Gene Tunney (2) W15 George Godfrey (11)
Tunney's superior hand speed, footwork and defense proved just enough to overcome Godfrey's advantages in size, strength and punching power.
A good cutman didn't hurt, either.
Tunney set the tone for the fight immediately after the opening bell, working behind his jab and patiently allowing referee Robert Ferrara to separate the fighters from Godfrey's frequent clinches, rather than wearing himself out by struggling under the larger man's grip.
Godfrey nearly shocked the tournament's second seed in the second round, shaking Tunney with a right uppercut early on, then strafing his target with power shots along the ropes. Tunney was able to move just enough to soften the worst of Godfrey's blows, however, and made it through his worst round of the night.
From there, Tunney's combination punching and defense took over and he built a comfortable lead heading into the later rounds. Godfrey did land hard shots with some frequency, but Tunney's more accurate shots and ring generalship carried most of the frames. Both men kept Ferrara busy, as Godfrey was warned for a low blow and holding and hitting, while Tunney was also scolded for letting his fists stray south of the border.
Late in an otherwise even 10th, Godfrey snapped Tunney's head back with a heavy jab and followed through with an overhand right that forced The Fighting Marine into a corner. Worse for the favorite, the blow ripped a large gash above his left eye. The wound was severe enough for Ferrara to call time and lead Tunney to the ring doctor, who allowed the fight to continue.
Bill Brady worked frantically in Tunney's corner between rounds, managing to staunch the profuse bleeding. Brady's handiwork held up through the 11th and most of the 12th, but a Godfrey flurry late in that round reopened the cut, which bled even more freely than before and forced the ring doctor to take another look.
Again, he did not deem the injury serious enough to stop the fight, even though Tunney had to blink his way through his own blood for the round's final few seconds.
Brady was able to stop the flow again and Tunney fought cautiously, allowing Godfrey to win a third straight round.
Not certain of how many of the earlier rounds were scored, Tunney abandoned his defensive tactics in the 14th and came straight at Godfrey, peppering the surprised giant with multi-punch combinations to the head and body and forcing him into the ropes for the final minute.
The 15th was more of the same, with Tunney attacking the exhausted Godfrey, whose right eye began to swell in the second half of the round.
But The Leiperville Shadow, who shocked Jack Johnson with a come-from-behind knockout in the final round of their encounter in the quarterfinals, had one desperation shot left in him. A left hook to the jaw -- the same shot that felled Johnson -- landed flush with 40 seconds left, causing Tunney's right knee to briefly buckle. But Tunney had the presence of mind to keep away as the rest of the 15th round ticked away.
The judges saw it 145-140 (twice) and 144-141 -- all in favor of Tunney, who advances to meet the winner of the Jack Dempsey-Max Schmeling semifinal.