The original George Godfrey was born in Canada and worked out of Boston where he was crowned the Colored HW champion despite being very much a MW in size. The closest he ever got to the lineal was meeting John L. for a match to be broken up by police before it happened.
He trained follow Canadian and Colored HW champion George Byers, who, for a period, not only had defeated Frank Childs for the colored HW title but also Harry Peppers, the Pacific Coast middleweight champion, for won the Colored MW championship and was pressing Tommy Ryan for a lineal shot before he started to slide.
George Byers would meet a third Canadian MW to HW sharpshooter in Sam Langford. Sam, to his dying day, would claim Byers was his most important influence. Langford needs no explanation. Y'all know what he won and did not get a shot at.
Sam Langford would go on to train Feab Williams, the second George Godfrey before sending him to Jack Tholmer(spelling?). This Godfrey was massive and American but his chosen ring name ties him directly with the original black canadian force at HW. Late 20 / early 30s colored ranks killer, Godfrey would win the IBU title in the mid 30s a little while before Joe Louis won full recognition.
Just thought it was an interesting tidbit. I'd wondered if it was like Sharkey and Dempsey, if GG2 was just a fan of GG1 and used his name like how Jack Dempsey was not born Jack or Dempsey or how Jack Sharkey is JD + Tom Sharkey. Turns out there's a very solid connection.
Godfrey - Byers - Langford - Godfrey.
Thanks Canada, y'all done good and did good by the American colored HW too.
He trained follow Canadian and Colored HW champion George Byers, who, for a period, not only had defeated Frank Childs for the colored HW title but also Harry Peppers, the Pacific Coast middleweight champion, for won the Colored MW championship and was pressing Tommy Ryan for a lineal shot before he started to slide.
George Byers would meet a third Canadian MW to HW sharpshooter in Sam Langford. Sam, to his dying day, would claim Byers was his most important influence. Langford needs no explanation. Y'all know what he won and did not get a shot at.
Sam Langford would go on to train Feab Williams, the second George Godfrey before sending him to Jack Tholmer(spelling?). This Godfrey was massive and American but his chosen ring name ties him directly with the original black canadian force at HW. Late 20 / early 30s colored ranks killer, Godfrey would win the IBU title in the mid 30s a little while before Joe Louis won full recognition.
Just thought it was an interesting tidbit. I'd wondered if it was like Sharkey and Dempsey, if GG2 was just a fan of GG1 and used his name like how Jack Dempsey was not born Jack or Dempsey or how Jack Sharkey is JD + Tom Sharkey. Turns out there's a very solid connection.
Godfrey - Byers - Langford - Godfrey.
Thanks Canada, y'all done good and did good by the American colored HW too.
Comment