If George Godfrey had been allowed to take part in the elimination tournament of 1929?

I was just looking at Godfrey's record on boxrec and I had one of those Greg Haugen moments. You know the one, where he was looking over Julio Cesar Chavez' record before they fought and found amongst Chavez' opponents one Jerry Lewis. Haugen of course, then went around saying in press conferences, "Hey, look, he beat the nutty professor!" Well I just had one of those when I saw amongst Godfrey's KO victims was one Benny Hill. Oh, man, I wonder if that was when Benny said, "F**k this, I'm turning to comedy instead."

 

SuzyQ is on fire in this thread. Fair play. For better or for worse, I never knew a lot of that stuff. Glad to learn, so thanks for the evidence and references. Makes me interested in how you think we would fare against some of the 80s and 90s contenders: Tucker? Cooney? M Spinks? Morrison? McCall? Rahman?
I'd always lumped him in there at around the level of those much later guys. Was that an oversight on my part?

 

His resume is light. You can always find reports of people who tout some heavyweight from the past as the “guy” i’m Sure there are a million write ups on Dempsey as the best, as Wills as the best, as Tunney or Greb etc. I think you have to take some of it with a pinch of salt.

 

Back when I was living in San Francisco, I took some notes on the Risko-Godfrey fight off their newspaper microfilms. I will share my notes--

James P Dawson, NY Times--Gives close fight to Godfrey, 6 rounds to 4, but comments that "most" viewed Risko as the winner.

"The only thrill was the commendable work of Risko under every physical handicap. Godfrey is just a slow-moving, cumbersome heavyweight whose tremendous strength constitutes his only ring qualification."
Dawson notes later that "Risko dominated Godfrey in the 8th and 9th. Godfrey looked foolish in those two rounds as Risko pounded him. The big man was helpless to defend himself or counter the fire."
"The Crowd cheered the verdict."

Edward J Neil, AP--called fight 5-3-2 for Godfrey, but said the press row was split with many siding with Risko, who won the last three rounds as Godfrey tired. From the 7th round on, "Risko, improving as the fight went along, poured his shots steadily into Godfrey. His artillery found its mark oftener and in the ninth and tenth sessions Godfrey was glad to defend himself and depend on his earlier margin to bring him home the victory."

George Kirksy, UPI--gave fight to Risko, but "Risko's margin of victory was slight."

"The tide of battle shifted after the fifth, Risko opening up a fierce body attack which Godfrey was unable to stave off. Risko carried four of the last five rounds. Godfrey weakened after the fifth round and attempted to clinch and hold at every opportunity."

 

Great stuff. Thanks. Seems like it was a close bout that could of went either way. Not a robbery. The one report I read on the Uzcudon bout said the same with Godfrey getting the nod. Wonder if we can find some reports on the Sharkey fight.

 

I would say that’s about his level. I think he would dust Morrison early, whom I find a very overrated fighter.

But an excellent boxer like Tucker, and a tall dangerous puncher like cooney would have made excellent fights for Godfrey. McCall on his A game would have been a great fight as well.

I think godfreys level was below Holmes and Tyson but amongst the Witherspoon Thomas Dokes at their best.

 

Godfrey most likely carried risko

 

Why is it most likely ?

 

Truth is, if you read about 1920s and 1930s fights, you'll always find plenty of rumours and innuendos that big fights were fixed.
Boxing was widely believed to be fixed.

If we're to believe all this stuff about Godfrey then we should believe all the other rumours too.

 

Based on talking to reputable historians who are experts on that era and based on the fight reports...the way Godfrey was in complete control the first five rounds, and still well ahead after 7, then just suddenly "died" in the last couple rounds...I don't buy that he suddenly lost his wind. I think he was ordered to cool it last few rounds. There is no doubt boxing did not want another black heavyweight champion because of jack Johnson. A young fast big powerful heavyweight like Godfrey was a huge threat. The promoters were going to use him as a stat padder for top white contenders and then wash their hands with him when he got old. i have no doubt he was one of the most handcuffed fighters of all time, especially against ranked white men

 

Risko picked up plenty of good wins and was near impossible to hurt. Only Schmeling could stop him in his prime. Could this “carried” talk been a convenient way to explain away a loss for Godfrey’s team?

 

Risko was a good fighter. No doubt, I just have a higher opinion on Godfrey than others. Godfrey was big he was powerful he was athletic. Larry Gains said he was the best hes ever fought. Risko wasn't the only fighter Godfrey was on the cuffs against in my opinion. When Godfrey faced top white men, I believe most of the time he was to to hold back or cook it. They did not want Godfrey to get a shot at the title.

The risko fight..where Godfrey dominated until round 7, then suddenly began getting beat up the final 2 rounds..and they award risko the decision. The questionable Renault results...

I don't know if the sharkey fight was on the level...I have no theories

 

The historians you've cited base their opinions on hearsay, and "what was widely believed" around Philadelphia, Pittsburgh etc.
But the whole fight crowd was obssessed with the "fix conspiracy" at the time.
Every big fight or upset was besmirched with the fix gossip.

Maybe boxing was fixed at the time. But then we'd have to extend it way beyond Godfrey and the black fighters. If we're going to believe the vague hearsay evidences of the time, or people who knew people who were around at the time, then it touches almost every champion and contender out there.

Godfrey looks like a huge, often fat, heavyweight in the pictures. If he gassed in the last 2 or 3 rounds against Risko that wouldn't be surprising, based on what we've seen from similarly built heavyweights.

 

Interesting I don’t discount your theories but I do believe their may be some myth to the fact like their are with many fighters of that era. As for the Risko fight - he may have tanked it but evidence in his fight just prior to that bout against Uzcudon also reports that Godfrey faded in the 6,7,8th rounds before rallying in the final two rounds to win a narrow and booed verdict.
I totally agree that he was denied because of his color of a rightful shot and because Wills was the darling of the media I think Godfrey was one too many black contenders the times of the day called for. He was the red headed step child forced into the shadows while Wills was championed for a shot.
I’m hoping someone can post some fight reports on the Sharkey fight.

 

The historian you cited said he had "no doubt" that Godfrey was handcuffed in that one.