James J. Braddock - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

James Walter "The Cinderella Man" Braddock (June 7, 1905 – November 29, 1974) was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

who was the world heavyweight champion from 1935 to 1937.

Fighting under the name James J. Braddock (ostensibly to follow the pattern set by two prior world boxing champions, James J. Corbett

James J. Corbett

James John "Gentleman Jim" Corbett was an Irish-American heavyweight boxing champion, best known as the man who defeated the great John L. Sullivan. He also coached boxing at the Olympic Club in San Francisco...

and James J. Jeffries

James J. Jeffries

James Jackson Jeffries was a world heavyweight boxing champion.His greatest assets were his enormous strength and stamina. Using a technique taught to him by his trainer, former welterweight and middleweight champion Tommy Ryan, Jeffries fought out of a crouch with his left arm extended forward...

), he was known for his powerful right hand, granite chin and an amazing comeback from a floundering career. He had lost several bouts due to chronic hand injuries and was forced to work on the docks and collect social assistance to feed his family during the depression. In 1935 he fought Max Baer

Max Baer

Max Baer was an American boxer of the 1930s as well as a professional wrestler and referee, and had an occasional role on film or television. He was the brother of twice World Champion boxing contender Buddy Baer and father of actor Max Baer, Jr...

for the Heavyweight championship and won. For this unlikely feat he was given the nickname "The Cinderella Man" by Damon Runyon

Damon Runyon

Alfred Damon Runyon was an American newspaperman and writer.He was best known for his short stories celebrating the world of Broadway in New York City that grew out of the Prohibition era. To New Yorkers of his generation, a "Damon Runyon character" evoked a distinctive social type from the...

. Braddock was managed by Joe Gould

Joe Gould (manager)

Joe Gould was an American boxing manager, best known for representing boxer James J. Braddock, who in 1935 upset Max Baer to take the world heavyweight championship.-Career:...

Early life

Braddock was born in Hell's Kitchen

Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan

Hell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton and Midtown West, is a neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City between 34th Street and 59th Street, from 8th Avenue to the Hudson River....

in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

on West 48th Street within a couple of blocks of the Madison Square Garden

Madison Square Garden

Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...

venue where he would later become famous. He stated his life's early ambition was to play football for Knute Rockne

Knute Rockne

Knute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history...

at the University of Notre Dame

University of Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...

, but he had "more brawn than brains."

Career

Braddock pursued boxing, turning pro at the age of 21, fighting as a light heavyweight. After three years, Braddock's record was 44-2-2 with 21 knockouts.

In 1928, he pulled off a major upset by knocking out highly-regarded Tuffy Griffiths

Tuffy Griffiths

Gerald Ambrose "Tuffy" Griffiths was an American boxer. He fought as a heavyweight and occasionally as a light heavyweight under the name Tuffy Griffiths.-Early life:...

. The following year he earned a chance to fight for the championship, but he narrowly lost to Tommy Loughran

Tommy Loughran

Thomas Patrick Loughran was the light heavyweight boxing champion of the world.Loughran's effective use of coordinated foot work, sound defense and swift, accurate counter punching is now regarded as a precursor to the techniques practiced in modern boxing...

in a 15-round decision. Braddock was greatly depressed by the loss and badly fractured his right hand in several places in the process. His career suffered as a result, as did Braddock's disposition.

His record for the next 33 fights fell to 11-20-2. With his family in poverty during the Great Depression, Braddock had to give up boxing for a little while and worked as a longshoreman. Due to frequent injuries to his right hand, Braddock compensated by using his left hand during his longshoreman work, and it gradually became stronger than his right. He always remembered the humiliation of having to accept government relief money, but was inspired by the Catholic Worker Movement

Catholic Worker Movement

The Catholic Worker Movement is a collection of autonomous communities of Catholics and their associates founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in 1933. Its aim is to "live in accordance with the justice and charity of Jesus Christ." One of its guiding principles is hospitality towards those on...

