Could Braddock Have Whipped Dempsey?

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

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. [details]

[butterfly1964]

"Could Braddock Have Whipped Dempsey?" not in a million years!

[Yogi]

I strongly doubt that he'd win, but I do think Braddock could give a Dempsey a fairly decent test before eventually succumbing to Jack's power, overall skill and relentless.

But what I don't see is the writer's comparisions between Braddock & Tommy Gibbons, because they fought in completely different styles...

Braddock was more of an aggressive out-boxer from what I've seen, whose outside work consisted mostly of the jab, but with very, very little elusive footwork (pretty stationary on the outside). He also seemed to look to come inside quite often, as well, and with success.

Gibbons fought & extended Dempsey the full distance by both turning around and running away quite often, as well as PLENTY of clinching when Jack inevitably closed the distance. Besides a few jabs and whatnot, Gibbons did very little punching in that fight with Dempsey and looked to be completely in survivor mode for the vast majority of it.

Completely different fighters there.

[phallus]

no, i don't see Braddock beating a prime Dempsey, although i think it would have taken Dempsey into the late rounds to get a stoppage on Braddock. Braddock was great but remember, he beat Baer because Baer ( who was more talented ) was too busy ****ing hollywoood sluts to bother going into the gym to train, Braddock used his determination to take an out of shape Baer into deep water and then take his title, i admire Braddock because he wanted it so bad. He had great heart, he took a lot of punishment from Joe louis before Joe could get him out of there

[hollister]

no, i don't see Braddock beating a prime Dempsey, although i think it would have taken Dempsey into the late rounds to get a stoppage on Braddock. Braddock was great but remember, he beat Baer because Baer ( who was more talented ) was too busy ****ing hollywoood sluts to bother going into the gym to train, Braddock used his determination to take an out of shape Baer into deep water and then take his title, i admire Braddock because he wanted it so bad. He had great heart, he took a lot of punishment from Joe louis before Joe could get him out of there

Yeah, I agree with that completely. Baer was out of shape, and maybe that's why he clowned the whole fight instead of fighting until the last round or two, he thought he would run out of gas. I think Braddock-Dempsey would have been a pretty good fight, not great, but good. I also think Dempsey would get to him late, later than Louis did. Braddock's and Dempsey's stories are both remarkable, as they both came from nothing to becoming heavyweight champs of the world.

[TheEvilSaint]

could braddock have beat dempsey?

no, no and no and still no.

[Yogi]

"It is creditable to argue he could have defeated Schmeling, Sharkey, Walcott, Charles, Patterson and certainly Johansson."


I think Braddock's talent level is above Johansson's and his toughness should negate Ingemar's power in his right hand (Ingo's Bingo!), so Johansson would be the one guy I'd favour Braddock to defeat out of that bunch.

The other guys?

Braddock could possibly catch the chin of Patterson's at some point in the fight and put him for the count eventually, but I don't think I'd favour that secenario hapening and would lean towards Patterson taking a fairly close decision in the end.

I'd also lean towards Sharkey, Walcott & Charles all taking decision wins over Braddock, but I'd would actually favour Schmeling to stop Braddock at some point late in their fight...With at least three opportunities to put that Schmeling/Braddock fight on (scheduled twice for the title in 36 & 37, and was also talked about in the New York Times as the final elimination match for May of '35, with the winner to meet Baer for the title), it's kind of a shame that it never happened.

[Imira]

"It is creditable to argue he could have defeated Schmeling, Sharkey, Walcott, Charles, Patterson and certainly Johansson."


I think Braddock's talent level is above Johansson's and his toughness should negate Ingemar's power in his right hand (Ingo's Bingo!), so Johansson would be the one guy I'd favour Braddock to defeat out of that bunch.

The other guys?

Braddock could possibly catch the chin of Patterson's at some point in the fight and put him for the count eventually, but I don't think I'd favour that secenario hapening and would lean towards Patterson taking a fairly close decision in the end.

I'd also lean towards Sharkey, Walcott & Charles all taking decision wins over Braddock, but I'd would actually favour Schmeling to stop Braddock at some point late in their fight...With at least three opportunities to put that Schmeling/Braddock fight on (scheduled twice for the title in 36 & 37, and was also talked about in the New York Times as the final elimination match for May of '35, with the winner to meet Baer for the title), it's kind of a shame that it never happened.

Braddock injured his fragile right hand in training for Schmelling when the fight was actually set to take place. The injury was bad enough to cause Jimmy to pull out of the fight.

As far as your possible match ups, I agree with you on all except Charles. With the speed and precision of Charles' right hand counterpunching, I could definitely see Charles stopping Braddock as well. Later than Louis did, of course, but Charles packed some power in his right hand.

[phallus]

Charles packed some power in his right hand.

yes he did, early in his career he was a very quick and accurate puncher, a little too accurate, he killed a guy in the ring, and wanted to quit boxing, but the dude's parents convinced him to continue boxing in the memory of their son, but charles' power was never the same again