Jackie Sharkey

Jackie Sharkey
Sharkey on right in 1909
Born	Giovanni Cervati (1897-06-20)June 20, 1897 Balogna, Emilia Romagna, Italy
Died	March 1, 1970(1970-03-01) (aged 72)
Nationality	American
Other names	Jack Sharkey Little Jackie Sharkey
Statistics
Weight(s)	Bantamweight Junior Lightweight
Height	5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	141
Wins	54
Wins by KO	2
Losses	62
Draws	21
No contests	4

Jackie Sharkey or Jack Sharkey as he was more frequently known was an Italian-born American boxer who claimed the World Bantamweight Title on August 15, 1919 defeating Pete Herman in a fifteen round no decision bout in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His claim to the title was not universally recognized at the time and was stripped on September 11, 1920. Jack Sharkey, also known as Little Jackie Sharkey, should not be confused with the heavyweight champion Jack Sharkey.

Early life and career

Jackie Sharkey was born Giovanni Cervati in Bologna, Emilia Romagna, Italy on June 20, 1897, though he would live most of his life in New York City. In his early professional career between May 23, 1914, and February 21, 1916, fighting almost exclusively in the New York area, he won three and lost six bouts, with one draw.

On February 21, 1916, Sharkey lost to Jewish boxer Abe Friedman at the Olympia Boxing Club in New York in a ten round newspaper decision. Friedman would become a competent bantamweight fringe contender during his career taking the USA New England Bantamweight Title in 1921.

On June 2, 1916, Sharkey lost to "Young" Zulu Kid in a fifth round knockout at the Vanderbilt Athletic Club in Brooklyn, New York. By that year, Zulu Kid had established himself as a serious world flyweight contender.

On February 5, 1917, Sharkey drew with former World Bantamweight champion Johnny Coulon in a ten round newspaper decision at the Pioneer Sporting Club in New York. Local newspapers disagreed on the decision. Coulon held the World Bantamweight Championship in 1911–13, though the title was not unified at the time.

On July 27, 1917, Sharkey first lost to Kid Williams in six rounds at Oriole Park in Baltimore, at least by the newspaper decision of the Baltimore Sun. He lost to Williams again on April 1, 1918 in a twelve round points decision at the Lyric Theater in Baltimore. Williams held the World Bantamweight Title from June 1914, to January 1917.

Bouts with December 1920 World Bantamweight Champion Joe Lynch 1916–25

Sharkey first met Joe Lynch on September 26, 1916 in the star bout at the Pioneer Sporting Club in New York, losing in a ten round newspaper decision of the New York Times and New York Tribune. They met on February 27, 1917, and Sharkey lost again by a ten round decision of three New York newspapers at the Pioneer Sports Club in New York City. Sharkey was down in the fifth round, after which Lynch had little trouble penetrating his defenses. The bout was an elimination series for the bantamweight championship, and Lynch had some difficulty with Sharkey in the early rounds.

Sharky and Joe Lynch drew in a fifteen round points decision at New York's Madison Square Garden on September 28, 1920, although Lynch was down in several rounds from the blows of Sharkey. Sharkey's ability to stay fifteen rounds with a top bantamweight contender put him squarely in the list of top contenders himself. On December 2, 1920, in a somewhat more historic bout, Lynch defeated Sharkey in a fifteenth round knockout at Madison Square Garden. Sharkey had the better of the bout up until the sixth round, when Lynch became far more dominant. Lynch's win gave him the right to challenge Pete Herman for the Bantamweight Championship three weeks later. On July 2, 1925, at the Polo Grounds in New York, home of the New York Giants, the two drew in four rounds to a large house in which Lynch was somewhat favored to win.

Seven bouts with top bantamweight contender Frankie Burns, 1916–18

Frankie Burns

Sharkey met Frankie Burns seven times during his career, but had little luck with the highly rated bantamweight contender. Beginning on November 27, 1916 Sharkey faced a ten round loss by newspaper decision from Burns in New York, followed by a ten round loss on February 9, 1917 at the Harlem Sports Club in New York by newspaper decision of the New York Sun. Sharkey sank to the mat in the sixth round and claimed a foul, though he recovered by the seventh. He fought the first two rounds "like a whirlwind" and looked to have an advantage, but lost his pace in subsequent rounds. In the third, Sharkey was stunned by a left hook to his midriff that may have affected him for the remainder of the bout.

On October 15, 1917, he lost to Burns in a newspaper decision ten rounder in Albany, New York. Burns was "too clever" for Sharkey and "won by use of constant left jabs and right handers to the body". He fell to a ten round loss by newspaper decision in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on February 21, 1918. In their February 21 Jersey City Town Hall bout, Burns was described as easily outpointing his opponent, and taking seven of the ten rounds, with only one to Sharkey before a substantial house of 4000. On June 20, 1918, he drew with Burns in a six round newspaper decision in Madison Square Garden, and he lost to Burns again at the Garden in their last bout on November 16 in a six round newspaper decision of the New York Times. Burns was eight years older than Sharkey, but seemed a difficult opponent to defeat. As a highly rated Bantamweight, Burns contended four times for the World Bantamweight Championship between 1912 and 1917.

