news letter 19

[robert.snell1]

The Boxing Biographies Newsletter
Volume 1- No 19 15 December 2007

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Now Available!

In the Ring With Bob Fitzsimmons

This is the third book in Adam Pollack’s series on the heavyweight champions of the gloved era. Bob Fitzsimmons was boxing’s first pound for pound great, winning the world middleweight title before becoming the world heavyweight champion (and later lightheavyweight champ). Combining both crafty skill and crushing power, Fitzsimmons was able to knock out heavyweights when he only weighed 158 pounds!

This meticulous and tremendously researched book uses multiple local primary sources from New Zealand, Australia, and America to chronicle Fitzsimmons’ boxing career. It contains detailed fight descriptions never before revealed, round by round reports, pre- and post-fight analysis, daily training regimens, critical analysis of opponents’ careers, discussion of skills, techniques, strategies, strengths, and weaknesses, and explains how legal, political, social, and economic issues affected and impeded fights.

The book also includes stories of fixed fights, conspiracies, legal battles, trials, threats of violence and imprisonment made by governors, judges, and militiamen, and verbal jousting, taunting, boasting, and even physical confrontations between Bob Fitzsimmons and James J. Corbett.

464 pages, 63 photos and illustrations, 968 footnotes, bibliography, index, and appendix (containing a complete Fitzsimmons career record).

Adam J. Pollack is the author of John L. Sullivan: The Career of the First Gloved Heavyweight Champion, and In the Ring With James J. Corbett.

To purchase In the Ring With Bob Fitzsimmons, e-mail

[email protected]

Hardback, $34.95 plus shipping. Will sign if desired.



Preface: The Series Continues


Welcome to the world of the fight to the finish, where championship bouts continued until someone was knocked out, where there were no mouthpieces, no handwraps, no protective foul cups, no training headgear, where floors and ring posts were often hard, when gloves were only five ounces and the eight-ounce glove was considered a big pillow to only be used in friendly exhibitions, when fights were never stopped on cuts, when a fight was rarely stopped just because a guy was a little wobbly or because he went down a number of times, where even decisions were based on who did the most damage and was the more aggressive, not just based on who knew how to tap, run, grab and survive. This was a time when your pay depended on success, when the phrase ‘winner take all’ was not just a bluff. These were some tough guys.

This is the third book in my heavyweight champion series, Reigns of Fame and Shame. The first two were John L. Sullivan: The Career of the First Gloved Heavyweight Champion, and In the Ring With James J. Corbett. My goal has been to answer the questions that no other book answered. I wanted history based not on speculation, hearsay, and legend, but based on what local reports said at the time.

I have found that achieving the richest and most complete understanding of these fighters’ careers is accomplished by reference to multiple local primary source accountings. These accounts enliven the opponents and the fights, offer new facts, discuss issues that secondary sources failed to consider, and give fresh perspective on matters previously only discussed in a limited or incomplete way. Greater than ever before, this book offers a much stronger understanding of Bob Fitzsimmons’ career, skills, and ability, and the era’s fight scene, including top contenders and the legal, political, and social issues which affected the fight game.

Using mostly local contemporary newspaper reports, this book provides a more thorough analysis and detailed discussion of: Bob Fitzsimmons’ many Australian bouts. Local Australian primary sources shed new light on Fitz’s early career, and show the long road he took to stardom. Because so many of the era’s great fighters were produced in Australia, to understand the world’s fight scene one must be familiar with Australian boxing.

Fitz’s alleged fixed fight with Jim Hall. Find out whether Bob took a dive. The legal and political fallout from the deaths of Con Riordan and Andy Bowen. The alleged fixed fight with Tom Sharkey. The behind the scenes story is itself worth the price of admission. The court battle and all the sensational testimony are fully covered. Was it a grand conspiracy?

The complete back and forth verbal jousting, taunting, and confident exclamations between Fitzsimmons and Jim Corbett. No other fight ever had as much free advertising and hot discussion as a result of its mouthy combatants. They were the kings of smack talk, the inventors of building up fights with verbal and even physical confrontation.

The unbelievable legal and political battles the boxers and promoter Dan Stuart had to go through in order to bring fights off. This story has governors, armed militiamen, and judges threatening violence and lengthy prison sentences, following, chasing, and arresting these men, and generally impeding the sport’s progress in any way that they could. All of Fitzsimmons’ American fights and most of his exhibitions (up to the heavyweight championship), including lesser known and previously unknown bouts, and massive pre- and post-fight coverage of his most significant bouts. This also includes Fitz and Corbett’s daily training regimen leading up to their big fight. Even new controversial facts about the Corbett fight are revealed.

