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.