made a comeback in late 1935 that lasted until Aug. 18, 1936, when he faced a young boxer named Joe Louis, who had been knocked out by Schmeling just two months earlier. Sharkey lasted three rounds, and said later that Louis had been the fiercest opponent he had ever faced. Joseph Paul Cukoschay was born in Binghamton, N.Y., on Oct.

26, 1902, and as a child in an immigrant household, grew up speaking Lithuanian. While getting a start as a boxer in Boston, he was persuaded to change his name and did so in honor of two boxers he admired, Jack Dempsey and Tom Sharkey. After retiring with 14 knockouts in a record of 38 victories, 13 defeats, 3 draws and 1 no-decision, Sharkey served as a referr in boxing and wrestling, and lived for many years in Epping, N.H., where he indulged his interests in hunting, fishing and recalling the old days. Inducted Into Hall of Fame When he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame earlier this year, Sharkey was too frail to attend the ceremony, but he was well represented by his son Jack Sharkey Jr., a grandson, Jack Sharkey 3d, and a great-grandson, Jack Sharkey 4th. In addition to his son, Sharkey, whose wife died years ago, is survived by two daughters, Dorothy McDonald and Marilyn Shea, 14 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren.

Photos: Jack Sharkey, above left, weighing in for his 1932 title bout with Max Schmeling at Long Island City (The New York Times, 1932), and in retirement, at right, in 1983. (United Press International) Jack Sharkey | Boxer Profile at Sports Pundit Nickname Boston Gob Jack Sharkey was a Heavyweight boxing champion nicknamed the “Boston Gob.” He earned the distinction of having fought two of the world’s boxing greats, Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis in prizefights. He was a legend in his own right, although boxing critics and sports historians deem this Lithuanian fighter as an overshadowed champion in an era where boxing had produced a slew of great boxers. Born Joseph Paul Zukauskas on October 26, 1902 in New York, Zukauskas adopted the name “Jack Sharkey” to boost his marketability as a professional boxer by sounding American.

Zukauskas was born in a time when public figures had to take on an appropriate alias or pseudonym, and he chose to be named after two of his boxing idols, the retired Irish “Sailor Tom” Sharkey and legendary fighter Jack Dempsey, whom he would later fight in the ring. Both Sharkeys, Jack and Tom, were honored as International Boxing Hall of Famers as a recognition of their exceptional boxing prowess. Jack Sharkey fought a total number of fifty-five (55) boxing matches in his career, thirty-eight (38) of which he emerged victorious, with thirteen (13) knockout wins. He had lost thirteen (13) matches, while three (3) of these bouts were ruled as draws. Jack Sharkey was reputed to be a fast, well-trained, intellectual fighter, with the corresponding determination and heart to go with such qualities. One impressive and notable detail in his career is that he went against the very best names in the boxing world in such a golden era of the sport where getting a match against prizefighters was more than enough to earn the respect and admiration of the boxing community.

Winning the title of heavyweight champion in 1929 against Tommy Loughran established his name even more as a great boxing contender. Sharkey passed away August 17, 1994 at the age of 91 in Beverly, Massachusetts. Improve this page! Latest edit made by Maree Cartujano Share this page: Log in or sign up to post a comment Reply to Jack Sharkey | Boxing Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Place of death: Beverly, Massachusetts Personal Statistics Weight: {{convert/numdisp/fracExpression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "[". Heavyweight |Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "[".|Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "[".| Heavyweight }}Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "[".Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "[". (Script error kg) Reach: 72 in (Script error cm) Boxing career information Jack Sharkey (October 26, 1902 – August 17, 1994) was an American heavyweight boxing champion .

He was born Joseph Paul Zukauskas (his birth surname is sometimes given as Cukoschay), the son of Lithuanian immigrants, in Binghamton, New York but moved to Boston, Massachusetts as a young man. Sources report little of his early life until, at the outset of the First World War , teenaged Joseph repeatedly tried to enlist in the Navy. Turned down because of his age, he was not able to enlist until after the end of the war. It was during his tenure in the Navy that he first showed interest in boxing. Tall and husky for a man of his generation, Joseph was encouraged by his friends in the service to box. He quickly established notoriety as the best boxer aboard any vessel on which he served. During his brief returns home to Boston he took part in his first fights for pay, the first on January 24, 1924, against one Billy Muldoon, whom he knocked out in the first round. By the time of his honorable discharge just short of a month later, he had won a second fight and was already earning write-ups in the Boston papers.