, a Christian social justice organization founded by Dorothy Day

Dorothy Day

Dorothy Day was an American journalist, social activist and devout Catholic convert; she advocated the Catholic economic theory of Distributism. She was also considered to be an anarchist, and did not hesitate to use the term...

and Peter Maurin

Peter Maurin

Peter Maurin was a Roman Catholic social activist who founded the Catholic Worker Movement in 1933 with Dorothy Day.Maurin expressed his ideas through short pieces of verse that became known as - Biography :...

in 1933 to help the homeless and hungry. After his boxing comeback, Braddock returned the welfare money he had received and made frequent donations to various Catholic Worker Houses, including feeding homeless guests with his family.

Baer vs. Braddock

In 1934, Braddock was given a fight with the highly touted John "Corn" Griffin

John Griffin (boxer)

John Charles "Corn" Griffin, was an American heavyweight boxer whose career lasted from 1930 to 1936 and included the memorable June 14, 1934 TKO loss to James J. Braddock, recreated for the 2005 film Cinderella Man....

. Although Braddock was intended simply as a stepping stone in Griffin's career, he knocked out the "Ozark Cyclone" in the third round. Braddock then fought John Henry Lewis

John Henry Lewis

John Henry Lewis was an African American boxer who was the world Light Heavyweight champion from 1935 to 1939.One interesting fact of his is that Lewis was managed by a gambler and racketeer of the 1930s: Gus Greenlee, a man who became very important to baseball's Negro Leagues as a commissioner...

, a future light heavyweight champion. He won in one of the most important fights of his career. After defeating another highly regarded heavyweight contender, Art Lasky

Art Lasky

Arthur Lakofsky , also known as Art Lasky, was a heavyweight professional boxer from Minneapolis, Minnesota.-Personal life:Art Lasky was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1909. He called Minneapolis his home...

, whose nose he broke during the bout on March 22, 1935, Braddock was given a title fight against the World Heavyweight Champion, Max Baer.

Baer hardly trained for the bout. Braddock, on the other hand, was training hard. "I'm training for a fight. Not a boxing contest or a clownin' contest or a dance." he said. "Whether it goes 1 round or 3 rounds or 10 rounds, it will be a fight and a fight all the way. When you've been through what I've had to face in the last two years, a Max Baer or a Bengal tiger

Bengal Tiger

The Bengal tiger is a tiger subspecies native to the Indian subcontinent that in 2010 has been classified as endangered by IUCN...

looks like a house pet. He might come at me with a cannon and a blackjack and he would still be a picnic compared to what I've had to face."

Considered little more than a journeyman fighter, Braddock was hand-picked by Baer's handlers because he was seen as an easy payday for the champion. Instead, on June 13, 1935, at Madison Square Garden Bowl

Madison Square Garden Bowl

Madison Square Garden Bowl was the name of an outdoor arena in the New York City borough of Queens. Built in 1932, the arena hosted circuses and boxing matches. Its seating capacity was 72,000 spectators. It was eventually destroyed after years of disuse....

, Braddock won the Heavyweight Championship of the World as the 10-to-1 underdog in one of the most stunning upsets in boxing history.

During the fight, a dogged Braddock took a few heavy hits from the powerful younger champion (30 years vs 26 years for Baer), but Braddock kept coming, wearing down Baer, who seemed perplexed by Braddock's ability to take a punch. In the end, the judges gave Braddock the title with a unanimous decision.

Heavyweight Champion

James Braddock suffered from problems with his arthritic hands after injuries throughout his career, and in 1936, his title defense in Madison Square Garden

Madison Square Garden (1925)

Madison Square Garden was an indoor arena in New York City, the third of that name. It was built in 1925 and closed in 1968, and was located on Eighth Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets in Manhattan on the site of the city's trolley car barns. It was the first Garden that was not located near...

against the German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

Max Schmeling

Maximillian Adolph Otto Siegfried Schmeling was a German boxer who was heavyweight champion of the world between 1930 and 1932. His two fights with Joe Louis in the late 1930s transcended boxing, and became worldwide social events because of their national associations...

was canceled under suspicious circumstances. Braddock argued he would have received only a US$

United States dollar

The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

25,000 purse against Schmeling, compared to $250,000 against rising star Joe Louis

Joe Louis

Joseph Louis Barrow , better known as Joe Louis, was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1937 to 1949. He is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time...

