In case you missed it, there was a pretty decent scrap Friday night when Rhode Island based cruiserweight prospect Matt Godfrey survived some early round scares to rally back and stop tough Nigerian Emmanuel Nwodo in the fourth round.¬ Many fans and media are high on Godfrey and while he does¬show decent technique and solid fundamentals, there is just something about him that does not scream world champion.¬ I understand that he is still in the formative stage in his career but he just does not seem to have the intangible “it” factor.¬ I could be way off base here in my assessment and Godfrey could go on to be one of the greatest crusierweights in history but I consider me a bonafide non-believer.¬ I will say that his victory over Nwodo was a crucial test that Godfrey passed with flying colors the fact that he was even put in that position by the tough but limited Nwodo does not exactly speak well for him.¬ On the flip side, I am rapidly becoming a Nwodo fan.¬ Yes, he is extremely limited, yes he is crude in technique, and sure his chin seems to be constructed out of paper mache, but I love the effort he puts forth in every fight.¬ While most people will recognize Nwodo from the frightening knockout he suffered at the hands of Darnell Wilson.¬ It was pretty scary stuff but Nwodo seems to have bounced back, well until he was bludgeoned by Godfrey Friday night on ESPN.¬ Nwodo will probably never win a world title in his career but he gives an honest effort, packs a wicked right hand punch, and never stops coming forward.¬ I appreciate that in a fighter and will make it a habit to tune into a Nwodo fight whenever televised.¬
I Like Me Some Nwodo
Posted by Tim Starks on Sep 2, 2008 19:09