Reno Evening Gazette
27 September1927

Max Baer Pushes Toward Title Contest

When the plans for the next important heavyweight battle are made, it is going to be difficult to overlook Max Baer, the handsome entrant from Livermore, Cal.

In the Chicago stadium, same ring where he flattened Ernie Schaaf of Boston, less than a month ago, Baer last night definitely eliminated Tuffy Griffiths, game youngster from Sioux City, la, from consideration as a championship contender by a technical knockout triumph in the seventh round. Had Baer cared to, he might even have accomplished the elimination as early as the fourth round.

Endowed with all the physical advantages taking his time and taking time out to display his histrionic ability, he literally hacked Griffiths down to defeat. After the first round it appeared apparent that Baer was headed for victory, and after the fourth, when Griffiths was all but out from vicious chops to the body and head, the issue was not in doubt. In the sixth, the bell saved Griffiths more punishment after a straight light hand smash had knocked him into a sitting position.

Griffiths' courage, and he had plenty, carried him through one storm after another, but in the seventh, a crushing right to the jaw sent him reeling against the ropes and as he bounced off, another left him rubber-legged and leady for the finishing punch Referee Little Phil Collins stepped in before the decisive punch could be delivered.

Baer seemed actually relieved at the referee’s action, while Griffiths, still full of fight, tearfully pleaded to be permitted to continue.The bout drew less than ten thousand spectators who paid a little more than $10,000 to watch the one-sided duel

The fight by rounds

Round One
They traded punches to the head and body in mid ring with honors even Baer blocked Griffiths' rights and nailed him with a right to the Jaw. Baer charged in close to inflict body punishment Baer drove a left and right to the body. Griffiths tagged Baer with a right to the jaw, Baer threw a left and right to the head and Tuffy slipped to the floor, but was up in an instant.
Round TwoBaer clipped two rights to the jaw and caught one in return. They hammered away at each other’s body in mid ring with Baer tying Griffiths up when they clinched. .Griffiths connected with a left and right to the jaw And drove a right under the heart They slugged in a neutral corner on even terms before Griffiths dropped a right to the Jaw in a furious exchange in mid ring Baer was twice guilty of heeling Griffiths and his tactics brought a round of boos.
Round Three
Baer drove both fists to the body catching a left and right to the head in return They fought in mid ring, each boxing cautiously
with Baer pounding Griffiths around the body when they got in close quarters. Baer landed a right to the body and left to the jaw. After trading lefts Giiffiths drove a light to the jaw as the round ended.

Oakland Tribune 28 December 1929
Risko Loses To Griffiths In Hard Battle
Tuffy Makes great Showing
To Take Decision After ten Rounds Of Rough Ring Work
Sioux City Youngster Fails to Wilt Under
Heady Blows Delivered by Risko; Improvement
Displayed by Conqueror
By JOHN J. ROMANO

Tuffy Griffiths, the leaden-fisted thumper from Sioux City, Iowa, moved up to the contender class in the heavyweight division by hammering out a point decision over durable Johnny Risko in a hectic ten round battle at Madison Square Garden Friday evening. The fight was the roughest, toughest; give-and-take affair the hoi polloi of the fight racket had seen in many a moon around the city, and at the close both men were roundly cheered. Griffiths fought a heady fight. He had to. Risko piled in time after time when a hard right to the jaw jarred him from head to toe and made the.shock-haired youngster from Iowa call on his reserve .stamina to off set the furious countercharges.
The men unlimbered their heavy artillery in the opening stanza and had the fans on their feet shouting deliriously As first one and then the other scored with hard blows. Risko hooked in with long drives to the body as Griffiths danced around getting the range. A sharp driven right collided Risko’s jaw and the fireworks started. Risko was like a stick of dynamite with a spluttering fuse nearing the powder.
A crack on the jaw set him off and the subsequent explosion rocked Griffiths fore and aft. A grimace a shake of the head and Tuffy returned to the attack. Rights bounced off Risko'.s jaw repeatedly and the Cleveland battler drove in with heftv wallops to the ribs and body.

Tuffy showed a superior brand of boxing and managed to keep his charging foe from scoring with any decided effect. A hard left drove Griffiths into the ropes and Tuffy returned the compliment with s a right to the same place. Exchanges enlivened the long range fighting so that the tide shifted frequently. As the bout progressed it was apparent that Griffith's more accurate punching was scoring more in his favor than the club like blows of his stocky opponent.

