By Don Colgan
Ron Howard's 2005 production of Cinderella Man was a stellar recreation of James J. Braddock's rise from the brutal grip of the Great Depression to the Heavyweight Championship of the world. In one short year! The film's accurate depiction of the hopelessness millions of Americans faced as families who, like the Braddock's, were reasonably comfortable in the late 1920's and on the brink of starvation two years later.
Braddock is often cast as a journeyman fighter who accomplished the impossible, driven by courage, dedication to his wife and young children and a refusal to yield to despair. It is true that he lost 16 out of 22 bouts during the early 1930's and was ill trained, ill nourished and unable to complete at his earlier skill level as a series of shattered hands, concealed from the ring authorities, lent support to the belief, at the time, that Braddock was vastly over rated in his late 20's prime and was no more than a third rate stepping stone by 1933.
A myth it was. Braddock was a world class light heavyweight contender during the 1928-1929 period, competing in a class studded with talent. The decision loss to the tough and talented Tommy Loughran in 1928 may have been clear cut yet did little to diminish what appeared to be an emerging successful ring career with championship possibilities before him.
Until the Great Depression!
Braddock did what American's had to do to survive during that terrible trial. He battled, he suffered, he hung on! He kept his wife and children, fed, if barely. He kept them clothed with a roof over their heads, if barely. He took a days work on the docks when it was available, often being left lingering at the gates as the days quota was chosen. His once formidable ring skills were eroded by hunger and desperation yet the core of his talent, however receded, remained intact.
Waiting for opportunity. For that second chance.
Time away from the ring and grueling dock work strengthened his right hand. Than one day that second chance arrived, with no advance notice. Braddock was matched as a last minute substitute against hard punching Georgian Corn Griffin, considered by many, at the time, as the heir apparent to the heavyweight thrown.
The old Jim Braddock stepped into the ring at Madison Square Garden that long ago June evening in 1934. The Jim Braddock that would have been on the fistic scene as a leading championship contender during the late 20's and early 30's had the depression not intervened. It was a staggering upset when he punched out Griffin in three short rounds. It was equally startling when he decked and came on to dominate John Henry Lewis and brutally out punch top ranked Art Lasky to earn an improbable championship opportunity against Max Baer.
Many forget that Baer-Braddock was not particularly close. Braddock was awarded three rounds on fouls, two of which he would have earned anyway. He out boxed and out punched the Californian and took 9, perhaps 10 rounds. There was no doubt about the verdict.
Boxing historians will always acknowledge three facts about Braddock. He could punch, he could take a punch, and he had superb boxing skills. His courage was beyond dispute. All the attributes of a true champion.
He will never be listed among the pantheon of great heavyweight titleholders, not even in the second tier occupied by the Walcotts, Patterson's and Charles. He never made a successful title defense yet, considering the circumstances of Braddock during the early and middle 30's, he may be among the most underrated of champions. Joe Louis called Braddock “The most courageous fighter he ever met”. Jim had the Bomber on the canvas during the first canto and missed Louis' chin with a crashing right hand wallop that could have resulted in a KO victory for the titleholder. Remember, the Schmeling stoppage of Louis' was still fresh and he was young and vulnerable.
Where does Braddock fit? It is creditable to argue he could have defeated Schmeling, Sharkey, Walcott, Charles, Patterson and certainly Johansson. Yet one intriguing match was Braddock vs Dempsey. Jack had the hang speed, crushing punch, ring generalship and killer instinct to dispose of Braddock. Yet an analysis of the Dempsey title reign invites one to give the Cinderella Man a real shot at licking the Manassa Mauler.
Jack's 2nd championship defense was a 12th round knockout of Bill Brennan at Madison Square Garden. Brennan tore Dempsey's ear and handed him a thorough shellacking over most of the first ten heats, prompting Jack Kearn's to scream “He's licking you Jack” at the champion in between the 10th and 11th rounds. Dempsey caught up with Brennan and retained the crow yet displayed a real vulnerability against a tough, stand up battler with above average boxing prowess.
The legendary “Rape of Shelby” saw Dempsey, looking to vacate the one horse Montana town with as much of his due $300,000 as possible, labored through the full 15 rounds against Tommy Gibbons, a capable boxer with little clout and had no business extending Dempsey the full 15 rounds. Arguably Jack was not sufficiently motivated yet both the Brennan and Gibbon's defenses lent weight to the argument that a good boxer with an adequate punch could trouble Dempsey.
Braddock met that criteria. He knocked out Griffin and dominated Lewis and Lasky. He left Baer lumped up over his right eye and clearly beaten. He had Louis on the canvas and battled the Brown Bomber with valor before succumbing.
Braddock had the punching power and ring savvy to keep Dempsey off him. He lacked Jack's savagery. Dempsey had faster hands and a comparable chin. It is unlikely Jack would have knocked Braddock out within five rounds. It is conceivable that the Cinderella Man could have extended Jack over the championship route and captured a points win.
Such a match is mythical and would involve Braddock in the contenders role for Dempsey's championship in a match that would have taken place in 1922, about a half dozen years before Braddock even arrived on the scene as a light heavyweight contender.
A prime Dempsey, defending against Braddock at Madison Square Garden, in what certainly would have been a Tex Rick art promotion. The Manassa Mauler would be looking for an early end to the affair and would attack Braddock from the opening bell, forcing the Irishman to trade. Braddock would have been facing a foeman equal to or superior than Baer as a puncher and an opponent not inclined to clown or give rounds away.
Forced to punch with Dempsey, Braddock would be subject to a brutal pounding to the head and body and dropped for a short count late in round two, the recipient of a Dempsey barrage in Jim's corner culminating in a terrific right under the heart that would fell the Irishman. Braddock would answer, hooking off the jab and jarring the titleholder on occasion, particularly during the third and fourth sessions. However Dempsey's in and out body to head attack would weaken Braddock and move Jack to the lead, albeit narrowly.
Than Braddock, having absorbed Jack's hardest wallops, would begin to make his move. Using his left jab effectively and working Jack hard to the midsection in close, the Jerseyan would take three of the following four rounds on all three scorecards.
Entering the 10th round Dempsey would hold a 5-3-1 advantage on Referee Dave Barry's card and lead with the two ringside judges giving Jack a razor thin 5-4 edge. Gaining in confidence, Braddock met the champion at ring center, hooked a left to Dempsey's jaw before spinning out of range. Braddock circled to Dempsey's right, feinted and send a crushing right to Jack's chin, dropping the titleholder to one knee. Barry gave Dempsey the mandatory eight count. Jack rushed to meet the Irishman at ring center.
With a two fisted attack, Dempsey began to walk through Braddock, staggering Jim with a brutal left hook to the kidney followed by a right hand smash to the jaw that staggered Braddock badly. With Joe Gould screaming “Hang on, Jim” Dempsey trapped Braddock in his own corner and exploded with a barrage of 16 unanswered blows, most of them landing flush on Braddock's chin. Draped over the ropes, the challenger was helpless, leaving Barry no choice but to pull the raging champion off of Jim.
The winner and still heavyweight champion of the world, by a technical knockout at 2:08 of the 10th round, Jack Dempsey.
If only it could have been.
