George Godfrey (boxer born 1853)
| George Godfrey | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Statistics | |
| Real name | George Godfrey |
| Nickname(s) | Old Chocolate |
| Rated at | Heavyweight |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Born |
20 March 1853 Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island |
| Died | 17 October 1901 (aged 48) Revere, Massachusetts |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 46 |
| Wins | 23 |
| Wins by KO | 18 |
| Losses | 6 |
| Draws | 14 |
| No contests | 3 |
George Godfrey (20 March 1853 – 17 October 1901), nicknamed "Old Chocolate" by the press of the day in the last stage of his long career, was a Black Canadian heavyweight boxer who held the distinction of being World 'Colored' Heavyweight Champion during his career. He is not to be confused with the American heavyweight George Godfrey who claimed the same Championship 42 years after his Canadian namesake. Godfrey was inducted into the PEI Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.
George was born to William Godfrey and Sarah Byers in an area of Charlottetown known as the Bog, a poor part of the West End. The year after Godfrey was born, his father was convicted for petty larceny and served two weeks in jail for stealing a cow.
He first received boxing instructions while still residing in Charlottetown, from Dick Cronin. Godfrey then left Canada to find employment as a porter in Boston's silk importing offices. After winning in the heavyweight class at a local boxing competition in 1879, he began boxing professionally. At a fighting weight of 175 pounds on a 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) frame, he would be considered a light-heavyweight by modern standards. However, despite being undersized and rather old at 27 years of age to begin prizefighting, Godfrey would go on to achieve tremendous success inside the boxing ring.
Godfrey went 4-0-4 in his first eight fights, which included a draw with famed pugilist Jake Kilrain. In just his ninth pro bout, he won the World 'Colored' Heavyweight Champion by beating Charles Hadley via sixth round knockout on February 23, 1883. On August 24, 1888, at age 36, Godfrey faced off against world renowned Australian boxer Peter Jackson in San Francisco, California. He would end up losing the bout by technical knockout in the nineteenth round, subsequently losing the World 'Colored' Title. Godfrey had two more bouts with the much heavier Kilrain after their initial draw, losing both of them via knockout. He also faced Ireland's Peter Maher and California Joe Choynski towards the latter part of his career, almost 40 years old, also losing those matchups. It was during the last stages of his career, as the years took their toll and his ring skills visibly faded, that the unenlightened press of the day took to calling him by the deprecatory sobriquet of "Old Chocolate".
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