Imagine having sport as a career, receiving cash like it's a hobby and having a lovely home along with an even better family. Well life for James J. Braddock was exactly this. Life for Braddock was nothing short of perfection before the twenties. He had everything he could ever want, being a professional boxer. Money came into his hands quicker than a fat kid on candy. His home was beautiful along with his family, what could possibly go wrong?
Well the 1930's came around in the states. The stock market crashed and living life became a lot harder of a task. James no longer had money, his beautiful home was gone, and his family was struggling as much as he was. He was officially relieved as a professional boxer as he had broken his hand. Braddock had to resort to manual labour as a longshoreman to support his family even with his weak hand. Unfortunately he couldn't always get shifts and therefore money was no guarantee during these difficult times.
Well the 1930's came around in the states. The stock market crashed and living life became a lot harder of a task. James no longer had money, his beautiful home was gone, and his family was struggling as much as he was. He was officially relieved as a professional boxer as he had broken his hand. Braddock had to resort to manual labour as a longshoreman to support his family even with his weak hand. Unfortunately he couldn't always get shifts and therefore money was no guarantee during these difficult times.
Fortunately for Braddock his long time manager and friend Joe Gould got him back into the ring. There was a catch however, he had one fight and one fight only. The only reason James got back into the ring was because a fighter cancelled on a particular fight and they needed someone to fill his spot. Braddock got his chance and seized his opportunity. He not only won the fight but he dominated his opponent. The boxing commission recognized this and gave James an offer. The offer was simple, keep fighting, win and he would remain in the ring, if he lost then he would be cut for good this time. James continued to win his fights, so many in fact that he got a shot at the heavy weight title against a brutal fighter with the name Max Baer.
Going into the fight, James Braddock was a serious underdog. Yet then again he had been for all of his previous fights. Max Baer was indeed a ruthless fighter, he had killed two men in the ring before and wasn't afraid of doing it a third time. Everyone tried to convince James that he had no chance of winning and he might as well pull out of the fight and not risk his own safety. Braddock was not the only one who would be effected by this fight. He had a family that loved and cared about him more than any thing else in the world. If he went down in the fight he would be risking his family's security and they would be forever scared by his lost.
The two fighters ended up going punch for punch through fifteen rounds of brutal fighting. In the end Braddock's arm was the one to go up by way of the referee. He had won the fight along with the hearts of millions of people across the globe.