Griffiths was following a carefully planned battle. There were times, and they were numerous, when Risko compelled him to deviate and fight it out in bruiser like style and Tuffy was at a disadvantage. Risko somewhat slower than in other days has no peer in this, style of battling and he showed at his best when he had his man attempting to slug it out in close.

In the sixth round Tuffy caught Risko a hard right on the jaw. The durable Bohemian staggered back on flat feet and appeared dazed. Griffiths held off rather than risk another flurry of aimless punches, and it is well that he did. Risko never knows when he is hurt- A short breathing spell or another punch and Johnny is off on another sustained rally. Tuffy had learned in the earlier rounds that it was best to cut his man down methodically, rather than risk annihilation by a wild swing. Griffiths worked on the doughty Riiko carefully and scored effectively with long range blows.

Tuffy boxed smoothly in the next round. Risko bulled in with both fists flying and Tuffy backed away smartly permitting the blows to hit
empty air. Every time the men went into a clinch Risko would come out fighting. Griffiths ducked cleverly repeatedly and avoided the swishing gloves. The next two chapters were rather even. What edge, if there was any, went to Risko on aggressiveness .A hard right to the body hurt Tuffy and John rushed him against the ropes and nearly shoved him off balance. Before the round was over Tuffy was banging away with his opponent as strong as ever. Risko tried to spurt in the closing round but his strong opponent had plenty of reserve.Tuffy whaled away at Johnny and clinched the decision by the sustained flurry of his attack.

The Charlestown Daily Mail
28 June 1928

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 Financial 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.


George Godfrey(Williams)
Also called "The Black Shadow of Mobile" and "The Black Shadow of Leiperville."
1st November 1943
George Godfrey, Host at Local Club Was Once Uncrowned Heavyweight Champ

During the golden era of boxing when Jack Dempsey ruled as king of the heavyweights, Harry Wills, great negro boxer, was the only man the Manassa Mauler refused to fight for the title. Wills, on the other hand, was meeting and beating all who dared enter the same ring with him all, that is, with one exception. George Godfrey, Negro and Belgium heavyweight c h a m p , known to sportswriters from coast to coast as the "uncrowned champion of the world," was the exception.

In fact, Wills turned down an offer of $150,000 to meet Godfrey in Madison Square Garden for the late Tex Rickard. Now, even during that period when million dollar gates were not too uncommon, that was a fair night's salary for 45 minutes work. It would have netted Wills considerably more than $3000 a minute or better than $50 a second.

There must have been a reason. And recorded for all posterity in the boxing bible is the reason— Godfrey's impressive record, including 75 recorded knockouts, from 1920 until he retired in 1937.

Godfrey, born Feab S. Williams, January 25, 1901, in Mobile, Alabama, gained his reputation as a boxer while serving hitches in the army and navy. Weighing 240 pounds and standing a mere 6 feet 3 inches, he started kayoing all service boxers he met He not only rocked them to sleep but would break jaws and noses while doing it.

So in 1919 Jimmy Dougherty took him under his wing and started him on a professional career. In 1920 he was elevated to main events and met Sam Langford. Godfrey was kayoed in the second round.

That was enough fighting for Big George that year and he did not enter the ring until August, 1921, when he met Langford once more. And again he was put out only this time in the first round. And again he quit fighting for a year while Dougherty schooled him in the art of protecting himself as well as hitting the other fellow. Nineteen twenty-two found Godfrey meeting five fighters. He kayoed four and decisioned the fifth.

In 1923 Godfrey met Langford for a third time. It appeared as if he was just a glutton for punishment But this time the 22-year-old boxer exploded his dynamite on Langford's chin and belted him out in the third round. Then just to prove it was no accident the pair met a fourth time in Arkansas and Langford was
stretched out in the second round for the full count. And after this fight Langford, the Boston Tar Baby, retired for good.

A BUSY FIGHTER

Then for the next 13 years Godfrey was a very busy fighter, meeting every good heavyweight in the world who was not afraid to put on the gloves with him. And in that 13 years of continual fighting he lost only 11 fights— and five of these losses were on fouls. Godfrey says that many of those boxers claimed a foul because they were getting beat and took the easy way out. In 1927 there fifteen fights in the record book under Godfrey's name—and every one of them he won by a knockout!

