MORE REASONS WHY BRADDOCK WAS GREAT!!!!

[Rory McCloskey]

Alright im sure most of you know that im a huge fan of jim braddock ive been collecting his photos and footage of his fights for four years now and ive seen the movie 6 times.. i know most of you only remember him for beating max baer... well he also beat art lasky john henry lewis tuffy griffin tommy farr corn griffin etc... well anyway..many people thought that the louis fight was a blowout and that braddock shouldnt have even been in the same ring, even though braddock knocked down louis in the first, and held his own throughout the fight, ive seen it many times...

Although that is true, the most impressive thing about the Louis-Braddock fight is that braddock was fighting with arthritis...here is an excerpt from his website to prove it

"On June 22nd 1937, Braddock would defend and lose his heavyweight title in an eight round KO to "The Brown Bomber" Joe Louis. According to Jim, Louis threw far more punches then Baer.

Although Jim never complained, few knew that during the fight for Louis, Braddock actually received medication for arthritis. Jim barely lifted his left during the fight because the medicine numbed him like a muscle relaxant. Jim's only lucky punch happened in an uppercut, simply since he failed to raise his left over his head. His follow up punch missed Louis's chin, and slammed into Joe's chest. The punch cracked around the auditorium. Only an inch short kept Jim from retaining the title. Joe Louis worked Jim over in the subsequent rounds, added twenty-three stitches, and moving a tooth right through his mouthpiece and into his lip. Everyone enjoyed the fight that night, and even though a loss, it was perhaps Braddock's best fight."

How many people can win a boxing match in that condition..and then how many people can beat joe louis in that condition.. i dont think any.

[BrocktonBlockbuster49]

RORY, I ADMIRE UR ADMIRATION FOR BRADDOCK AS I HAVE THE SAME FOR MARCIANO. AS LIKEABLE AS BRADDOCK IS, U CANNOT TRY TO RATE HIM HIGH BASED ON THE FACT HE WAS UR FAVORITE.

BRADDOCK WILL ALWAYS BE KNOWN AS THE CINDERLLA MAN, AND A GOOD FIGHTER WHO HAD HEART BUT NEVER A GREAT FIGHTER. max baer even with his lethal right, was never considered a top 10 heavyweight and some not top 15. and the fact that braddock was such a big underdog to max baer shows about braddocks ability.

HE BEAT A 7-3-1 CORN GRIFFIN VERY INEXPERIENCESD AND CORN GRIFFIN NEVER BECAME A CONTENDERFINSIHIN WITH A LOSING RECORD. . ART LASKEY WAS A CONTENDER BUT NEVER A GOOD CONTENDER AS HE NEVER GOT A SHOT AT THE TITLE.
his 2nd best win over john henry lewis, was good but lewis was a ligth-H and he had aleady lost to lewis before. he did fight a very good fight even dropping lewis, but lewi s is not considered a top 10 light-H on some lists. he did beat tommy farr who was a great contender, and braddock gets acclaim for eating a strong contender but he didnt beat enough top men or all time greats to be considered an elite. ur overating braddock when u make him a top ten heavyweight.

braddock is a fighter who i truelly respect, and he is the cinderella man. but to rate him a top ten heavyweight with all the great heavyweights is ridiculous. he did show he could fight late in his career but not at the level of the joe louis, ali,. rocky marciano, johnson, frazier, holmes etc.

RORY WROTE:

Only an inch short kept Jim from retaining the title.

OK HOW BOUT THE LEFT HOOK FRAZIER THREW THAT GRAZED BY FOREMANS HEAD, IF THAT WAS A COUPL INCHES LONGER, HE WOULD HAVE RETAINED HIS TITLE???
FIRST OF ALL BRADDOCK WOULD HAVE NEVER BEAT LOUIS. That is defintely not true. He would have had to land 20 more of those to knock out louis. louis was not hurt, more embarrased and off balance by the punch. louis got up early to show he was not hurt but blackburn once said something around "always take a long count, u cant get up fast enough for them to not know u was down." louis dgot knocked down by contenders during his career because he was off balance a lot, but every knockdown including (buddy knocking him through the ropes) only upset and angered louis. louis would get up and punish them and knock them out. thats what he did to braddock he dominated braddock besides that knockdown. and it looked like he oculd have put braddock away earlier he was just waiting the right moment . entering round 8 blackburn said get him now and louis went out and knocked him out cold.

louis was never in jeopardy of losing to braddock.

[tiredoldngrey]

I read once that the referee that worked Louis/Braddock said of the 'missed it by an inch' story that it was, in fact, true. Except that it was Louis that nearly KO'd Braddock. Apparently Louis landed a very forceful right of his own about the time Braddock's punch landed on louis. The referee said that Braddock tried to hold on to Louis to keep himself up and when he failed in that endeavor Braddock nearly fell on Louis

[Rory McCloskey]

I totally agree with you..jim braddock is not a top 10 heavyweight of all tme i hope i never said that..i dont even think hes top 20..but thats the way i like it... hes got more heart then any other fighter ive ever seen, and i respect him so much..i admire the man so maybe i got a little carried away, btu alot of that entry was a quote form braddocks website, the part about missing by an inch, anyway im glad you have a great boxer to admire too, i always thought rocky didnt get the credit due, well anyway there will never be another boxer with a story compatable to that of braddocks, and the fact that braddock isnt top 20 heavyweight, is good, thats why there called underdogs..

[Rory McCloskey]

just out of curiousity where would u guys rank braddock all-time?

[Collins2000]

Same as you suggest, Rory. About #30.

[6 Pack]

WHile we're at it, I think Marciano is over-rated (mostly by those who are Italian) but that is another thread.

[JCS]

The new all-time ratings have Braddock at #37.

[Rory McCloskey]

i think some of the higher rating suffered but i llike braddock at 37 thats a good number to me

[dan1030]

Yup, not a top-25 sort of guy, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with lovin a fighter who's not an all-time great. I mean, who here doesn't like Gatti, Ward, Augustus, etc?

[Rory McCloskey]

love gatti

[Rory McCloskey]

braddock fought louis instead of schmelling because he didnt want nazi germany to get a hold of the belt..how patriotic is that..he took the MUCH harder fight to keep the title in america because he knew louis would be able to defend it