He took his ring name from his two idols, heavyweight contender Tom Sharkey and heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey . He won an important fight in 1926 over black heavyweight contender Harry Wills , but his first big year was 1927, when he defeated former light heavyweight champ Mike McTigue in twelve rounds and Boston rival Jim Maloney in five. That put him in the ring on July 21, 1927, with his idol, Dempsey, the winner to meet heavyweight champion Gene Tunney for the title. For six rounds Sharkey out-boxed Dempsey, who probed low with his punches. In the seventh round Sharkey turned his head to complain to the referee about Dempsey’s low punches and Dempsey landed a classic left hook that knocked Sharkey out. In 1928 Sharkey defeated heavyweight contender Tom Heeney and former light-heavyweight champion Jack Delaney . In 1929, in a fight held in Yankee Stadium , Sharkey knocked out former light-heavyweight champion Tommy Loughran to win the United States heavyweight title.

His victory earned him the opportunity to fight for the vacant world title against the German contender, Max Schmeling on June 12, 1930. Sharkey was disqualified in the fourth round after delivering a punch that landed below Schmeling's belt. This is the only occasion in boxing history when the heavyweight championship was won by disqualification. In October 1931, Sharkey defeated Italian heavyweight, Primo Carnera , and was then given another chance to fight for the title. On June 21, 1932, at the Madison Square Garden Bowl in Long Island City, New York , Sharkey defeated Schmeling in a controversial split decision to win the championship. Sharkey lost the title on June 29, 1933 in his second fight with Primo Carnera . He took a year off, fought four mediocre fights, and then fought Joe Louis on August 18, 1936, losing by knockout in the 3rd round. This made him the only man to fight both Dempsey and Louis. Sharkey then retired with a record of 38-14-3 with 13 knockouts.

As the Cyber Boxing Zone website describes him, “Sharkey had good skills, could hit with power, box well and take punishment when he set his mind to fight; But, he was an erratic, 'up-and-down' boxer who never seemed to put all his skills together consistently; when he was good, he was very good but when he was bad, he was awful.” [1] Sharkey saved most of the money he earned in the ring and, in retirement, owned a bar, worked as a boxing and wrestling referee in the United States and Canada, often earned money from personal appearances, and entertained troops in North Africa during World War II. He also pursued his love of fly fishing, and teamed and toured with baseball great Ted Williams in fly fishing promotions. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1994 and died a few months later, on August 17, age 91, due to respiratory arrest. While demonstrating fly fishing at the New York Sportsman Show in 1965, he was asked if he preferred fly fishing to boxing.

"It doesn't pay as much," he replied, "but then the fish don't hit back." Contents Jack Sharkey - BoxRec Jack Sharkey Hall of Fame bio: click World Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee Name: Jack Sharkey Birth Name: Joseph Paul Zukauskas Born: 1902-10-06 Birthplace: Binghamton, New York, USA Died: 1994-08-17 (Age:91) In an interview prior to the Carnera fight, Sharkey stated he was a quarter inch under six foot and had a reach of 76 inches. Contents 1.5 Sources Biography A fast and well-schooled fighter with no lack of heart and determination, Jack Sharkey is nonetheless overshadowed by the other heavyweight champions of his era. Sharkey's indefatigable willingness to fight any opponent is best illustrated by his distinction in being the only man to have faced both Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis in prizefights. Though he consistently fought the best, Sharkey did not always prevail when up against the true upper crust of the division. In fact, his finest performances are perhaps his losses to Dempsey and Max Schmeling .

