george godfrey

i was posting this pic on another thread and thought i'd ask if anyone had any thoughts on this here...

i have read in a few places that george godfrey was sacked as jack dempseys sparring partner during the build up to the dempsey - firpo fight for knocking dempsey out...
seems its probably not true....but be interesting to see what some of you say anyway...

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A 1943 interview with George Godfrey


During the golden era of boxing when Jack Dempsey ruled as king of the heavyweights, Harry Wills, great negro boxer, was the only man the Manassa Mauler refused to fight for the title. Wills, on the other hand, was meeting and beating all who dared enter the same ring with him all, that is, with one exception. George Godfrey, Negro and Belgium heavyweight c h a m p , known to sportswriters from coast to coast as the "uncrowned champion of the world," was the exception.

In fact, Wills turned down an offer of $150,000 to meet Godfrey in Madison Square Garden for the late Tex Rickard. Now, even during that period when million dollar gates were not too uncommon, that was a fair night's salary for 45 minutes work. It would have netted Wills considerably more than $3000 a minute or better than $50 a second.

There must have been a reason. And recorded for all posterity in the boxing bible is the reason— Godfrey's impressive record, including 75 recorded knockouts, from 1920 until he retired in 1937.

Godfrey, born Feab S. Williams, January 25, 1901, in Mobile, Alabama, gained his reputation as a boxer while serving hitches in the army and navy. Weighing 240 pounds and standing a mere 6 feet 3 inches, he started kayoing all service boxers he met He not only rocked them to sleep but would break jaws and noses while doing it.

So in 1919 Jimmy Dougherty took him under his wing and started him on a professional career. In 1920 he was elevated to main events and met Sam Langford. Godfrey was kayoed in the second round.

That was enough fighting for Big George that year and he did not enter the ring until August, 1921, when he met Langford once more. And again he was put out only this time in the first round. And again he quit fighting for a year while Dougherty schooled him in the art of protecting himself as well as hitting the other fellow.

Nineteen twenty-two found Godfrey meeting five fighters. He kayoed four and decisioned the fifth.

In 1923 Godfrey met Langford for a third time. It appeared as if he was just a glutton for punishment But this time the 22-year-old boxer exploded his dynamite on Langford's chin and belted him out in the third round. Then just to prove it was no accident the pair met a fourth time in Arkansas and Langford was stretched out in the second round for the full count. And after this fight Langford, the Boston Tar Baby, retired for good.

A BUSY FIGHTER

Then for the next 13 years Godfrey was a very busy fighter, meeting every good heavyweight in the world who was not afraid to put on the gloves with him. And in that 13 years of continual fighting he lost only 11 fights— and five of these losses were on fouls. Godfrey says that many of those boxers claimed a foul because they were getting beat and took the easy way out.

In 1927 there fifteen fights in the record book under Godfrey's name—and every one of them he won by a knockout!

Nineteen twenty-eight was the year that Wills turned down that fabulous amount posted by Rickard for a Garden bout. And in 1928 Godfrey fought Paolino Uzcudun in Los Angeles. If he whipped him he was to fight for the championship. Gene Tunney had retired undefeated and there was no heavyweight champion.

So Godfrey won a decision over Uzcudun in ten rounds.

But when a title bout was mentioned — the boxing moguls ignored Godfrey completely and matched Max Schmelling a n d Jack Sharkey for the championship!

Today Godfrey has picked up a little weight to a neat 357 these days. Godfrey now lives here in Long Beach where he is host at the 147,000 National Colored Elks Congo club. He is also the Grand Bodyguard of the Colored Elks. In his position as "host" it sometimes becomes necessary for him to eject rowdies from the club. To demonstrate that he has not lost too much of his oldtime vigor he showed us exactly how he 'would give the "bums rush" to a drunk.

After applying a couple full nelsons and a double arm lock to both of us at the same time—well, we were plenty convinced.

JACK JOHNSON IS BEST

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. Tile 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," t h e "uncrowned" heavyweight champ vows.

 

is this godfrey in this photo?...i'm guessing it is...

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