Anybody Know about George Godfrey

Godfrey is the ultimate boxing enigma.

His paper record is nothing to write home about and it is thought that he wore the cuffs for many of his fights.

Contemporary fighters and trainers absolutely rave about him and some thought that he could have been as dangerous as Jack Dempsey if he had been let off the leash.

Even today some historians consider him to be a top 20 all time heavyweight.

Sorry if I have just thrown the question wide open rather than closing it!

 

George Godfrey was a huge black dude from the 1920s and 30s..... He was a chief sparring partner of Jack Dempsey..... George Godfrey had **** poor management and a lazy attitude.... Godfrey ballooned up in weight, due to excessive eating binges.... I think Ol' George Godfrey died in the 1940s just shy of age 50 from complications of diabetes and some other illness associated with the times and medicine.... The dude had talent, but lacked a real team........

MR.BILL

 

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August 18, 1921 – The Mansfield (Ohio) News
Covington, KY – August 18 – One Punch Is Enough
“Sam Langford, the Boston Tar Baby, won an easy victory over George Godfrey, 220-pound Negro boxer of Mobile, Ala. In the first round of a secheduled 12-round bout before the Riverside Club last night. “Tham” landed a left hook to George’s jaw and he did not wake up until long after the lights were out and most of the spectators were home.”

 

11/1/1943 – Long Beach Independent
“Godfrey, like all oldtimers believes that the present day fighters are not as good as the boys a few years back. “Today they use bigger gloves and mouthpieces and other forms of protection that oldtimers scorned,” Godfrey said. “I think they were tougher in the old days. The present day fighter would not take the punishment that was dished out by the oldtimers.”

Godfrey says the hardest hitter he ever met was Sam Langford, but the greatest fighter of all time, the one that would take any of the fighters of today, is Jack Johnson. “He was the greatest defensive counter-puncher there ever was,” Godfrey said reverently.

Incidentally, Godfrey says he does not go to fights any more and he would not advise anyone to be a professional fighter. “If I had a son, I wouldn’t let him go near a boxing ring. There’s better ways of making a living,” the uncrowned champ vows.”

 

Wait a minute...Godfrey knocked out sam Langford in rematch in 3? they should put that up on boxrec

 

Afro American Ledger, July 21, 1928 & now page 320 of 'Sam Langford, Boxing's Greatest Uncrowned Champion'
"Godfrey shared an amusing story about one of those training sessions (with Langford) with sportswriter Damon Runyan a few years later. Sam was passing on a number of tricks to George and one day, while the two were sparring the thought of dropping a big right hand on Sam's chin crossed his mind.

"I just wanted to see if I could hit him some with that right hand. But doggonit if he ain't seen the evil look in my eyes. No more did I get that big paw of mine in position to experiement, then I detect a chance in Sam's face. Next thing I know, some charitable sould was pushing water on my face. Seems like I don been knocked cold. I was kind of ashamed to look at old Sam. He done seen that evil light in my eyes when I was gonna let go of that right. But Sam didn't say much. All he tolod me was, 'George, don't never forget, the wages of sin am death and damnation.' I guess he was right, Sam was a powerful sharp man."

 

Even despite that, he still managed to record some good wins. 2 that come in mind is a knockout victory over larry gains and a decision over tiger jack fox who jersey joe walcott called "the greatest fighter i ever fought."

 

"Wait a minute...Godfrey knocked out sam Langford in rematch in 3? they should put that up on boxrec"

Don't know, as you saw I put a note next to that questioning if it was true. I didn't come across a record of such a fight. Maybe someone else has?

 

I used to have a three or four page story on George Godfrey from a 1990s issue of World Boxing Magazine, but I dumped many of my old mags back a while ago.... They were just piling up and getting in the way....

George Godfrey was an interesting character and a pretty good talent, but not properly handled... Rumor had it, when he could afford it, George Godfrey would sit and eat a whole chicken with biscuits and gravy, along with corn on the cobb and taters soaked in butter at a single time / serving.... In a sense, I suppose George Godfrey was a champion---CHOWHOUND!! Again, I believe diabetes caught up to him later in life....

MR.BILL

 

Jack Dempsey said (after Tunney retired) that George Godfrey was the best of the remaining field.

Dempsey had beatenb Sharkey, and sparred with Schmeling (as in unoficial fight)

How history could have been diferent.

 

George Godfrey SHOULD'VE made a serious move in the yrs of 1928 and '29.... WTF was he waiting on?? The division was wide open then... George Godfrey (Off the top) fought until roughly 1936 or so.... By then he was knocking on 40... Again, Godfrey was a talent, but also a stroke boy as well.....

MR.BILL:deal

 

Always been interested in Godfrey I wish there was footage of him since Blackburn trained I wonder how similar his style was to Louis.