Tommy Gibbons technically became the "Colored Light-Heavyweight Champion" when he beat Kid Norfolk, who held that distinction at the time:yep
Thats not exactly true because Muldoon trained and managed black fighters (CC Smith, Billy Hill) against whites and vice versa (Denver Ed Smith vs Jackson, Kilrain vs Godfrey). It wasn't Muldoon's decision, he was pressured from the top. And Wills record speaks for itself, he was great. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ivSu4Cb3do[/ame] www.youtube.com/eslubin
was there many black promoters or managers around at the time and were the "coloured fights" attened by both blacks and whites?
Gus Greenlee was the first black manager of a black world champ(John Henry Lewis) that I know of. This would be the early 1930s though.
Like a lot of heavyweights, Godfrey could be a bit of a head-case. He didn't always put on his best effort and sometimes didn't train. He liked to fool around too much in camp. He was a bit like Buster Douglas. Like a lot of fighters in those days, if things weren't going his way, he'd find an easier way to lose. .
This was an actual decision according to many including Luckett Davis, the Ring Record Book and others. This content is protected