On March 24, 1919, Sharkey lost to Jackie "Kid" Wolfe in a ten round newspaper decision of the Bridgeport Standard Telegram at the Grand Theater in Cleveland, Ohio.

On May 3, 1920, Sharkey lost to Jewish boxer Young Montreal, aka Morris Billingkoff, in a twelve round points decision at Infantry Hall in Providence, Rhode Island. Young Montreal was a skilled opponent who was a contender for the World Bantamweight Championship for a ten year period.

Claiming World Bantamweight Championship from Pete Herman, August 1919

Champion Pete Herman

Sharkey briefly took the World Bantamweight Championship on August 15, 1919 in a newspaper decision against Pete Herman in a no decision bout in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On September 15, 1919, Sharkey again defeated Herman in a World Bantamweight Championship match in Detroit, Michigan in a ten round newspaper decision by the Detroit Free Press. On September 11, 1920, Sharkey again defeated Herman in a non-title fifteen round newspaper decision of the Chicago Tribune in East Chicago, Indiana. Sharkey's claim to the title was stripped on September 11, 1920.

Win over British champion Jimmy Wilde, December 1919

On December 6, 1919, Sharkey impressively defeated British champion Jimmy Wilde in a ten round newspaper decision of the Milwaukee Journal before a crowd close to 8,000 at the Auditorium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Sharkey was considered a decisive winner, taking eight of the ten rounds according to the newspapermen at ringside. Wilde had been away from the ring for months, and was outweighed by Sharkey by seven pounds. Sharkey's blows were said to land more frequently and with greater force. Sharkey's win was at least a minor upset as Wilde led in the early betting 2 to 1. Sharkey would make $2,0000 on the bout and gain notoriety that would help him command more for his future bouts. An exceptional opponent, Wilde would take the British and European Flyweight Championships in that year, and the World Flyweight Championship by 1920.

Win over French and European Bantamweight Champion Charles Ledoux, October 1920

On October 15, 1920, Sharkey defeated French boxer Charles Ledoux in a fifteen round points decision at Madison Square Garden. In his career, LeDoux would take both the European and French bantamweight championships. Sharkey appeared to have a clear advantage in the first three rounds, and Ledoux was very briefly down in the second.

Attempt to retake World Bantamweight Championship against Johnny Buff, November 1921

On November 10, 1921 Sharkey lost to Johnny Buff in a fifteen round World Bantamweight Championship by points decision at Madison Square Garden. In the close and exciting bout, Sharkey had five rounds, six went to Buff, and four were even. Both boxers took the lead at times, but Buff finished stronger. The bout may have been Sharkey's closest attempt at retaking the World Bantamweight Championship. The Des Moines Register called the bout "as rousing a battle as ever you'd wish to see." Sharkey had lost earlier to Buff on January 15, 1920 in an eight round newspaper decision of the Jersey Journal in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Close loss to Johnny Dundee for Jr. Lightweight Championship, July 1922

Johnny Dundee

On July 6, 1922, Sharkey lost to Johnny Dundee in a fifteen round Jr. Lightweight Championship bout Unanimous Decision at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. Sharkey was down briefly in the fourth, and again in the fifteenth in what several boxing critics considered only a modest showing for Dundee. The New York Evening World wrote that Dundee was "losing his fighting fire", by allowing the bout to go fifteen rounds. The Evening World considered Dundee to have taken every round, though Sharkey made a strong showing in the early part of the fourth. The bout was quite exciting and Sharkey was said to excel at infighting having a reach advantage over Dundee. In the early betting, at least among New York newspapers like the New York Tribune, Dundee seemed a clear favorite. The bout was close according to some newspapers and pushed Dundee to his limits, though he won "by a shade". Sharkey never again competed in a World Championship bout.

Fighting at 127 pounds, in the Jr. Lightweight range, on June 19, 1923, Sharkey lost to Pete Zivic at Queensboro Stadium in Queens, New York in a twelve round points decision. Zivic was a competent junior lightweight, but Sharkey's record included many losses after his loss to Johnny Dundee on July 6, 1922. Sharkey had nearly a six pound weight advantage over Zivic though he lacked a few inches in reach.

On December 2, 1924, Sharkey lost on a second round disqualification against Frankie Fasano when he reportedly and uncharacteristically attacked the referee. He had claimed to be a victim of a foul which the referee disallowed. According to the New York Times, the event greatly disquieted the audience. After striking referee Eddie Purdy in the jaw, his boxing license was revoked the following day and he did not box for the remainder of the year. He boxed in New York four months later in April of 1925.On May 14, 1925, he lost again to Fasano in a ten round points decision at Manhattan Casino in New York after being reinstated. He lost his momentum by the second round..

Sharkey retired from boxing around May 1926, with a ten round points decision loss to Young Mulligan in Norwalk, Connecticut. He had lost two prior bouts by newspaper decision since September 1925, as well as a third round TKO to Jewish boxer Red Chapman on October 23, 1925. In September 1927, the talented Chapman would lose to Benny Bass in a close bout for the NBA World Featherweight Championship in Philadelphia.

Sharkey was twenty-eight years old when he retired from the ring. He died on March 1, 1970 at the age of 72.

External links

• Boxing record for Jackie Sharkey from BoxRec (registration required)