Kilrain Battles Godfrey in Brutal Fight

On Friday, March 13, 1891, Jake Kilrain fought George Godfrey at the California Athletic Club in San Francisco, California. The men fought for a trophy and $5,000.

The men entered the ring at 9:52 p.m. William Muldoon, former World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion, seconded Kilrain, who Muldoon trained for this fight. Muldoon trained Kilrain’s opponent, John L. Sullivan, for their 1889 bare knuckle world title fight. Now, Muldoon trained Kilrain.

George Godfrey fought Kilrain for the third time in this bout. Most boxers avoided Godfrey, a Black Canadian boxer, by refusing to fight a Black boxer. The fighters found it a convenient excuse to avoid fighting the skilled Godfrey.

In Kilrain, Godfrey found an opponent willing to fight any other boxer. The winners of this bout were the fans, who saw a titanic struggle of grit and determination from two fearless boxers.

Kilrain held an age and size advantage over Godfrey. The 32-year-old Kilrain weighed 192 pounds. The 38-year-old Godfrey tipped the scales at 174 pounds.

Kilrain rushed at Godfrey, who clinched or eluded most of Kilrain’s powerful blows. Kilrain rushed at Godfrey throughout the fight while Godfrey calmly avoided Kilrain.

Around the fourteenth round, Godfrey breathed heavily and looked fatigued. Godfrey switched roles with Kilrain and began rushing at his opponent. Kilrain struck Godfrey with powerful blows before clinching the charging Godfrey.

By the twentieth round, spectators could see Godfrey was exhausted. When Kilrain knocked Godfrey down in the twenty-first rounds, fans thought Kilrain won the bout. However, Godfrey returned to his feet and continued to press Kilrain.

While Godfrey’s offense showed no effect on Kilrain, Godfrey refused to go down. It took Kilrain until the forty-fourth round to knock out the game Godfrey. Godfrey’s performance won over the fans, who gave Godfrey a standing ovation.

Godfrey only had ten more years to live. Godfrey contracted tuberculosis, a death sentence in the 19^th Century. Unlike other fighters, Godfrey died a wealthy man. He invested in real estate in his adopted home of Revere, Massachusetts, and nearby Boston.

Kilrain fought a few more years before retiring. Kilrain lived to the ripe old age of seventy-eight years.

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Sources: The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts), March 14, 1891, p. 1

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