"Sailor" Tom Sharkey
(Thomas J. Sharkey)
BORN November 26 1873; Dundalk, Ireland DIED April 17 1953; San Francisco, California HEIGHT 5-8 1/2 WEIGHT 172-205 lbs MANAGERS Dan Lynch, Tom O'Rourke
Sharkey was a short, squat battler who was the near-equal of the modern fighter, Rocky Marciano; He was powerful, rough, and durable
Sharkey fought during the time of Jim Jeffries, Jim Corbett and Bob Fitzsimmons; His 1896 bout with Fitzsimmons was billed as a Heavyweight Title Fight, but his crown evaporated once Corbett made clear his intent to return to the ring
He was elected to the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1959 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2003
New Book -- I FOUGHT THEM ALL by Greg Lewis and Moira Sharkey1893 Mar 17 Jack Gardner Honolulu, Oahu, Hi KO 4 Apr 7 J. Pickett Honolulu, Oahu, Hi KO 2 May 3 Jack Langley Honolulu, Oahu, Hi KO 4 May 27 Jim Harvey Honolulu, Oahu, Hi KO 2 Aug 21 Jack Walsh Honolulu, Oahu, Hi KO 2 Sep 10 Jim Barrington Honolulu, Oahu, Hi KO 1 1894 Feb 7 George Washington Honolulu, Oahu, Hi LK -Some sources report "KO 2" on 7/04/94 May 14 "Rough" Thompson Honolulu, Oahu, Hi KO 2 May 24 Nick Burley Honolulu, Oahu, Hi D 9 -Some sources report "D 8" on 6/08/94; Some sources report "KO 8" on 6/14/94 May 28 "Rough" Thompson Honolulu, Oahu, Hi KO 1 Jun 20 Jack Langley Honolulu, Oahu, Hi KO 8 -Some sources report 4/07/94 Jun 21 Nick Barrowich Honolulu, Oahu, Hi D 3 Jul 18 Billy Tate Honolulu, Oahu, Hi KO 2 Jul 21 Jim Dunn Honolulu, Oahu, Hi KO 1 -Some sources report "Vallejo, Ca" Jul 28 Jack McAuley Honolulu, Oahu, Hi KO 1 -Some sources report "Vallejo, Ca" Aug 6 "Rough" Thompson Waikiki, Oahu, Hi KO 4 Aug 11 Jack Marks Vallejo, Ca KO 1 Aug 21 "Sailor" Charles Brown Vallejo, Ca KO 1 Nov 24 Martin Mulverhill Vallejo, Ca KO 9 1895 Jul 25 "Australian" Billy Smith Colma, Ca KO 7 Nov 7 John Miller Colma, Ca KO 9 Dec 27 Billy Geogan San Francisco, Ca EX 3 1896 Mar 12 Alec Greggains San Francisco, Ca D 8 Apr 7 "Sailor" Charles Brown Vallejo, Ca KO 1 Apr Danny Needham San Francisco, Ca EX -Sharkey sparred regularly with Needham in preparation for the Choynski bout Apr 16 Joe Choynski San Francisco, Ca W 8 -Sharkey lasted and claimed win Jun 2 Jim Williams San Francisco, Ca KO 3 -Some sources report "TK 7" on 6/03/96 Jun 24 Jim Corbett San Francisco, Ca D 4 Jul 5 Danny Needham San Francisco, Ca EX 3 Aug 26 Danny Needham Chicago, Il EX 3 Aug 31 John L. Sullivan New York, NY EX 3 -One minute rounds were fought Sep 3 Danny Needham New York, NY SCH Sep 4 Danny Needham New York, NY SCH Sep 5 Danny Needham New York, NY SCH -The previous 3 bouts were scheduled; The outcomes are not known Sep 21 Danny Needham Philadelphia, Pa EX 2 Oct 1 Patrick "Reddy" Gallagher Denver, Co EX Dec 2 Bob Fitzsimmons San Francisco, Ca WF 8 -This bout was promoted as a Heavyweight Championship of the World contest; Fitzsimmons knocked Sharkey flat on his back; Referee Wyatt Earp ruled that Fitzsimmons had hit low 1897 Apr 5 Jim Williams Salt Lake City, Ut D 8 Apr 11 Jake Holtman St. Louis, Mo EX 4 Apr 11 Jake Holtman St. Louis, Mo EX 4 -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date Apr 12 Jake Holtman St. Louis, Mo EX 4 Apr 13 Jake Holtman St. Louis, Mo EX 4 Apr 14 Jake Holtman St. Louis, Mo EX 4 May Bob Armstrong Southfield, NY EX May Bob Armstrong Southfield, NY EX 4 May Joe Choynski Southfield, NY EX May Tim McGrath Southfield, NY EX May Tom Lansing Southfield, NY EX Jun 9 Peter Maher New York, NY D 7 -Police intervened Jul 16 Joe Craig Dundalk, Ireland EX 4 Jul 23 Joe Craig Belfast, Ireland KO 1 Jul Joe Craig Wren Point, Ireland EX Jul 30 Pat McCourt Wren Point, Ireland KO 2 Aug 6 Joe Craig Belfast, Ireland EX 4 Aug 7 Tom Parks Dundalk, Ireland KO 1 Aug 10 Joe Craig Dundalk, Ireland EX 4 Aug 16 Punch Vaughn Liverpool, England KO 3 Nov 18 Joe Goddard San Francisco, Ca KO 6 -Sharkey knocked Goddard down and he struck his head hard on the floor; He was badly dazed 1898 Jan 7 Jim Jeffries San Francisco, Ca SCH -This bout was scheduled but not held; Authorities would not issue a license Mar 8 Jack Stelzner San Francisco, Ca EX 4 Mar 8 Joe Kennedy San Francisco, Ca EX 4 -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date Mar 11 Joe Choynski San Francisco, Ca D 8 -Police intervened; Sharkey should have been disqualified Apr 13 Henry