George “Babe” George Sr. – (1999)

In the late 1930’s and early 1940’s when amateur boxing enjoyed enormous popularity, Lorain boxer George (Babe) George Sr. was a star attraction. Area sportswriters dubbed him “Syrian Slugger,” “Lorain Coffin Maker,” “G-Man,” “Two Georges” or “Double G.” However, the soft-spoken light heavyweight did most of his talking with his fists.

In 1940, George, only 20 and with less than 1 1/2 years of boxing experience, upset heavy favorites Paul Minnich, Gus Mullner and Bobby Berry en route to sweeping honors in the Cleveland Plain Dealer Golden Gloves Tournament’s 175-pound Open Division. In the GG finals, before a crowd of 10,044 at Cleveland Public Hall, upstart George earned the respect and admiration of the huge throng with his ability, as well as his sportsmanship.

Cleveland Ringside AC’s Berry, the 1939-40 Open runner-up who later turned pro, had bandages protecting eye cuts from previous ring battles. But George chose to punch only Berry’s body in pounding out a unanimous decision in the finale. George and 126-pound Lorain slugger Maxie Schindler (a 1991 LSHF inductee) that night became the first representatives from a city other than Cleveland to win two Plain Dealer GG Open or Novice Division crowns.

Among the other PD Open champions that evening were lanky Joey Maxim of Collinwood AC, a 160-pound ace who later defeated Sugar Ray Robinson for the pro light heavyweight title. Maxim joined George and Schindler on the Cleveland team that fought in the 1940 Tournament of Champions GG Nationals at Chicago Stadium.

George trained during most of his career under Lorain police officer Wally Knitter (1976 LSHF inductee) for the amateur club sponsored by Lorain United Polish Club. George won more than 20 career fights, defeating other top foes such as Johnny Kochan of Lorain, James Ash of Elyria, Phil Huss of Fremont and Gene Finks of Akron, a University of Akron fullback in football.

George, who worked as a coffin maker for Ravenna Casket Co. of Lorain, employed a relentless brawling style. His specialties were a two-fisted body attack and a looping overhand right to the head. He was an eighth grade school drop-out when, after his father died, he went to work to support his mother, three brothers and three sisters.