Gene Tunney's decision to fight Heeney instead of Sharkey in finale

I hope you are not throwing shade at godfrey here and acting like it was HIS choice to throw fights. Godfrey was the victim of an incredibly racist time period run by racist people who kept him from ever having a chance to become something big. Larry Gains rated Godfrey and Dempsey has the two best he ever shared a ring with. With Wills being the media darling, there was no way they were going to accept 2 great black heavyweights.

 

Philadelphia Boxing Historian interviewed Jimmy Dougherty's son Howard, who was also a promoter and drove Godfrey across country for his campaign in California, He talked of all the concessions they had to make in order for Godfrey to meet high rated fighters including carrying opponents, fouling out, etc.

 

After the retirment of Gene Tunney, Jack Dempsey was asked his opinion on the curent crop of heavyweights and the likely outcome of an elimination tournament to choose his sucessor:

Former Champion Is Interviewed on Journey Southward and Leaves Sport Writers in Daze
Enroute to Miami, Florida, to talk it over with Tex Rickard, Jack Dempsey is issuing a one man consensus of the heavyweight situation, and as interpreted by his interviewers along the line, it runs something like this.

"The winner of the Stribling-Sharkey fight at Miami Beach February 27, will be the next champion of the world. I am willing to meet the winner of the Stribling-Sharkey fight, but I will have no announcements to make until I Rickard. I'm not sure yet that I want to box again. I will not referee the Miami Beach fight. I believe George Godfrey, the negro, is the best among the crop of heavyweights just at present."

The Bennington Evening Banner, January 4, 1929, p. 6

 

You are saying Godfrey would have been forced to throw a title fight if given the chance?

What kind of evidence do you want? I mean, it's almost an impossible thing to prove really. I have quotes from numerous historians of the time I can give you. I can give you quotes from Godfrey, his manager, Gains, what do you want?

 

Here is what Baron Dougherty is quoted about Godfrey's early career (Chester Times 8/15/47- after Godfrey died) :
"George was born down in Mobile, Alabama but left there when he was young and eventually found his way to Chicago. There he learned to box under old Sam Langford. Langford, one of the greatest old fighters, took him through the south giving exhibitions.
"Just about that time Jack Johnson, the former champion, was looking for a sparring partner for vaudeville exhibitions. He was thinking about making a comeback. He picked up George and they toured the country. While the were in Atlantic City, Johnson drove up to see me.
"Jimmy, he said, I engaged this boy but he is too fast and clever for me to make a good showing. I've got to get rid of him and get a bigger, slower man. He's a great boxer. I think you can make him champion. I'll sell you his contract for $1,000.........."then Rickard offered Wills $50,000. to fight Godfrey in Madison Square Garden. Paddy Mullen, Wills' manager, refused because he felt that Kearns and I were too close and that we were trying to "kill" Wills as an opponent for Dempsey..............."After that I toured all over with George. He never had to exert himself. HE WAS NEVER KNOCKED DOWN. In most of his matches he had to carry the fellows for a couple of rounds. We couldn't get the topnotchers to fight...............GODFREY WAS NEVER KNOCKED DOWN [when Dougherty had him], he was never on the floor,"

 

godfrey tried his best Vs white opponents! Lol

is that what you want to hear?

 

He dominated and stopped Larry Gains, who rated Godfrey extremely high in his autobiography. Gains defeated two world champions, and was of similar size and mold to Tunney.

" I was afraid of only two men in my life, My Father and George Godfrey."- Larry Gains

larry gains rated godfrey and the dempsey who fought sharkey (whom larry sparred with) as the best two heavyweights he ever met in the ring. In his book, gains talked of godfrey as a real monster.

Wills flat out refused to fight him when Godrey was in shape and in his prime. So we don't know how that one would have gone.

Baron Dougherty, manager of "Big Gawge," challenged Wills almost daily from 1923 thru 1926. Dougherty offered Wills' management their choice of terms-including "winner take all" and even offered Wills the entire purse (even if he lost).
Philly promoters Herman Taylor + Bobby Gunnis pursued the match stating that it would easily do a quarter of a million dollars in the Quaker City where Godfrey was a huge box-office attraction.
Tex Rickard tried to arrange the bout for New York to decide the "leading negro title challenger." Also California promoters were interested because Godfrey had become a terrific drawing card in L.A. and San Francisco. But the Wills management still refused.
The sports writers pressed the issue but no got no response. Even the dean of America's black sportswriters, Rollo Wilson, claimed that Wills was ducking Godfrey- Chuck Hasson Philadelphia Boxing Historian


"From late 1923 Baron (James) Dougherty issued challenges almost daily for Wills to take on Godfrey, who was Philadelphia's greatest drawing card. Promoters Herman Taylor and Bobby Gunnis figured such a match in Phila would do between $250 K to $500 K. and the winner would be the "logical challenger" for Dempsey. Dougherty offered all kinds of perks to Wills including that Godfrey would take the match for $ 1."





EASTERN SNAPSHOTS by W. Rollo Wilson



Nov.12, 1925-The Baron of Leiperville is home again with wonderous tales of the mighty deeds of the "Shadow" along the gilded slope. The "Shadow" is just another way of denoting Gorger George Godfrey, Jimmy's (Dougherty) outsize white elephant. For white elephant George seems now to be. Nobody wants to fight him for love or money. Mr. Wills unostentatiously draws the color line. Mr. Tunney is more blatant in his announcement to the same effect. "I'll fight Harry Wills," broadcasts James Joseph, "but I draw the color line on George Godfrey."

