Sharkey Advises Young Boxers to Develop Accuracy With Left Hand as Asset in Fighting--Godfrey Bout Was Best of Career

A fast, accurate, left jab is the first essential of boxing that prospective members of Harvard's first organized boxing team should master in the opinion of Jack Sharkey, American heavyweight champion, who was recently interviewed at his home in the exclusive residential section of Chestnut Hill. Sharkey declared that a good left hand was the most valuable asset in boxing and when skillfully used paved the way for all other blows.

Sharkey's best fight was a ten-round, uphill, slugging match with George Godfrey, giant Californian negro. Godfrey's immense size and his reputation for viciousness had kept the other heavy-weight contenders dodging him. Sharkey entered the ring, giving away 44 pounds in weight, four to five inches of height, and nearly three inches in reach. He says he battled through the ten rounds "not knowing what it was all about," until his hand was raised.

While asserting that training was an important item in preparing for a fight, the ex-sailor said he knew many fighters who would smoke two packages of cigarettes in the dressing-room before a match and not suffer from short-winded-ness. Sharkey's idea of having a good time after a fight is just relaxing and eating a lot of pie, cake, and ice-cream. When he is training, if he feels a craving for non-training table food, Sharkey will take a bit of pie, or a drink of milk rather than let himself worry. Hunting is his main exercise when he is not getting ready for a bout.

Pointing out that 95 per cent of the fighters today were once amateur, the Chestnut Hill boxer advised all first rate pures to turn professional if they wanted to support their families. After having won the amateur championship, little remains but to turn professional. The fight game has changed completely in the last ten years, Sharkey believes, as most of the boxers are married and are anxious to salt away what they can get.

Speaking of some of his former opponents, Sharkey made the statement that he thought Young Stribling could defeat world's champion Max Schmeling.