Outspoken about his own confidence in his abilities and often surly or uncooperative in business, Sharkey had the talent to back up his ego. He remained a constant presence at or near the top of the heavyweight division for nearly a decade and solidified in his place in boxing lore by becoming heavyweight champion. Early Years Born Joseph Paul Zukauskas, the son of Lithuanian immigrants, Sharkey was born in Binghamton, New York, but moved to Boston, Massachusetts as a young man. Sources report little of his early life until, at the outset of the First World War, teenaged Joseph repeatedly tried to enlist in the Navy. Turned down because of his age, he was not able to enlist until after the end of the war. It was during his tenure in the Navy that he first showed interest in boxing. Tall and husky for a man of his generation, Joseph (or "Big Skee" as he was nicknamed at the time) was encouraged by his friends in the service to box. He quickly established notoriety as the best boxer aboard any vessel on which he served.

During his brief returns home to Boston, he took part in his first fights for pay, the first taking place on January 24, 1924 against one Billy Muldoon, who was dispatched inside of a round. By the time of his honorable discharge just short of a month later, he had won a second fight and was already earning write ups in the Boston papers. Having found himself a manager and now focused entirely on his career as a prizefighter, young Zukauskus decided to adopt a more publicity-friendly stage name. He decided upon "Jack Sharkey"—combining the names of two of his idols, heavyweight boxing icons Jack Dempsey and Tom Sharkey . He met with moderate success in his first two years of fighting mainly in the Boston area. Though he did not always win his early bouts, he routinely fought reputable opponents with vast experience advantages over him. As a result, his technique improved quickly, as was displayed in his 1926 New York City debut, fought at no less a venue than Madison Square Garden . His opponent, Eddie Huffman , was no contender but was still a favorite over the Bostonian.

The unknown Sharkey boxed well enough over ten rounds to take the decision and earn notice in fight circles as an up-and-coming heavyweight. Five follow-up wins led to a match with future Hall-of-Famer Harry Wills , who was considered at the time to be the fighter all of the top heavyweights made a point to avoid. To the surprise of many, Sharkey clearly outboxed the veteran Wills, who retaliated with an illegal backhand blow that got him disqualified in the thirteenth round. It was Wills' first defeat in four years and Jack Sharkey was now a major contender for Gene Tunney's heavyweight championship. Dempsey and Schmeling To start off 1927, Sharkey stopped former light heavyweight champ Mike McTigue in twelve rounds and then Boston rival Jim Maloney in five. Then it was on to a match with his idol, former champion Jack Dempsey. The winner was scheduled to meet Tunney for the title. On July 21, 1927, at Yankee Stadium in New York, Sharkey proved too fast and too hungry for the aging and rusty Manassa Mauler.

He clearly outboxed Dempsey and was amassing a wide points lead going into the seventh round when, believing himself to have been fowled by a low blow from Dempsey, Sharkey turned to the referee to complain. At the very moment, Dempsey landed a classic left hook directly to Sharkey's chin. Sharkey, who had dropped his guard when complaining to the referee, immediately fell forward onto the canvas and was counted out while clutching his groin and moaning in agony. Though Dempsey supporters rallied around the technicality that a fighter should protect himself at all times, many who left that night felt that Sharkey had proven himself Dempsey's master, loss or no. It was no wonder then that, over the next couple of years, Sharkey continued to be respected as one of the most consistent performers in the division. He held future title challenger Tom Heeney to a twelve-round draw, dropped a decision to highly regarded Johnny Risko , and then rebounded with seven consecutive wins against impressive competition.

In 1929, he proved especially successful, beating both Young Stribling and Tommy Loughran , two future Hall-of-Famers who had a combined 296 wins to their credit when Sharkey fought them. Thus, after Tunney retired, Sharkey was a shoe-in to fight for the vacated world championship. His opponent would be Germany's Max Schmeling , a little-known counter puncher whose record lacked the big names evident on Sharkey's. On June 12, 1930, in his first fight for the title, Sharkey again exhibited terrific boxing ability and appeared to have control of the fight going into the fourth round. In that round, he landed what appeared to be a low blow on Schmeling, who fell to his knees howling that he had been fouled. When Schmeling's manager broke into the ring, chaos ensued and the panicked referee disqualified Sharkey. World Champion Still determined to prove himself with the best in the world, Sharkey next took on Mickey Walker , the popular brawler and former two-division champion who was moving up in weight in hopes of winning the heavyweight title.