Two things may be on the mind of the Apollo of Greenwich Village, Perhaps he thinks that one "shot" with Wills would give him enough of the filthy lucre for his future earthly needs. Win or lose he would be "in." Fighting Ole Black Lightning [Godfrey] would be a case of all to lose and nothing to gain, he probably thinks. At this time Billy Gibson and Tunney are saying that the Big Three of Boxing are Dempsey, Wills, and the modest Gene. Godfrey would fain make it a foursome, but you can be jolly well sure that the triumvira will continue to say him nay.

One of the first acts of [Dougherty] on his arrival was to release another challenge in the general direction of the above-mentioned Big Three. His latest offer is this:

All any promoter has to do is get Harry, Gene or Jack to sign the papers and pay them whatever they want. Godfrey will come in without asking for a dollar. The aftermath will provide the Dougherty clan with all they will want, because they feel that George can take any of the three.

As is well known Dougherty and Dempsey are the best of friends. Last summer a year ago (1924) Dempsey visited the baronial halls (Leiperville). While here the subject of a bout with George was broached. Jack declared that if he fought at all he would fight Wills, but not Godfrey. Jimmy pressed him for the reason and he said : "Godfrey is a big strong fellow and is young, Wills is getting older and I think he will be the easier man of the two. That is the reason I prefer to fight him, if I fight." - ROLLO WILSON was often referred to as "the dean of the Black Press.


"Tunney wanted nothing to do with Godfrey--plain and simple--too tough a fight. Godfrey is vastly under-rated. His record and career are somewhat mired in mystery. So many DQ's, knockouts and damn mystifying losses. I have no doubt, for instance, that he had the cuffs on against Sharkey. The high number of DQ's has more to do with him fighting to order than it does with him being sloppy. George was a beast--big, athletic, huge puncher and surprisingly good speed and movement for a man his size. I think in his prime, 1925-1931, he was about as good as it got. Nobody really wanted to fight George, and for good reason.- Boxing Historian Kevin Smith, Author Of The Sundowners

It was widely understood in Philly that Godfrey agreed to "carry" Risko, that his first two matches with Renault were "smellers" and his "foul-outs" were "ordered." Today People don't realize that one leading black challenger (Wills) was tolerated because of his "good name" with the New York commission but two top black challengers were frowned on. Godfrey and his management (Dougherty) tried to alleviate the situation by attempting to lure Wills into the ring by any means, but of course Wills and Paddy Mullins were not about to risk their position that they earned by taking on young, and very dangerous opponent like Godfrey.I still believe Godfrey was the most "handcuffed" boxer of all time. Being the "most handcuffed boxer of all time" (my opinion) doesn't mean that he was the best of his period, just the "most feared" with the cuffs off. By the way check out photos of Godfrey pre 1926 before his frustrations caused him to gain weight. His body was ripped with muscle and he was always in top condition."- Chuck Hasson Philadelphia Boxing Historian






His record against black men was fine. Godfrey held the colored title 2x. He defeated several of the better black men of the era. On his way up he beat Big Bill Tate, he knocked out Sam Langford in 1922 (Boxrec still hasn't added this one in yet). During his career he beat Tut Jackson, Larry Gains, Bob Lawson, Long Tom Hawkins, Neil Clisby, Clem Johnson, Big Bill Hartwell, Seal Harris, Tiger Jack Fox. That's very solid.

Aug. 17, 1921 – George Godfrey, Covington Riverside Athletic Club KO 1

Unknown source: Once while George (Godfrey) was still new to the game, he met Langford in Covington, KY, and thinking the time ripe to establish himself in the fight game, stepped right out at the bell to finish Sam. Really, George was just a big, green boy and when Langford saw what he was up to, the Tar Baby knocked him out in a hurry, Jes to show you not to git smart wit yo bettahs, as he confided to Godfrey after the fight. Time was telling on Sam, and Godfrey was improving.

George finally stopped the veteran in three rounds in Burton, IA, but none of their matches really showed the two in fair comparison, for Langford was far past his prime, while Godfrey was still climbing.

Speaking of his bouts with Sam, ,George says that the Boston Tar Baby hit him with the hardest sock he ever received, a terrific punch on the left eye. The immediate result was a closed optic and a blinded George, whom Langford proceeded to trim most beautifully.




I have interest in the truth. I posted 3 different articles with answers to your question. I also said its nearly impossible to prove. A lot of here say. You seem very lazy and not interested in doing the research yourself. You aren't worthy of holding an opinion.


Marciano. Bit of a childish tantrum statment on your part? Sounds it. Let me prepare a bottle for you. Btw, Marciano may have avoided skilled boxers who were young, but at least he didn't avoid BLACK MEN like Tunney did.

 

I'm simply using Tunney's quote ""There is no contender at the present time who appears capable of attracting real public interest," he said. "If there were I might delay my retirement long enough to face him in the ring, but it looks as if it might take two or three years before a dangerous opponent is developed"

You are right about Sharkey being erratic

You are right about Godfrey never proving himself the man

The above quote, Tunney is basically equating a "dangerous opponent" to "real public interest". Tunney is also basically saying he retired because no one is worthy of challenging him.

So my question is why doesn't tunney (whom was a smart man and studied his opposition religiously) consider Godfrey a dangerous opponent given his HEIGHT, SIZE, POWER?

my other question is why doesn't tunney consider Sharkey a dangerous opponent given the fact he watched him defeat Harry Wills and handle Jack Dempsey for 6 rounds? He had to have watched the skills, head movement, speed sharkey presented in the ring.