.

Louis was considered to be the more dangerous opponent and the fact he, as a black man, could be heavyweight champion made many boxing insiders against him getting a title shot. Braddock agreed to the fight with the stipulation that he would receive a percentage of Louis's future purses. While Braddock was able to knock down Louis in the fight, Louis went on to win. Louis was quoted as saying that Braddock was the bravest man he ever fought.

Death and legacy

On his death in 1974 at the age of 69, James J. Braddock was interred in the Mount Carmel Cemetery

Mount Carmel Cemetery

Mount Carmel Cemetery is a popular name for Catholic cemeteries in many areas. A few with this name are:* Mount Carmel Cemetery, Hamden, Connecticut...

in Tenafly, New Jersey

Tenafly, New Jersey

Tenafly is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 14,488. Tenafly is an affluent suburb of New York City....

. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame

International Boxing Hall of Fame

The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta...

in 2001. James J. Braddock North Hudson County Park in North Bergen, New Jersey

North Bergen, New Jersey

North Bergen is a township in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township had a total population of 60,773. Originally founded in 1843, the town was much diminished in territory by a series of secessions. Situated on the Hudson Palisades, it is one...

is named in his honor.

The 2005

2005 in film

- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...

biographical film

Biographical film

A biographical film, or biopic , is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people. They differ from films “based on a true story” or “historical films” in that they attempt to comprehensively tell a person’s life story or at least the most historically important years of their...

Cinderella Man
Cinderella Man
Cinderella Man is a 2005 American drama film by Ron Howard, titled after the nickname of heavyweight boxing champion James J. Braddock and inspired by his life story. The film was produced by Howard, Penny Marshall, and Brian Grazer.-Plot:James J...

tells the story of James J. Braddock. Directed by Ron Howard

Ron Howard

Ronald William "Ron" Howard is an American actor, director, and producer. He came to prominence as a child actor, playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show for eight years, and later the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days for six years...

, and starring Russell Crowe

Russell Crowe

Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...

as Braddock with Renée Zellweger

Renée Zellweger

Renée Kathleen Zellweger is an American actress and producer. Zellweger first gained widespread attention for her role in the film Jerry Maguire , and subsequently received two nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her roles as Bridget Jones in the comedy Bridget Jones's Diary ...

as his wife, Mae. The film had an estimated budget of $88 million and grossed $108.5 million worldwide. Paul Giamatti

Paul Giamatti

Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti is an American actor. Giamatti began his career as a supporting actor in several films produced during the 1990s including Private Parts, The Truman Show, Saving Private Ryan, The Negotiator, and Man on the Moon, before earning lead roles in several projects in the...

, playing Braddock's manager Joe Gould, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...

. The role of neighbor Sara Wilson was played by Rosemarie DeWitt

Rosemarie DeWitt

Rosemarie DeWitt is an American actress. DeWitt played Emily Lehman in the Fox television series Standoff, co-starring her now husband Ron Livingston, from 2006 through 2007, and played Charmaine Craine on Showtime's acclaimed original series, United States of Tara...

, who is Braddock's real-life granddaughter (daughter of Braddock's daughter Rosemarie Braddock and husband Kenny DeWitt). The film received mostly positive reviews.

British band The BibleCode Sundays

The BibleCode Sundays

The BibleCode Sundays are a London-based celtic rock band. Their music is a lively mixture of traditional Irish folk music and contemporary rock music-History:...

released a song titled "The Cinderella Man" on their 2008 'Boots or No Boots' album as a tribute to Braddock.

Professional boxing record

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|align="center" colspan=8|51 Wins (26 knockouts, 20 decisions), 26 Losses (2 knockouts, 24 decisions), 7 Draws, 2 No Contests http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=012072&cat=boxer&pageID=1
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|Win
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Tommy Farr

Thomas George Farr was one of the most famous Welsh and British boxers of all time. Born in Clydach Vale, Wales and nicknamed "the Tonypandy Terror", he became British and Empire heavyweight champion on 15 March 1937. Prior to 1936, he had boxed in the light heavyweight division in which he was...

|SD
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|21/01/1938
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Madison Square Garden

, New York

New York City

, New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...