Jack Sharkey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jack Sharkey
Sharkey in 1925
Statistics
Real name	Joseph Paul Zukauskas
Nickname(s)	Boston Gob, Sharkboy
Rated at	Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Reach	72 in (183 cm)
Nationality	American
Born	(1902-10-26)October 26, 1902 Binghamton, New York
Died	August 17, 1994(1994-08-17) (aged 91) Beverly, Massachusetts
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	55
Wins	38
Wins by KO	13
Losses	14
Draws	3

Jack Sharkey when he was 78 years old.

Jack Sharkey (born Joseph Paul Zukauskas) was a famous American boxer. He was born on October 26, 1902, and passed away on August 17, 1994. Jack Sharkey was a Heavyweight champion. He held important boxing titles like the NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring heavyweight titles. He was champion from 1932 to 1933.

Jack Sharkey's Boxing Career

Jack Sharkey chose his ring name from two boxing heroes. They were heavyweight fighter Tom Sharkey and champion Jack Dempsey. He did this to fit in better with the Irish boxing community in Boston.

Early Fights and Big Wins

In 1926, Sharkey won an important fight. He defeated heavyweight contender Harry Wills. His first really big year was 1927. That year, he beat former light heavyweight champion Mike McTigue. He also defeated his Boston rival, Jim Maloney.

These wins led him to a fight on July 21, 1927, against his idol, Jack Dempsey. The winner of this fight would get to challenge the heavyweight champion, Gene Tunney. Sharkey and Dempsey fought hard for six rounds. Sharkey was doing well, but in the seventh round, he turned his head. He was complaining to the referee about a low punch. At that moment, Dempsey landed a powerful left hook. It knocked Sharkey out of the fight.

In 1928, Sharkey fought Tom Heeney to a draw. He also defeated former light-heavyweight champion Jack Delaney.

Chasing the World Title

In 1929, Sharkey was set to fight Young Stribling in Miami. This fight was organized by a famous promoter named Tex Rickard. Sadly, Rickard passed away unexpectedly. This caused a lot of uncertainty for the fight. However, Jack Dempsey stepped in to help. He took over the promotion of the fight.

The Sharkey-Stribling fight was a huge event. It took place at Flamingo Park in Miami. About 40,000 fans came to watch. It also made a lot of money, which was a record for the South at that time.

Later that year, Sharkey fought at Yankee Stadium. He won the United States heavyweight title. He knocked out former light heavyweight champion Tommy Loughran. This victory gave him a chance to fight for the world title. He faced German boxer Max Schmeling on June 12, 1930. Sharkey was disqualified in the fourth round. He had delivered a punch that was below Schmeling's belt. This was a rare event in boxing history. It was the first time the heavyweight championship was won by a foul since 1876.

Becoming World Champion

In October 1931, Sharkey defeated Italian heavyweight Primo Carnera. This win gave him another shot at the world title. On June 21, 1932, Sharkey fought Max Schmeling again. The fight was held at Madison Square Garden Bowl in New York. Sharkey won the championship in a close decision.

Sharkey lost his title on June 29, 1933. This happened in his second fight against Primo Carnera. This made Sharkey the first heavyweight champion to both win and lose his title against European fighters. Later in his life, Sharkey suggested that some of his big fights, including his second fights with Schmeling and Carnera, might not have been fair.

After losing the title, Sharkey took a year off. He then fought Joe Louis on August 18, 1936. Louis knocked him out in the third round. This made Jack Sharkey the only boxer to have fought both Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis.

Jack Sharkey retired from boxing after that fight. His final record was 38 wins, 14 losses, and 3 draws. He had 13 knockouts. Experts described Sharkey as a skilled boxer. He could hit hard and box well. But he was also a bit unpredictable. Sometimes he was amazing, and sometimes he struggled.

Notable Bouts Jack Sharkey Refereed

After his own boxing career, Jack Sharkey became a referee. He refereed some important fights.

• In 1958, he refereed a world light heavyweight title fight. It was between Archie Moore and Yvon Durelle. Moore was knocked down several times but still won the fight. This was one of the first boxing championship fights shown on TV.
• Sharkey also refereed their rematch in 1959. Moore won that fight too.

Professional Boxing Record Summary

Jack Sharkey had a long and exciting career. Here's a quick look at his official boxing record:

All newspaper decisions are officially regarded as “no decision” bouts and are not counted in the win/loss/draw column.

Here's his unofficial record, which includes newspaper decisions:

See also

• List of heavyweight boxing champions