Views on gains, godfrey and walker

[cfang]

So you had Johnson, langford, Jeanette, mcvea and then wills. Then there seems to be a ten year gap in top black heavyweights until Louis came on the scene.

The three top black heavys of that era appear to be larry gains, George godfrey and obie walker. All 3 have great but flawed records. There's a lot of footage of gains and he looks good although not exceptional.

Views on these guys. Do their records do them credit or did the lack of oppertunites and maybe even fights where they deliberately did not do their best hold them back.

Views?

[cfang]

Godfrey's fight with carnera looked dodgy. He was winning and fouled out.

[Marchegiano]

Godfrey's fight with carnera looked dodgy. He was winning and fouled out.

Pretty sure Sundowners has a bit from both sides admitting it was fixed. Loads of Godfrey's fights were.

The 30s is a rough time for black heavyweights. America didn't want to give them fights, Europe would, and would build them up, but also make sure they lost for one of their boys.

[markusmod]

Godfrey's fight with carnera looked dodgy. He was winning and fouled out.

Agree with this here.

[cfang]

Yes that's what i was thinking. A decade of lost heavyweights not given a sporting chance. The harvey vs gains fight is great quality. Harvey has back muscles to spare but gains is so much stronger and looks like he could have overpowered harvey. Wonder what went on behind the scenes with those 3 boxers? Walker looked like a tank.

[markusmod]

Yes that's what i was thinking. A decade of lost heavyweights not given a sporting chance. The harvey vs gains fight is great quality. Harvey has back muscles to spare but gains is so much stronger and looks like he could have overpowered harvey. Wonder what went on behind the scenes with those 3 boxers? Walker looked like a tank.

Walker had the body of Joshua before Joshua.

[QueensburyRules]

- -Didn't know AJ was 5-9...only on BS Hysterical Forum!!!

[Willie Pep 229]

Yes that's what i was thinking. A decade of lost heavyweights not given a sporting chance. The harvey vs gains fight is great quality. Harvey has back muscles to spare but gains is so much stronger and looks like he could have overpowered harvey. Wonder what went on behind the scenes with those 3 boxers? Walker looked like a tank.

A decade lost . . . not given a sporting chance?

How do you explain Joe Louis?

He kocked out five former white HW champions and one white LHW champ and was embraced for it, not denied.

Then when he did not deserve the shot at the title they squeezed out the white guy ( Schmeling) and gave the American Louis (who happened to be Black) the shot instead.

Looks to me there was much more chauvinism not racism at work here.

I don't buy it . . . if Louis could than it was likely they could have as well; it wasn't the 1920s and Wills situation, Louis shows us that.

[Marchegiano]

A decade lost . . . not given a sporting chance?

How do you explain Joe Louis?

He kocked out five former white HW champions and one white LHW champ and was embraced for it, not denied.

Then when he did not deserve the shot at the title they squeezed out the white guy ( Schmeling) and gave the American Louis (who happened to be Black) the shot instead.

Looks to me there was much more chauvinism not racism at work here.

I don't buy it . . . if Louis could than it was likely they could have as well; it wasn't the 1920s and Wills situation, Louis shows us that.

Seriously? You know Joe's skin tone was part of how he got his backing? A friendly negro to promote is still racism. Looking at say Godfrey and saying "Nope, he's too scarey looking" is still racism.

Larry, Obie, and especially Godfrey had little to no chance.


Show me the propaganda put out by high level promoters who can reach mass audiences that knowingly lied to their audience to demonize Joe Louis.

Godfrey got buried by Team Dempsey using the racist attitude of the era to make their hit pieces more provoking. Joe didn't and Joe didn't for a reason that has **** all to do with ability in the ring.

[cfang]

There's no doubt these guys were given little chance, Gains's autobiography is called 'the impossible dream' for a reason. You really think that racism wasn't at play in heavyweight boxing during the 1930s? All three were avoided or just not allowed to really show their skills when it mattered. Also the lost decade im referring to is 26-36 so kind of post wills pre louis.

Its like these 3 fighters have almost been written out of history, its possible they just weren't up to scratch but looking at their records closely, its clear that they were avoided or given paydays but not to get a decision. I would back all three to have won a version of the title during the early 30s if given a chance. Louis as we know was a different story. No matter what he was the greatest heavy of his era and perhaps ever