Nineteen twenty-eight was the year that Wills turned down that fabulous amount posted by Rickard for a Garden bout. And in 1928 Godfrey fought Paolino Uzcudun in Los Angeles. If he whipped him he was to fight for the championship. Gene Tunney had retired undefeated and there was no heavyweight champion. So Godfrey won a decision over Uzcudun in ten rounds.

But when a title bout was mentioned — the boxing moguls ignored Godfrey completely and matched Max Schmelling a n d Jack Sharkey for the championship!

Today Godfrey has picked up a little weight to a neat 357 these days. Godfrey now lives here in Long Beach where he is host at the 147,000 National Colored Elks Congo club. He is also the Grand Bodyguard of the Colored Elks. In his position as "host" it sometimes becomes necessary for him to eject rowdies from the club. To demonstrate that he has not lost too much of his oldtime vigor he showed us exactly how he 'would give the "bums rush" to a drunk.

After applying a couple full nelsons and a double arm lock to both of us at the same time—well, we were plenty convinced.

JACK JOHNSON IS BEST

Godfrey, like all oldtimers, believes that the present day fighters are not as good as the boys a few years back. "Today they use bigger gloves and mouthpieces and other forms of protection that oldtimers scorned," Godfrey said. "I think; they were tougher in the old days. Tile present day fighter would not' take the punishment that was dished out by the oldtimers." Godfrey says the hardest hitter he ever met was Sam Langford, but the greatest fighter of : all time, the one that would take any of the fighters of today, is Jack Johnson. "He was the greatest defensive counter puncher there ever was," Godfrey said reverently.

Incidentally, Godfrey says he does not go to fights any more and he would not advise anyone to be a professional fighter. "If I had a son, I wouldn't let him go near a boxing ring. There's better ways of making a living," t h e "uncrowned" heavyweight champ vows.

The Billings Gazette
29 Feb 1928

Paolino Forces Fighting From Start Of Bout

Terrific Blows of Godfrey Turns Tide in His Favor Despite Uzcudun's Efforts.

George Godfrey, negro colossus of the ring, clubbed his way to a decision over Paolino Uzcudun, knotty-muscled son of the Basque country, Tuesday night, after 10 furious rounds that had 40.000 persons on edge throughout the battle. But the burly black had no walk away. With 44lb advantage in weight, he had his hands full from the start.

Opens With Rush.



The black-haired Spaniard, arms flailing, opened with a rush, but in the early sessions, was tied up by the titanic Godfrey, who draped his huge bulk over and around him to advantage. The tide of battle shifted to Uzcudun in the sixth. Beginning the round he caught Godfrey flush on the, Jaw with a stinging left hook. It hurt the negro and he retreated steadily with his smaller opponent following him around the ring. the negro landed but a couple of blows through the round.

Fists flying, the Basque came out in the seventh to drive his opponent around the ring again. Godfrey was puzzled and hurt as the "mite" in front of him continued to bore in, meanwhile pumping both hands to the body. The crowd cheered wildly for the Spaniard as the round ended.

Continues Offensive.
The eighth round went the same way with Paolino continuing on the aggressive. Lashed with the knowledge, of impending defeat, Godfrey came out in the ninth to take the play away again He clubbed steadily to the face, and had the Woodchopper bleeding at the close. The tenth was another Godfrey round as he mauled and beat his smaller man from rope to rope.

Those at the ringside credited Godfrey with five rounds, the third, fourth fifth and ninth and tenth. Paolino had his edge in the second, sixth, seventh and eighth with the first fairly even. Uzcudun's showing was a tremendous surprise both to Godfrey and his backers who figured his huge, bulk and clever boxing would carry him to a one-sided victory, if not a knockout.

Mainly Body Attack.

Both fighters turned their attack mainly to the body with Uzcudun depending on two-fisted punching in the clinches and the negro clubbing with a swooping right. During the first three rounds Godfrey loafed, content to stick a long left into his opponent's face It held the Spaniard off but he swung steadily enough to gain a margin in the second.

The crowd was the largest ever to attend a boxing contest in the far west with gate receipts estimated at between $100,000 and $125,000.

“Big Gawge” Unable to Hand Paolino Sleep Producing Blow


ROUND ONE
Godfrey rushed with a left to the body, two clinches followed, Godfrey rushed again, missing left and rights. Uzcudun pounded George in a corner to the body; he repeated, but Godfrey shoved him off. Godfrey landed right and lefts to the body. The Basque danced for an opening and took a left to body. Godfrey put a light left to head. Another clinch, and both men exchanged rights and lefts to the body they fiddled, clinched and traded body blows again. It was a slow going the Basque eager, but Godfrey lethargic.

