"George Godfrey is the best heavyweight of the curent crop" Jack Dempsey 1929

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

Jack Dempsey was later pressed on whether he would be interested in taking part in the tournament and how he fancied his chances against the participants:

Formal announcement that the man mauler has pledged his word to meet the winner of the 1929 heavyweight elimination tournament will be made by Promoter Tex Rickard from Miami next week. Dempsey is now in Chicago enroute to Miami, where he expects to start light training this month. In a statement which the New York American learns Rickard has already prepared for the press, the promoter will say: (1) That Dempsey has agreed to meet the winner of the impending elimination tournament, and that the match will decide the rightful owner of the championship left vacant by the retirement of Gene Tunney. (2) That the match will be staged at New York during August or September, depending on the length of time it requires Dempsey to get in shape. (3) That he feels the public will agree that Dempsey as a former title-holder, should not be required to fight his way through the tournament. Although Rickard has no intention of divulging the remainder of his program at this time, the New York American learns, that he intends to limit the field of contenders to four men. They are Jack Sharkey, Paulino Uzeudun, William "Young" Stribling and Tom Heeney, who was defeated by Tunney in the former title holder's last appearance. Stribling and Sharkey are matched at Miami on February 27th, and Paulino and Heeney will meet in this city during March or April. The winners will be paired at the Polo grounds in June and the survivor will meet Dempsey in what will be advertised as a championship bout. Against any of the four named Dempsey would enter the ring with confidence. He has knocked out Sharkey and naturally feels that he can do so again. Paulino is the type who rushes his opponents, and Dempsey likes nothing better than having the battle carried to him. He believes he can knock down anything he can hit. Heeney's style is similar to that of Paulino. As for Stribling, Dempsey does not believe he will survive the Sharkey bout. He regards the other three as the more dangerous contenders. Dempsey would not attempt a comeback if he thought there was any likelihood of being called upon to meet Tommy Loughran, the light heavyweight champion. He would have to chase Loughran, and his two defeats by Tunney have convinced him that he lacks the speed that he would need against boxers.

 

Although Godfres record suggests that he was nothing special all the contemporary fighters and trainers bang on about how much he could have been.

That makes him interesting.