Anybody Know about George Godfrey

A few top black contenders who never got title shots developed drink problems.

Because they didnt get title shots!!!

 

The ways black fighters got screwed those days is really messed up. Even during 1930s, if your name wasnt joe louis, you were screwed as a black fighter and louis nearly pulled a jack johnson during his title reign by not giving black fighters title shots. Of course alot of it had to do with the john henry lewis fight, which nearly lost money at the gate, two black fighters never draw well.

It is really stunning to me the IBC finally got it right in 1949 and appointed two black fighters(who happened to be the two best in the world Walcott and Charles) to fight for the Vacant Heavyweight Title. STILL, The IBC had an agenda. They still wanted that next white champion, and appointed some very mediocre white fighters(beshore, barone, valentino) or washed up former white contenders(lesnevich, oma) to fight Charles for the title while there were much more deserving fresh contenders out there. The IBC thought they finally found something when Rex Layne came about, but when Marciano cold cocked him, then they realized marciano was that man. Luckily, marciano never drew the color line, but still some of the younger black contenders never got there shot at the rock. By 1955 color seemed to become less of an issue and Moore vs Patterson vs pitted for Vacant world title.

 

You have to wonder what Joe Walcott or even Elmer Ray could have been with the right financial backing in their early careers.

I am prety sure that the wrong managerand + trainer could have screwed up Louis.

You have to wonder how deep the black rabbit hole goes in this era.

 

I've got film of his fight against Carnera. Godfrey looked like he didn't even try though and the ending was controversial. Reminds me of today's heavyweights with his lazy attitude based on that fight.

I can upload it to youtube if anyone cares to see it.

 

It's called throwing a fight ...

 

He did land some punches on Carnera (whose chin was known to be glass).

Maybe it was a fix but it's up to you to decide. The fight will be uploaded in about 30 minutes. :good

 

He seems like he had some good wins after a bad start...I will look a little seeper in to him

 

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I gotta say, while I am a fan of Jack Dempsey, I am NOT impressed with his title defenses over the likes of Tommy Gibbons and George Carpentier at all......... Neither Gibbons or Carpentier were ever really true heavies with power.....

MR.BILL:shock:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzeY4udtFQg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_4dku3Sd0A

 

godfrey showed up way overweight for that fight and he still moves pretty good. I can imagine how fast on his feet he was at a ripped 225lb in his prime. When godfrey in that film decides to open up, carnera has nothing to respond. godfrey defintley held back

 

Michael Jackson's "skin disease"? That's the only thing that would've gotten him in the mix.

 

Like I said, a fix like most of Primo's pre-title "wins" over names ...

 

Glass chin? Since when?

 

Well he wasn't exactly known for his iron chin either. You'd think that Sharkey and Godfrey would not be throwing the kind of punches that they did against Carnera if they had been instructed to take a dive pre-fight.

This was a quite "raw" version of Primo Carnera. The fight was in 1930 when Carnera had fought as a pro for just 2 years.

I believe Godfrey tried to get a rematch but never got one.