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

The Sharkey fight in 28 was probably his peak. He outfought Sharkey, deserved that one. Meanwhile he lost to Sharkey in 1925 a month before the Tunney fight. Risko appeared to dramatically go downhill after Schmeling battered him in 29 his first knockout loss. I know Risko didn't have the best management. He was quite the guy. Fought for the US Army in his 40s during WW II

 

Interesting couple articles and passages here

Godfrey was fired from a ten year contract as a sparring partner for Dempsey because he " Left the champion punch drunk and softened up for Gibbons". The media was reporting on how Godfrey was getting the better of Jack, the trainers were not happy their man is being busted up and looking poorly in the press, so, they ran a story which was later redacted by the story teller about Godfrey being too hurt to continue training with Jack. From there, Godfrey makes repeated attempts to prove Jack was on the hurt end of their sparring. It's not until after the fact it's revealed Dempsey's team conspired to remove and humiliate Godfrey because they were scared of him.

From the Sundowners.


"Godfrey-Paulino. For a long time, George Godfrey, 240-pound black man has been giving people the impression that he could knock out Dempsey and Tunney the same night if he would only try. For a long time George Godfrey has demanded what he thinks he deserves--a match with Tunney. Only a few sharp-eyed critics have warned George Godfrey that the trouble with demanding what he deserves is that he might get it. Last week in Los Angeles George Godfrey met Paolino Uzcudun, Basque, who still has to bring an interpreter to the ring so that he can understand what the referee says. Forty-four pounds lighter than the black man, Paolino lost the decision in a ten round bout made up mostly of clinching." - Mar 12th, 1928, Time Magazine

"Godfrey-Risko. There is always one fighter among heavyweight fighters who is called the Black Menace. It used to be Wills. Now, as everyone knows, it is George Godfrey, Alabama blackamoor. To be the black menace a fighter must be big. Godfrey weighs 245 pounds when he is thin. The Black Menace must have beaten up a lot of inferior fighters. Godfrey fought 16 times last year, scored 16 knockouts. Above all, to be the Black Menace, it must be rumored that he is: 1) so formidable that the heavyweight champion is afriad of him, and 2) crooked. Godfrey fulfills these conditions. He is very good natured and always smiles kindly and hideously at his opponents. His larded body melts with any exertion, making him hard to hold in clinches. He has enormous strength and like checked neckties, pork chops, going to the zoo, and resting. This week, after much palaver and two postponements because of rain, he climbed into a ring and mauled around with Johnny Risko, baker-boy from Cleveland." - July 2nd, 1928, Time Magazine

 

Here's the information I'll let you decide




(Thank you Ben for posting this a while back)

Johnny Risko Spoils Hopes Of George Godfrey For Boxing Fame, Fast Finish Made

By Cleveland Pug

Thrilling rally In Last Two Rounds Believed To Have Decided
Profit Made In Tilt
One Of The Few Fiancial Successes Of Summer’s Outdoor Ring Season

Once more that pudgy Clevelander, spoiler of heavyweight favorites, doughy Johnny Risko, has battered out of the limelight a man generally picked to defeat him.
This time the victim was George Godfrey, successor to Harry Wills as the current "Black Menace" and the man generally avoided by all heavyweights who seek advancement in their profession. To Risko was awarded the victory after 10 rounds of vicious, bruising mauling last night in the ball park of the Brooklyn Nationals, Ebbets field.
Critics Don't Agree

Although the verdict of the judges met with only luke warm approval from 25,000 fans several sport writers gave Risko a margin of five rounds with four for Godfrey and one even. The Associated Press score sheet gave the Negro giant five rounds, with three for Risko and two even.
Risko apparently caught the judge's eyes with a thrilling rally in the last two rounds that had the 235-pound Negro giant glad to hold and back away from the stress of left hooks Johnny threw at his head and body. There was no semblance of a knockdown and neither bore marks of the battle at the close.
The warfare for the most part was at close range, with a premium on clouts to the ribs that rarely bothered either battler. Risko absorbed Godfrey's right hand smashes and came back smiling for more while the best shots of Cleveland boy hardly dented the man mountain opposite him.
Legs Bother
In the early rounds Godfrey toyed with the rushing youngster who spoiled Jack Sharkey, Jack Delaney and others as drawing cards
in Tex Rickard's elimination tournament last winter. But the great bulk of his frame wrested heavily on the Negro's slender legs in the last five rounds and Johnny, plugging steadily forward left hand a winging ahead to take the verdict.
The match was one of the few financial successes of the rainy summer season of many postponements. Receipts were $51.684.

