What Happened To Jimmy Braddock..1950s-1974

Rory McCloskey · Post by **Rory McCloskey** » 04 Oct 2005, 22:27

okay its been a while, this forum needs some spice anyway so im gonna add a few braddock threads..... here it is

The 30's were his... he was arguably the most popular fighter of the decade.. if not the most beloved.. his story was incredibley inspirational...in the 40's he was still known and could still be seen around the fight game from time to time... but then in the 50's, it was like he was gone.. just swept away in the wind...

ive heard that at a heavyweight title fight in the late 50's/60's... i dont remember exactly which one... they had al the former heavyweight champions that were alive, come up to the ring and tip their hat or wave their hand.. line up in a line and you know just be there... well when the announcer got to braddock's name, he had to ask the guy next to him who he was...

how does one go from heavyweight champion and national hero, to an oblivion....

it wasnt until his death in 1974, that his name was brought up and remembered.. and then again it died out and until this year when the books and the movie came out...

what is it with this guy? he has possibley the most inspirational sports story in the history of sports... he was an icon and a national hero.. he was loved by all.. but why is it that people seem to forget about him or just maybe they dont care...... anyone care to add their opinions....

kick asner · Post by **kick asner** » 04 Oct 2005, 22:40

I think that a lot of attention was shifted to Joe Louis at the time. It was like their was Louis, and then everyone else. Pretty much all of the heavyweights of that era had to live in Joe's shadow.

Collins2000 · Post by **Collins2000** » 06 Oct 2005, 17:08

The vast majority of boxers disappear after their time in the limelight.

It's not like Braddock did anything particularly interesting (good or bad) in the 50's and 60's to deserve continued media coverage is it? As far as I know he just went back to being a normal guy.

I recall his story used to get rehashed every year or so in the ring along with the occasional interview. I recall one around the time he died when he said he'd been born in Manchester and not the USA which caused a bit of interest.

You've professed your undying love for the man on here a couple of times, Rory. Why don't you research his later life and post the essence of it on here. I'd enjoy reading about it.

robert.snell1 · Post by **robert.snell1** » 06 Oct 2005, 17:56

I watched the film recently and would be interested to hear from people as to how accurate it is. As Rory you are such a fan what is your opinion of it.

iceman21287 · Post by **iceman21287** » 06 Oct 2005, 18:48

How many people will remember Buster Douglas in 2020?

Buster's story isn't as inspirational as Braddock's, but it is a cinderella story nontheless. The guy loses his mother less than a month before the fight, but somehow manages to pull it together, fight a perfect fight, and defeat the man who most people considered unbeatable. Douglas took down a fighter much greater than Max Baer on his night, yet I have a feeling most people today couldn't pick him out of a police lineup.

BoxBuzz · Post by **BoxBuzz** » 06 Oct 2005, 19:45

I would agree Douglas has more name recognition than face recognition.

I do think a lot of people know his name though.

Rory McCloskey · Post by **Rory McCloskey** » 06 Oct 2005, 21:41

Collins2000 wrote:The vast majority of boxers disappear after their time in the limelight.

It's not like Braddock did anything particularly interesting (good or bad) in the 50's and 60's to deserve continued media coverage is it? As far as I know he just went back to being a normal guy.

I recall his story used to get rehashed every year or so in the ring along with the occasional interview. I recall one around the time he died when he said he'd been born in Manchester and not the USA which caused a bit of interest.

You've professed your undying love for the man on here a couple of times, Rory. Why don't you research his later life and post the essence of it on here. I'd enjoy reading about it.

hmm manchester eh?... thats funny.. i always understood him to have been born in hells kitchen.. his father was born in Mottram England which is in manchester county, but i would think it impossible since records show that the family moved to america in the late 1800's. and braddock was born june 7 1905.. (i celebrated his 100 birthday by going to see the movie and saying a prayer for him..if anyone cares

)

ill contact the braddock family to see if there is any truth to this, they have answered several of my questions before so ill get back to you on this one hopefully..

anyway i know braddock didnt do much in the 50's/60's except for doing work in north jersey, on the verizano and such.. he worked with my grandpa and great uncle.. they use to beg for stories, and hed be happy to tell them over a glass of beer... but i would think that a man who was an american hero and icon woudl stay with the public no?..i know most champions are forgotten, but few champions touched the lives of as many as braddock.. i would guess that joe louis played a major role in the disapearing of JJb.. oh well...i think he wanted it that way.

kick asner · Post by **kick asner** » 06 Oct 2005, 21:59

Another thing is that Braddock was as much as a human intrest story as he was a fighter. Human intrest stories tend to be forgotten by the next generation, until they are brought back to light. That is the good thing about a web sight like this. It enables people to share historical aspects of fighters that have been forgotten.

Rory McCloskey · Post by **Rory McCloskey** » 07 Oct 2005, 21:41

i definatly agree