In an admittedly close fight in which Sharkey scored the only knockdown, the judges ruled the fight a draw. Sharkey then moved from having a considerable size advantage against Walker to being at a decided size disadvantage against Italy's Primo Carnera on October 12, 1931. Carnera stood over six and a half feet tall and weighed two hundred and sixty one pounds, but he had none of the technique of a clever boxer like Sharkey. The Bostonian boxed rings around the "Ambling Alp," scored a knockdown in the fourth, walked away with a decision after fifteen rounds, and earned himself a second shot at Schmeling. Max Schmeling was still the Heavyweight Champion of the World when the pair fought their rematch at Madison Square Garden on June 21, 1932. This time Sharkey emerged the victor and new champion, winning a fifteen-round split decision. But again success came with bitterness. Many in the crowd felt that Schmeling had gotten the better of the action and the Garden echoed with chants of "robbery." Plans for a rematch were ruined when Schmeling lost his 1933 fight to big, hard-hitting Max Baer .

So the new champion, supposedly under pressure from mob figures, decided to face Primo Carnera once more on June 29, 1933. Though he again proved Primo's superior in speed and skill, Sharkey was rendered unconscious by a huge right uppercut directly below his jaw in the sixth round. Afterward, the press surged with accusations about Sharkey taking a dive, though the man himself denied such rumors to his dying day. Later Years After incurring two more losses before the close of 1933, Sharkey was considered by many to be a shot fighter. He took an entire year off before returning in 1935. In his next four fights, all against mediocre opposition, Sharkey could only manage two wins. He was then placed in the ring as a name opponent for Joe Louis on August 18, 1936. Louis was coming off his first pro defeat, a twelfth-round knockout loss to Max Schmeling. Floored four times inside of three rounds before suffering a knockout, Sharkey never fought professionally again.

In retirement, Sharkey owned a bar in Boston, often worked as a referee (including the two Archie Moore - Yvon Durelle fights) and earned money from various personal appearances. Jack Sharkey died on August 17, 1994, at the age of 91, just months after his induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame . Sources Johnston, Alexander. Ten and Out (1943) Roberts, James B. and Alexander G. Skutt. The Boxing Register (4th ed. 2006) Preceded by: Jack Sharkey (Joseph Paul Zukauskas) Heavyweight Title 1932- Hall of FAME Induction : 1994<,/center> Jack Sharkeyis the only man to have fought both Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis. But he may be best remembered for a pair of controversial title fights with Max Schmeling. Sharkey , a heavy-handed boxer, defeated George Godfrey and Harry Wills in 1926 to earn a number three ranking in the heavyweight division. The following year he knocked out former light heavyweight champion Mike McTigue but was knocked out by Dempsey in July and remained inactive for six months.

When Sharkey returned with a busy schedule in 1928. He drew with Tom Heeney, lost to Johnny Risko, knocked out Jack Delaney and decisioned Arthur DeKuh. He carried that momentum into 1929 when he beat top 175-pounder Young Stribling and knocked out former 175-pound champ Tommy Loughran to win the American heavyweight title. Sharkey fought for the vacant world title in 1930 against German contender Max Schmeling but was disqualified for hitting below the belt in the fourth round. He fought twice in 1931, battling to a draw with former middleweight champion Mickey Walker and decisioning future heavyweight champ Primo Carnera. In a 1932, he Schmeling once again. The champion appeared to have a clear decision but the fight was awarded to Sharkey on a split decision. In his first title defense, Sharkey was knocked out by the mob-connected Carnera in the sixth round. As he did in 1931, Sharkey began by easily outboxing Carnera for the first five rounds. But he was floored with a right uppercut in round six and counted out.

Many felt the fight was fixed but Sharkey denied the accusation until his death. **************************************************************************************** : EX-CHAMPION SHARKEY DEAD AT 91 Publication Date: August 19, 1994 Source: The Courier-Journal Louisville, KY Page: 05D Subjects: ATHLETICS; BOXING; DEATHS Region: Kentucky Obituary: BEVERLY, Mass. -- Jack Sharkey, who had been the oldest surviving heavyweight champion, died of respiratory arrest Wednesday at 91. Sharkey fought in boxing's golden era, compiling a 38-13-3 professional record (with one no-decision) against such opponents as Joe Louis, Jack Dempsey, Tommy Loughran, Max Schmeling and Primo Carnera. He won the championship June 21, 1932, in a 15-round decision against Schmeling, then lost it to Carnera the following year. But the fight Sharkey never tired of recounting was his July 21, 1927, loss to Dempsey in Yankee Stadium.