Baker Vallejo, Ca EX 8 Apr 25 Henry Baker Vallejo, Ca EX Apr 25 Jim Casey Vallejo, Ca EX -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date Apr 26 -Sharkey sparred regularly with Henry Baker, Jim Casey, Tim McGrath and Joe Kennedy during Apr 26-May 5 May 6 Jim Jeffries San Francisco, Ca L 20 May 9 Henry Baker San Francisco, Ca EX 1 -This bout was part of the play, "The Ensign" Jun 9 Jim Scanlon Allegheny, Pa EX 4 Jun 9 John J. Cavanaugh Allegheny, Pa EX 4 -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date Jun 29 Gus Ruhlin Brooklyn, NY KO 1 Jul 1 Louis Jester Middletown, NY EX 2 -Some sources report "KO 1" but it appears this was an exhibition match; It was part of Louis Jester's vaudeville show; The bout lasted for "two half-minute rounds;" Mr. Jester lost over $100 by the venture and had the public patronized the show, a good performance would have been given (see the Middletown (NY) Daily Argus, July 2 1898) Nov 22 Jim Corbett New York, NY WF 9 -Corbett lost on foul because his second, Jim McVey, came into the ring Dec 30 Joe Goddard Philadelphia, Pa W 4 1899 Jan 10 Charles "Kid" McCoy New York, NY KO 10 Jan 30 Jim McCormick Philadelphia, Pa KO 2 Feb 1 Tommy Ryan Syracuse, NY EX 6 Apr 17 Bob Armstrong Pittsburgh, Pa EX 3 Apr 18 Bob Armstrong Pittsburgh, Pa SCH Apr 20 Bob Armstrong Pittsburgh, Pa SCH Apr 21 Bob Armstrong Pittsburgh, Pa SCH Apr 22 Bob Armstrong Pittsburgh, Pa SCH -This previous 4 bouts were scheduled; The outcomes are not known Apr 26 Bob Armstrong Rochester, NY EX 4 Oct Bob Armstrong New Dorph, NY EX 8From two newspapers on October 18, 1899 - regarding the injury to Jim Jeffries' left arm
From the New York (NY) Times -- From the Oshkosh, Wi Daily Northwestern -- Oct 19 Bob Armstrong New Dorph, NY EX Oct 19 Tim McGrath New Dorph, NY EX -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date Oct 23 Bob Armstrong New Dorph, NY EX 8 Oct 24 Bob Armstrong New Dorph, NY EX 6 Oct 24 Jeff Thorne New Dorph, NY EX 4 -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date Oct 25 Bob Armstrong New Dorph, NY EX 6 Oct 27 Jim Jeffries Coney Island, NY SCH -Heavyweight Championship of the World; This bout was scheduled but postponed due to the injury to Jeffries' left arm Oct 27 Bob Armstrong New Dorph, NY SCH -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known; The Mutascope Company was to film the bout Oct 31 Bob Armstrong New Dorph, NY EX 6 Nov 3 Jim Jeffries Coney Island, NY L 25 -Heavyweight Championship of the World Nov 16 Jim Jeffries Brooklyn, NY EX 1 -Jeffries and Sharkey fought a one round "retake" of the last round of their title fight, which had not been captured by the cameras 1900 Feb 13 Joe Goddard Philadelphia, Pa TK 4 Feb 19 Jim Jeffords Detroit, Mi KO 2 Mar 15 Jim McCormick Hartford, Ct KO 1 Mar 29 Tom "Stockings" Conroy Baltimore, Md KO 2 May 8 Joe Choynski Chicago, Il KO 2 -Some sources report "TK 3" Jun 8 Yank Kenny Brooklyn, NY KO 1 -Some sources report "New York, NY" Jun 26 Gus Ruhlin Coney Island, NY LK 15 Aug 24 Bob Fitzsimmons Coney Island, NY LK 2 Aug 29 Jim Guider New York, NY EX 3 -Some sources report "George Crider" Dec 18 -Sharkey was scheduled to spar in New York, NY 1901 May 3 Fred Russell Denver, Co KO 4 May 7 "Mexican" Pete Everett Cripple Creek, Co LF 1 -Some sources report "LF 2" at "Denver, Co" Dec Bob Fitzsimmons New York, NY EX 5 1902 Jan 17 Peter Maher Philadelphia, Pa NC 3 -Sharkey and Maher were merely going through the motions of fighting when the referee stopped the bout and called it "No Contest" Jun 25 Gus Ruhlin London, England LT 11 1903 Jun 14 Carl Pons Coney Island, NY SCH -This wrestling match was scheduled; The outcome is not known 1904 Feb 27 Jack Monroe Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 -This bout was not held 2/28/04 1923 Nov 19 Frankie Shields Santa Ana, Mexico EX 3 1927 May 3 Jim Jeffries San Francisco, Ca EX 1 1920-1930 -Sharkey and Jim Jeffries toured the United States giving boxing exhibitions and vaudeville performances 1930-1950 -Sharkey worked at various race tracks in California *** The Following Bouts Are Reported But Not Confirmed *** 1898 May 31 Louis Jester Middletown, NY KO 1*** Some Data Was Provided By Sergei Yurchenko ***
Record courtesy of Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization
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