James J. Braddock

• Born: June 7, 1905
• Birthplace: New York, New York
• Died: November 29, 1974
• Place of death: North Bergen, New Jersey

Identification American boxer who held world heavyweight title from 1935 to 1937

During the Depression, Americans craved, paradoxically, both hard truth and escapism in film, literature, and sport. No sport captured that duality better than boxing, then America’s favorite sport, and no champion better represented the people and his time than Braddock. His comeback to win the heavyweight championship, against the longest odds, is a great “Cinderella story.” He gave Americans hope and inspiration when they desperately needed it.

At the age of twenty, James J. Braddock, born James Walter Braddock, was New Jersey’s amateur light-heavyweight and heavyweight champ. His manager, Joe Gould, changed Braddock’s middle initial to “J” in homage to past champions. Braddock’s pro career was uneven, mostly because he broke his right hand repeatedly. Nonetheless, before the stock market crash of 1929, Braddock had a promising future.

In 1929, Braddock lost his life savings when the banks failed, and he began losing more fights than he won. His winning purse had once been as high as seventeen thousand dollars per fight; as the Depression set in, he was sometimes paid less than two hundred dollars for a fight. In 1933, he broke his hand again and was forced to retire. He walked up to twelve miles a day looking for work, toiling as a longshoreman whenever possible. His destitute family lived in a basement, at times without utilities. He was forced to register for government relief, receiving twenty-four dollars a month, and sent his children to live with relatives.

Gould hounded boxing promoters until Braddock was given a chance against rising star John “Corn” Griffin in June, 1934. Braddock’s hard labor had transformed him into a rock-solid 191 pounds; he won by technical knockout. Five months later, Braddock fought John Henry Lewis and delivered another upset. This led to another stunning win against Art Lasky in March, 1935. In three fights, Braddock went from welfare recipient to heavyweight contender. After German champion Max Schmeling passed on the bout, Braddock was named challenger to the heavyweight champion, Max Baer.

Baer was younger, taller, and heavier than Braddock and reportedly had killed two men in the ring. He was also an unmotivated, undisciplined boxer and Hollywood film star known as “the playboy clown.” As Braddock trained seriously, sportswriters wrote about his life on the dole, making him a national hero. Nonetheless, the ten-to-one odds against him were the longest in boxing history.

On June 13, 1935, Braddock’s relentless ability to take and throw a punch wore down the lethargic Baer in fifteen rounds. Braddock won the heavyweight championship by unanimous decision, earning the nickname “Cinderella Man” from sportswriter Damon Runyon. The inspiring champion bought a house for his family and paid back the $367 in relief money he had received—a remarkable gesture that cemented his popularity during his two-year reign.

On June 22, 1937, Braddock faced the youngest challenger to the heavyweight crown, twenty-three-year-old phenomenon Joe Louis. Although Braddock was only the second man (after Schmeling) to knock down Louis, Louis knocked out Braddock in the eighth round—the only time he was ever counted out. Louis’s victory was a seminal moment in African American history, and many consider him to be the greatest heavyweight of all time. Louis called Braddock the most courageous man he ever fought.

In 1938, Braddock retired with his body and popularity intact. In 1954, he received boxing’s James J. Walker Award in recognition of his long and meritorious service to the sport. He was inducted posthumously into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2001. His final boxing record includes eighty-six fights, forty-five wins (twenty-seven by knockout), twenty-three losses, eleven no decisions, five draws, and two no contests.

Impact

Americans have always looked to the underdog for inspiration and affirmation of their cultural belief that hard work, self-reliance, and perseverance can be personally transformative. In 2005, Braddock’s story was revived in the Oscar-nominated film Cinderella Man, starring Russell Crowe. The film introduced a new generation to his inspiring life.

Bibliography

DeLisa, Michael C. Cinderella Man: The James J. Braddock Story. Wrea Green Preston, Lancashire, England: Milo Books, 2005.

Margolick, David. Beyond Glory: Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling, and a World on the Brink. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005.

Schaap, Jeremy. Cinderella Man: James J. Braddock, Max Baer, and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2005.