"I turned to the referee to complain I was getting hit low, and I got hit with a haymaker," he once recalled. "That was that. I was out on the canvas. "You came out of a fight with Dempsey full of welts and bruises and every bone aching." After being knocked out by Joe Louis in the third round Aug. 18, 1936, Sharkey retired from the ring to open a restaurant in Boston and pursue his love of fishing. He also refereed wrestling and boxing matches in the United States and Canada and entertained troops in North Africa during World War II. Born Oct. 26, 1902, in Binghamton, N.Y., Sharkey began his boxing career in 1924 in Boston. Named Joseph Paul Zukauskas by his Lithuanian immigrant parents, he changed his name for the ring, borrowing Dempsey's first name and boxer Tom Sharkey's last. "I wanted to get into the game in Boston back in the '20s, and I told them my name," he said in 1967.

"So they told me to do better than that." He is survived by three children, 14 grandchildren, 21 great- grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. A funeral mass is scheduled for tomorrow in Epping, N.H., where Sharkey lived since the 1950s. **************************************************************************************** : Sharkey, heavyweight champ of old Publication Date: August 19, 1994 Source: San Francisco Examiner Subjects: Region: Pacific Rim; San Francisco Metro, California Obituary: BOSTON - When the subject was heavyweight boxing, Jack Sharkey was the man to see. After all, who else had been smacked by both Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis? Nobody, that's who. Mr. Sharkey, who held the heavyweight title from June 21, 1932, to June 29, 1933, before losing it under questionable circumstances that would dog him the rest of his life, died Wednesday in Beverly, Mass., at age 91 after a long bout with illness. For years, he had lived in Epping, N.H., earning renown as a fly fisherman and touring with Ted Williams. He also owned a Boston bar.

But his principal claim to fame was that at the time of his death he was the oldest living heavyweight champion and the only man to have faced both Dempsey and Louis for pay. Years later, Mr. Sharkey had a way of evaluating them that only a professional could appreciate. "Who hit the hardest?" he said once. "Dempsey hit me the hardest because he hit me $211,000 worth, while Louis only hit me $36,000 worth." Mr. Sharkey was talking about what he had been paid, the only real measure of a professional. Jack Sharkey always got paid and he always earned his money. But there was more to Mr. Sharkey than a good sense of humor and the misfortune to be born at a time when he could find himself in a ring with Dempsey and Louis. He was also a hardheaded man with enough skill to both win the heavyweight title and end up in the International Boxing Hall of Fame, to which he was inducted June 12. His career record was 38-13-3. Born Joseph Paul Zukauskas on Oct. 6, 1902, in Binghamton, N.Y., Mr.

Sharkey became a professional fighter almost by accident. He was still in the Navy stationed in Boston in 1923 when he heard a smoker would be held and the promoter was looking for fighters. Mr. Sharkey volunteered, lying that he'd had 39 fights in the Navy, and he was offered $100 for four rounds. "For $100, I would have fought the entire Navy," he once recalled. That wasn't necessary. What was, the promoter insisted, was a new name, and thus was born Jack Sharkey, a combination of Dempsey, then the heavyweight champ, and another fighter named Tom Sharkey. It would be another year before he would make his real pro debut, but by 1927, Jack Sharkey was a name known throughout boxing. Because of that, he was matched with Dempsey on July 21, 1927, in an elimination bout to find a challenger for Gene Tunney, who had taken the title from Dempsey. Mr. Sharkey was in control going into the seventh round that night when Dempsey began to hit him low. Irritated, Mr. Sharkey turned to complain and Dempsey saw his opening. Lights out. Mr.

