Big George Godfrey and Fouls

Cap · Post by **Cap** » 21 Oct 2005, 10:35

Anyone got the real story on Big George Godfrey, the black heavyweight of the 1920s and '30s? He seemed to get disqualified more than normal and not all his victims were white guys. I get the impression that he was a big man with talent and no real driving ambition.

Cap

dempseyfire · Post by **dempseyfire** » 21 Oct 2005, 11:48

I think Godfrey has so many DQs b/c that was his way of throwing fights and making some extra $. Godfrey, like many black HWs between Willis and Louis, really didn't believe that he'd ever get a fair shake in boxing, so they threw tons of fights (his losses to Sharkey and Risko were considered robberies by many)

Just looking at his fight with Carnera (in which Primo fights much dirtier then George EVER does), he was a nimble big man with a fine one-two and a good body puncher. If not for the racial climate he would've been champion.

Cap · Post by **Cap** » 21 Oct 2005, 15:27

Agree to some of what you say, but I believe at least three of his DQs were against black fighters (one of them Larry Gains). So maybe he could be wild with his punches.

Cap

barry · Post by **barry** » 21 Oct 2005, 16:58

Godfrey was a good, solid heavyweight with power and size, but he was not in the same class as a Harry Wills. He did defeat some of the top heavyweights of the late 20s and early 30s and had the size and power to compete with any of the fighters in his era. He was Dempsey's favorite sparring partner as most fighters just could not take the punishment that Jack dealt out, but Godfrey did. He was a big, happy go lucky fellow that it was said was hard for anyone not to like...probably an early version of old George Foreman minus the millions of dollars.