ROUND - BY – ROUND

Round One
Godfrey, a smiling giant compared with the squat and pugly Risko, hammered a left and right on the Cleveland boy's body.Risko bounced his famous left hook off the negro's body and shot two overhand rights to the head- Risko stepped rather easily around the slow moving, ponderous giant, landing easily with his left, but there was danger always in the smashing right Godfrey used steadily as a counter.

Round Two
Risko bounced forward into a flood of left hooks to the head, that the Negro growing vicious, smashed accurately to their marks. Under the storm of blows as Godfrey threw everything into the attack, Risko wilted and the giant Negro nearly wrestled him to the floor. Risko held a. moment to gain his wind, then flailed Into the huge negro with overhand rights 'that had Godfrey holding at the bell.

Round Three
Risko tugged and hauled at Big George, almost pulling himself from his feet as he tried to cut the huge black down to his own size with body punches. George took to holding and countering with his right as Johnny stormed into him, throwing caution to the winds. Risko, a pigmy besides Godfrey's massive bulk, still had the courage to carry the fight to his foe. Godfrey smashed two left hooks to the chin, and a numbing right to the heart as Risko missed a wild left hook just before the bell.

Round Four
Godfrey, a full head taller than his rival, bored in with all his heft to plant left and right on Risko's body Risko pecked with his left and backed away, hurt by Godfrey's tremendous body punches. A storm of lefts and rights to Risko's body almost knocked the white man from his feet. There was tremendous power behind Godfrey's enormous swings. But the Cleveland rubber man, game as a pebble, shot his right to the head and kept everlastingly trying -right up to the bell.

Round Five
As Risko danced in, more cautious now, Godfrey smashed his body with lefts and 'rights and drew grunts heard back in the two dollar seats.
Johnny made little impression of the man mountain with his very best blows and Godfrey's long arms easily reached Johnny's body- Godfrey belted the white boy all around the ring with an awful body barrage. Johnny was game, but mighty tired at the gong.

Round Six
Godfrey laid back, content to let Risko carry the burden of attack and hold when Johnny got dangerous Risko smashed a left hook full on Godfrey's chin but Big George only smiled. Like a terrier worrying a mastiff, Johnny pounded in and ran smack into a series of short rights to the head that bounced him backward. Johnny beamed to allay the fears of his admirers and came back to his corner smiling at the bell.

Round Seven
Godfrey nearly floored Risko with a hammering left and right to the chin. Johnny backed clear to- the ropes arms wound about his head, body crouched in protection. Godfrey let him go and shot his right to the heart as they came back to the center of the ring. Risko flinched under a left hook to the body but valiantly hooked his left back at Godfrey’s bald head.
They wrestled and mauled about the ring up to the bell with Godfrey’s huge arms giving him a tremendous advantage.

Round Eight
Godfrey dueled lefts successfully with Risko, mauling and tugging at close quarters , often separated by the referee. Both slugged to the body. Risko hooked his left clean to the head twice but they were wrestling again at the bell.

Round Nine
Risko never stopped trying, piling into the negro with left and right swings to the head despite Godfrey's smashes to the body. Johnny slugged big George freely about the head, drove him into a corner for a steady pasting, and the crowd roared as they battled like a pair of dock workers. Johnny belabored Godfrey with both hands, slugging without defense, and absorbed half a dozen right counters without a quiver at the gong.

Round Ten
Risko swarmed all over the big Negro, driving him to the ropes under a cloud of swings that came from all directions. Risko buried his left deep in Godfrey's body and George wilted. Godfrey rallied swinging Risko about the ring with his massive arms and shooting his punches short to the body. Johnny never stopped trying, swinging both lefts and rights to the negro’s head. Very tired they leaned heads together and ponded each others ribs while the crowd bellowed encouragement at Risko. They were hauling and tugging at the final gong.



Other accounts from Kevin Smith, Sundowners and Chuck Hasson Philadelphia Boxing History:


"I think Godfrey was the most handcuffed fighter of all time. When we interviewed 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. His loss to Risko was a case in point as some fair eyewitness scribes have noted that Godfrey easily handled Risko for the first eight rounds at Ebbetts Field then Risko made a courageous stand in the last two rounds and they awarded him the decision.


"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."

 

Let me guess you think McGovern gans fight was on the level Lol