ROUND TWO
Uzcudun rushed in landing a right to the body. Godfrey shoved him off and he came back. Godfrey landed two light punches to the head. They traded punches in a clinch George stood him off with his long left jabs and landed a right to the chin Uzcudun landed a right to the face and rights and lefts to the body. Godfrey landed a right to the body.

Clinch followed clinch, the big negro apparently playing with his lighter opponent. Uzcudun landed two rights to the head and Godfrey warmed up with in attack to the body. The bell ended the round.

ROUND THREE
They both rushed to the center into a clinch. Godfrey crouched to meet Paolino's height andbelted the Basque with lefts and rights to the head. Godfrey landed a stiff right to the head and took a stiff left to the body. Paolino landed a right to the face Paolino landed another right to the face and rights and lefts to the body Godfrey swung rights and lefts to the Spaniard’s head and Paolino come back with a body attack. Paolino landed again with a right to the face and Godfrey came back. They finished the round in a clinch.

ROUND FOUR
Godfrey missed a right but rushed his man and landed a left and right to the body. Paolino clinched Godfrey landed a stiff uppercut in a clinch. Paolino landed a stiff right to the face. Paolino was bleeding at the nose. Godfrey landed two to the body They fiddled and Paolino ducked to the floor to avoid a looping right. After seconds of clinches, the negro battered his opponent half way across the ring but Paolino ended the round with a body attack and a clinch.

[granberry]

Robert,

Godfrey-Uzcudun

Do you have the remaining rounds?

[robert.snell1]

ROUND FIVE

Two clinches opened the fifth round. Both landed to the head and body. The Basque landed a left, to the body end a right to the head. Godfrey pounded him in a clinch Godfrey landed half a dozen blows to
the body, taking only a couple in return. Paolino landed to the head and backed away from a left swing. Godfrey opened up a terrific body attack backing his man along the ropes, but the Basque fought back very gamely. Paolino landed one to the head and one to the body and took a couple to the face They were sparring at the bell

ROUND SIX

Paolino rushed out and they clinched. Godfrey swung a right and left to the head, Paolino battering the body. After two clinches Uzcudun swung a long left to the face. Godfrey pounded his midsection. The Basque fought back. Paolino landed a left to the Jaw and Godfrey chased him across the ring. Uzcudun drove a stiff right to the body and they clinched. Godfrey retaliated with a hard right to the head Paolino swung a left to the face and another one. Godfrey landed two to the head as the gong rang.

ROUND SEVEN

The Basque rushed in and landed a few to the body. Godfrey clinched. Paolino landed a right to the face They traded body punches in three clinches. The Basque bored into two clinches with powerful body attacks, holding his man against the ropes. Again he backed Godfrey to the ropes with body blows. Paolino backed Godfrey back into a corner and pounded him in the body while the crowd cheered Paolino. He backed the towering negro back into the ropes again and as the bell rang danced Into his corner apparently In as good condition as when he started.

ROUND EIGHT

They rushed into a clinch. Then another and traded body blows. Godfrey led with a left to the head. The Basque landed a right to the head and took a left to the head They fought furiously in a clinch. Godfrey led with a left to the head and they clinched. Paolino landed a right to the head and a left to the body. They traded lefts to the head Godfrey landing two uppercuts to the face. Godfrey rushed Uzcudun into a corner at the bell.

ROUND NINE

Godfrey drove into his man with stiff lefts and rights to the body. Paolino came back with a body attack. Twice he backed Godfrey to the ropes, pounding his stomach. Godfrey landed lightly to the head. Godfrey drove a vicious right to the stomach and pounded the Spaniard about the head and body in a clinch. Godfrey battered Paolino's head with lefts and rights and followed with a hard body attack at the bell.

ROUND TEN

Paolino opened the final round with a rush, then they clinched. Godfrey put all his weight into rights to the body, Paolino staying in close and working on the big fellow's stomach The Basque took a vicious series of kidney punches hut fought back full of steam. Godfrey rushed Paolino into the ropes. They hung heads together pounding rights to the body. Godfrey landed a left to the stomach but Paolino backed him into the ropes. Godfrey landed lefts and right to the head, but Paolino bored in, both swinging wildly at the bell.