BoxRec

Al weill's first heavyweight hope. This guy was a top contender in the 40s and gave joe louis one of his toughest title defenses in the brown bombers worst fight of his career. it was a weird fight with a lot of close rounds. godoys unique style gave louis problems and the fight ended up being a wide split decision win for louis. one judge scored it 10-2-3 in rouds for godoy while another judge scored it 10-3-2 for louis. so their must have been a lot of close rounds.
louis got his redemption though and punished godoy before knocking him out in 8 in the rematch.


was godoy trained by charlie goldman??????


what are ur thoughts on godoy and his first fight with louis. i know jaclem u have a strong opinion on the matter.

..i remember hearing that one on radio when i was but a wee lad. godoy became a boxing hero just for going 15...and famous for kissing joe at the end. just saw the film on espnc....and..at least in the highlights shown dispels the myth about godoy staying in that super low crouch for all of the fight. at least in the highlights shown, he crowded louis, pushed him against the ropes and often outscored him.. didn't hurt him as i could determine, but...did outland...and louis didn't hurt him either. as for that crazy crouch....it was shown as taking place in just the 14th and 15th round. much like walcott's running in their first fight....thinking he'd done enough to win. it was funny watching godoy bounce into the corner beteween rounds. ..he was obviously having fun....something not found in most of the bomber's opponents. he didn't seem to object to the decision..but his corner reacted as if they were robbed.

i had never seen any film of this fight...but have much of fight number two and louis really battered him...and when the ref stopped the fight godoy wanted to keep at it and rushed over to the bomber's fighter to continue...and had to be pulled away. very tough fighter...and a good one....but virtually unknown except for those who know something about the louis fights. in no way was he a bum of the month.. a boxrec check will show a long career and some good wins.

thanks for bringing this one up.
now....if i wanted to make a case that marciano would have beaten a prime joe louis, godoy I is the film i'd show. add rocky's power to godoy's crowding and louis' in ability to fight in close and you'd have a good argument.

....but...not so fast, brockton boy...show the marciano film of himn against lee savold....then check savold's record...and you'd have louis and a bunch of guys beating him with no sweat.

easily the worst showing by both fighters.

Regarding the crouch. Upon careful review of the film of the first fight you'll hear a voice calling in Spanish: "Agachate Godoy!, Agachate Godoy" (Duck, Godoy!).

I recently read a book on Godoy's life where this mysterious voice was finally identified. The man's name was Gabriel Meredith and he was one of the few Chileans present at MSG that night. Moreover, both Meredith and Godoy are from Iquique, a port in Chile's north where to this very day the phrase "Agachate, Godoy!" is used regulalrly as a substitue for "Watch Out!".

So if you ever go to Chile and while crossing the street you hear "Agachate, Godoy!", be careful because either you are about to get mugged or there might be a bus coming your way. :)

yeah I wonder what was wrong with louis when he fought godoy the first time??? i guess he was just due for a bad fight.

marciano against savold, had the flu and his handlers didnt want to take the fight but marciano insisted and though he tore up savold, he looked awful and missed about 1000 punches and even fell to the floor after missing. he didnt have his smae power either. but he fought so bad because he had the flu. i know what its like to try to fight or wrestle with the flu and let me tell u, u lose a lot of strentgh, energy, and coordination.


was charlie goldman godoy's trainer??? or maybe it was ray arcel, i think he trained against louis in 13 defenses of louis 25 title defenses and could never beat louis until he got his hands on ezzard charles. but arcel could never beat a prime louis.

Great info Broncano, Thanks! I'd heard a portion of that story from my Dad, brings back memories. Good to hear "the rest of the story"

I've taped and have rewatched the ESPN highlights of Louis-Godoy 1 several times. I also have their rematch on 8 mm.


One Dr. Z at some 'other' boxing website even scored the fight with the cut-up rounds and many not even included and concluded that Godoy was robbed!!!

I saw it a close fight, but with Louis the clear winner (which is supported by the major newspaper write-ups of the fight. Joe actually outlanded Godoy on the inside when they exchanged, countered with HARD shots all throughout the bout, and never stopped coming forward. Godoy did win several rounds by getting close and then unloading on a seemingly passive Louis, although Joe showed under-rated defense by slipping and blocking the wide majority of Godoy's punches. Louis in this bout just had an off-night, with an awkward, incredibly strong opponent (Godoy bunny-hops around the ring after 15 rounds . . .his legs must have been inhumanly strong). Godoy also surpised Joe by having a rock-hard chin.

The rematch settled things much more clearly and is one of Louis's best performances.

..always fascinating to watch louis in a rematch against a fighter who gave him trouble the first time. in fight I he couldn't seem to get his uppercut going. in fight II he had it going so well that it forced godoy out of his crouch and the bomber was so much more effective.

yeah...the reports after fight number one had louis winning even while a little off. they never did give godoy much credit though....very tough and, as you pointed out, terrific stamina.

a sideline to fight I...if you get enough close looks you can see that godoy had some nasty cuts around both eyes...so joe was hitting him more that it might have seemed.

damn.. they just don't make them like that anymore....but of course they didn't make a lot of them back then either.