Sharkey would labor three more years before his first title fight against Max Schmeling, which ended in controversy when Schmeling went down claiming a low blow that few believed. It was the only time the title was won on a foul. Mr. Sharkey got a measure of justice two years later when he was awarded a split decision over Schmeling (whose manager, Joe Jacobs, reacted with a phrase that entered the language: "We wuz robbed") and the most coveted championship in sports. Jack Sharkey was the heavyweight champion of the world. Sadly, Mr. Sharkey would hold that title for barely a year, making his only defense against a mob-run giant named Primo Carnera, whom Mr. Sharkey had easily beaten two years earlier. It was a night Mr. Sharkey would carry with him the rest of his life. After winning the first five rounds, he was hit with a right uppercut, went down and was counted out. Even his manager, the legendary Johnny Buckley, wondered if Mr. Sharkey had taken a dive, but the fighter denied it until his death. He had not gone down for money, Jack Sharkey would say. A ghost had put him down.

"I had no trouble with him in the second bout, but all of a sudden - and I can't convince anybody of this, even my own wife has her doubts, I think - I see (Ernie) Schaaf (a protege of Mr. Sharkey who had died four months earlier after fighting Carnera) in front of me," Mr. Sharkey once explained. "The next thing I know, I'd lost the championship of the world." It was a vision Jack Sharkey always wished he could forget, but people wouldn't let him. So he did what he knew best.He saved his money and he fought on, never getting another shot at the title before his career ended Aug. 18, 1936, when a young Joe Louis knocked him out in three rounds. Jack Sharkey had fought the best of his era, the best in history in fact. He left behind three children, 14 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandchild who can all say this: Once they knew the toughest man in the world. Even if he only held the distinction for a year.

**************************************************************************************** Jack Sharkey Boxes His Way to a Catchphrase - New England Historical Society New England Historical Society Comments Jack Sharkey not only won the world heavyweight championship but was responsible for a classic sports expression used every day on the playing field. Sharkey, nicknamed The Boston Gob, was the only man to fight Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis . After he retired, he became an outstanding fly fisherman who teamed up with Ted Williams to promote the sport. Along the way, a controversial fight inspired the phrase, “We wuz robbed.” Becoming Jack Sharkey He was born Joseph Paul Zukauskas on Oct. 26, 1902, in Binghamton, N.Y., the son of Lithuanian immigrants. As a young boy his family moved to Boston. He ran away from home as a teenager. In his own words , I slept in YMCAs, worked the bars and shoveled coal, worked for the Diamond Match Company, and I come back to New York, scared to go home, and the money ran out and I had to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and I joined the navy, five cents in my pocket. He took up boxing in the navy, where he won 38 fights.

His ship’s home port was Boston, and he fought for pay on liberty in the city. He was told he couldn't fight under the name Joseph Zukauskas, so he chose the names of his boxing idols: Jack Dempsey and Tom Sharkey . By the time Sharkey was honorably discharged, he was earning write-ups in the Boston newspapers and earning good money for boxing. Sharkey was a powerful boxer who could take punishment, but didn’t always focus and fought erratically. “I was a hothead,” he later said. “You could never tell what I would do.” In 1927 he faced Jack Dempsey in a fight to determine who would take on heavyweight champion Gene Tunney. Sharkey turned his head to complain to the referee that Dempsey hit him with a low blow and Dempsey knocked him out. Original caption: Jack Sharkey examines his mitts after he used them to defeat Jack Stribbling in their 10-round bout in Miami. March 3, 1929. Photo courtesy Boston Public Library, Leslie jones Collection. Two years later he won the heavyweight championship of the world, and he bought a $100,000 house in Chestnut Hill.

In 1930 he lost a fight for the vacant heavyweight championship to Max Schmeling on a foul. The referee ruled he hit Schmeling below the belt. Sharkey described Schmeling as ‘a methodical, cruel, terrific puncher.’ Two years later, they faced each other again, and Sharkey was declared the winner though Schmeling seemed to have outboxed him. After the match, Schmeling’s manager, Joe Jacobs, uttered those classic words, “We wuz robbed.” Sharkey later said the fight was fixed . Jack Sharkey, wife and son at home, Photo courtesy Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. In retirement, Jack Sharkey would come up with another oft-quoted comment. He finished his career in 1936 after Joe Louis knocked him out in Yankee Stadium. Sharkey's career record was 38-14-3, with 13 knockouts. He saved his money and opened a saloon named Jack Sharkey’s in Boston, but closed it in 1943. He earned a living as a boxing and wrestling referee.

