Jack Dempsey knocks down George Godfrey

I started this thread mainly for Suzy Q who is a massive George Godfrey fan and also a massive critic of Dempseys opponents. It is a little hard to read (obviously not fully scanned) but interesting to see that Dempsey knocked down and presumably out such a class fighter even if he was a little pre prime. Also interesting to note that Dempsey paid for Godfreys funeral. this is from the independent record in August 1943.



the 1930-1940 Shelby Fight Memories Revived An item from Los Angeles recently told of the death of George negro heavyweight pugilist of the 1920s, who died in poverty and whose last expenses were paid by Jack That item revived memories of the famed Shelby July 4, 1928, when Dempsey was billed to meet Tommy Gibbons for 15 and with Dempsey retaining his The fight itself was not so great a as the Due to financial the fight was declared off and then on again at the last As a result fans from outside tana had canceled trips until too late to the gate was r It was in the preliminaries that George Godfrey Dempsey established a training camp near Great and for a month before the fight many made daily trips to the camp to watch the champion in On most days it was largely But one Dempsey felt he was not getting into shape fast enough and called for a heavy After a few rounds of light boxing with ordinary sparring Godfrey entered the He was a pretty fair heavyweight in his own A sports writer for an eastern syndicate sent word along the press row that Dempsey and Godfrey had agreed to really a couple of they After a fairly rough first Dempsey came out fast and rushed The big colored battler landed squarely on the Dempsey That seemed to awaken all the He landed a series of hard body and head blows and Godfrey fell to the Dempsey was the first to try to aid Ms ring He seemed just as provoked at having knocked Godfrey as he had when the negro landed the punishing That ended the sparring for the It made good sports copy for the many It was the last time Dempsey and Godfrey really exchanged blows in the training Those close to Dempsey said he worried so much about having floored Godfrey in training that they feared lie might not end the training session in top The word went out Dempsey lacked sparring partners able to take the training That was because Dempsey refused to really box with and the negro fighter felt the same about the death of Godfrey found Dempsey on hand to pay a final Chances are Dempsey thought of the years in Godfrey had helped condition Perhaps that incident in the training camp more than 24 years ago crossed Dempsey's mind along with the other In any something occurs every once in a while to re- mind Montanans of that Shelby with the huge wooden arena and the small the clubs that changed their names and reopened under new m

 

Here is mention of another encounter, different result, though the article seems to make some strange wrong calls such as a young lion Jack Dempsey against an old George Godfrey, and is inconsistent. Still interesting though. it is from Cumberland Evening times.

LATE IN THE career of Godfrey he the point where he was making table money acting as ft sparring partner for more authentic Jabbers and one of these was a lion named Jack Dempsey Vack had affection for George and wanted George to have a job so Jack began training for one of his bouts he insisted that Godfrey be on the payroll The training camp was in Lieper a place la Pennsylvania I think and things were going very good for all concerned until one day the train unloaded a squad of New York sports writers who went to Godfreys head One of the events of the day planned to make Dempsey look good and create copy for the championship fight was a sparring picnic with Godfrey men walked into the ring and took their places Godfrey eyed the sports writers and light began to burn In his brain He decided that he had been an un discovered whiz long enough He THE REFEREE called the boys together muttered the usual and moved back out ol the way Dempsey and Godfrey set dog gedly to work but not for long Dempsey let fly with a few redhot rights and the sports writers began notes The Champ looked good the Champ was in line condi tion the Champ had a load of fire in each hand That kind of prose Then languidly they looked and had their eyes open Dempsey came wading in throwing lists like rivets and Godlrey biding his time and lending suddenly expertly and thoroughly turned one loose It almost whistled as K sped through the air and there was a sharp smack as his list met Demp seys chin The list met the and Dempsey met the floor The Champ did not look so good any out there on the floor Godfrey amiably trotted to his corner and stood there THAT NIGHT the Manhattan papers told the story of what George Godfrey had done to the Champ George felt good He had shown them all that Godfrey was no forgotten man earning coffee money in a sparring ring He liked it And the next morning he rose to get back to his job said one of the lesser Jack wants to see you Hes down to the barn He says its George walked down opened the side door and walked in There stood Dempsey and angry he said Lets find George found out the hard way Just two men of heft slugging it out on a barn floor without gloves referee or rounds It who went to the floor this time to ribbons That one never got into the the oldtimers said the other night Somehow George never mentioned it but neither did the Syndicate

 

And yet another. This time it is from 24 June 1923 Indepedent newspaper Helena Montana. Dempsey has Godfrey reeling in this one.

The old kayo punch that caused a stream of human punching jags to flew Dempsey camp and out of the the training periods of precious has been conspicuous hy its absence True he lias dropped several of his But they have bounced off the floor immediately Very ferent from Toledo Benton Harbor and Atlantic City Gibbons Better The Italian Rocco Stramgalgia was from the Dempsey camp for a cut over the chump's eye by butting there art many who paw the dent who claim it was a hard hand punch that did the damage is now aiding Gibbons condition self his first workout with Gib bons I asked him to compare the men He said Gibbons hit me four times to once He is much the man of the two in my ion punches hurt the most but at that they were not ol the knockout variety Hut bly neither of the two were ting they could on blows who saw Dempsey tear into the Italian after he had cut his eye open are of the opinion thai Jack was leveling If so the punch would seem to have lost much of its former power And jf Jack has lost the terrific punching ability that made him one of Ihc most feared in the history of the ring the Fourth of July may sec a new heavyweight kinff crowned For defense has always been the tearing crushing Great Falls June the Dempsey world's heavyweight champion ter a workout tomorrow Ins birthday plans lo enjoy a full Hay of rest Monday and hen the process of off for the defence of his Itle against Tommy Gibbons at Shelby Mont July 4 The champion went through the equivalent of seven rounds of raining Ibis afternoon in addition lo his usual hike in the morning and brisk exercises He boxed six rounds going two with his heavyweight sparring partners taking George Godfrey Jack Burke and Harry Draake the English light heavyweight on in order While he failed to scorn -A down he had all three of his ing mates punch drunk at Ihc finish and the call of lime was welcome to them Footing Bad Dempsey worked out in his out- door ring under the blaze of a warm sun but the canvas floor of the ring was still slippery as a result of he heavy hains and Dempsey's footing was uncertain gling in a clinch with Godfrey Dempsey almost slipped to liis haunches Godfrey the negro gave Dempsey the best workout of Ihc afternoon the champion ing lo better advantage again si him than he has in several recent bouts Godfrey was unable fo lav a glove on Dempsey for the first two minutes of their workout and only managed to connect solidly a half times during their two rounds In the two rounds drove rights and lefts to the body with such force Godfrey's sagged and at one time had negro on the verge of lopping o the floor as a result of a right o Ihc chin Burke Show Well While boxing with Burke the heavyweight Dempsey ost his temper because of his irc to land his hooks Burke re- the champion him off balance with left attack that The Tiger earned of the him the title When the Tiger Growls No wonder they the tiger of tlie ring Just sec that mean look on his inap Here tic is in a mixup with Jack one o his sparring partners Although much lighter lhan champion Burke wrestles him all over the ring swapping punch for punch