He and his family moved to Epping, N.H., in 1954, where he pursued his love of fly fishing. Jack Sharkey with Jimmie Foxx and Ted Williams. Photo courtesy Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. He and Ted Williams teamed up to promote the sport at sporting shows. He was asked at one show whether he preferred fishing to boxing. "It doesn't pay as much," he replied, "but then the fish don't hit back." Jack Sharkey died on Aug. 17, 1994, at the age of 91 in Beverly, Mass. To see a video of Jack Sharkey fighting Jack Dempsey, click here . Max Schmeling vs. Jack Sharkey... - RareNewspapers.com Max Schmeling vs. Jack Sharkey... MEMPHIS EVENING APPEAL, Tennessee, June 12, 1930 * Max Schmeling vs. Jack Sharkey * Heavyweight boxing championship This 24 page newspaper has a nice six column headline on the front page: "ODDS 2 TO 1 SHARKEY DEFEATS SCHMELING" with subheads.

(see) Coverage continues in the sport's section with two nice illustrations of the fighters (see photos). Unusual from such a nice headline on the front page. Other news of the day including period advertising. Light browning with some margin wear and chipping, little irregular at the spine, otherwise in good condition. wikipedia notes: Schmeling was born in Klein Luckow in the Province of Pomerania. He debuted as a professional boxer in 1924, and he built a record of 42 wins, 4 losses and 3 draws, before fighting Jack Sharkey for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship in 1930. In between his debut and the championship fight, he fought a two-round exhibition with World Heavyweight Champ Jack Dempsey (whom he strongly resembled), in 1925, at Cologne. In round 4, Sharkey hit Schmeling with a low blow so severe that Schmeling could not continue. Thus, Schmeling won the world title on a disqualification. He became the first Heavyweight World Champion to win the title on a disqualification, and to this day remains the only one to have won it that way.

In 1931, he made a defense, knocking out Young Stribling in 15 rounds at Cleveland, and in 1932 he and Sharkey met for a rematch. After 15 rounds, Sharkey was declared the winner on points (a very controversial split decision), and Schmeling lost his title. This decision led his manager Joe Jacobs to shout in protest a line that since has become famous: "We was robbed!" Despite efforts to make a third fight happen, the rubber match between Schmeling and Sharkey never took place. Two months after he lost the title Max Schmeling knocked out Mickey Walker, showing that he was still the world's best heavyweight. That changed in June 1933 when he lost by T.K.O. against later champion Max Baer. Heavyweight Boxing Champ and Binghamton Native Jack Sharkey Subject of New Biography – National Police Gazette – Official Site Jack Sharkey: A Heavyweight Champion’s Untold Story by James Curl When Jack Sharkey retired in 1936 after twelve years of boxing, he had carved out a career that was both exciting and controversial.

But, despite having been the world heavyweight champion and enormously popular, sadly he is almost completely forgotten today… until now. In this book you will follow Jack Sharkey from his days as a teenage runaway and sailor to world heavyweight champion and renowned fly-fisherman alongside his good friend, baseball great Ted Williams. You will also read about his controversial battles with such legendary fighters as Jack Dempsey, Max Schmeling, and the giant Primo Carnera. The book also covers in detail Jack’s four-fight rivalry with his great nemesis Jimmy Maloney, and offers several round-by-round descriptions of his biggest fights. With a foreword by Jack Sharkey III, over 50 photos and 231 pages, this book offers a rich, detailed look at the life of one of boxing’s most colorful and interesting characters. James Curl is a member of the International Boxing Research Organization (IBRO) and has written articles for the IBRO Journal and East Side Boxing. James’s first book, Jersey Joe Walcott: A Boxing Biography was published in 2012 and was the first book ever written about the former heavyweight champion. James does the heavyweight spotlight on the Billy C. boxing radio show, and covers live fights.

He lives in Sacramento, California.

Question: Jack Sharkey was a world champion in which sport?
Answer: Boxing