The Cinderella Man

[POJO_Risin]

For those of you that don't know the story...it's a great one...and should be a great movie...

a few parter....

He was a great amateur...I think only lost 3 or 4 out of 100 or so amateur fights...

then went pro in 1926...and came out as a fucking badass light heavyweight...

He was about 6'2" and fought at about 180 .lbs...and was beating guys who fought at 220...

He was a real big up and comer...

[POJO_Risin]

he was a slugger...not a boxer...and in 1929 he lost a light heavyweight title fight in a 15 round decision...

and a few weeks later came the stock market crash...

Braddock and his wife had 3 kids...and he fought to provide for them at that point...and started losing fights because of the worries of the crash...

He lost 16 out of 22 fights...and let me tell you...HE WAS the up and comer at one point...it was a HUGE fall...

during the losses though...to make ends meet...he would walk to Jersey to work on the docks...he would wear shoes that were tied together...and walk 20 or so miles a day looking for work on the docks...and lifting huge crates off of ships...he made about a quarter a week..

[POJO_Risin]

His manager kept fighting for him...and another up and comer...in 1934...needed someone to beat up for a future heavyweight title fight...

Corn Griffin had been beating the hell out of Primo Carnera in sparring matches...and was the "Next Champion."

Braddock took the fight on a days notice...in his one day of training...his trainer noticed that his punches had more snap...and that when he sparred...he was fighting on the balls of his feet...and not flat footed...

he went from a puncher to a boxer (due to the walking and heavy work)

when he stepped in the ring Corn Griffin got worked...

Max Baer beat Carnera the same night...

after 2 more victories for Braddock...he got his chance at the title...

[Big Fat Sammy]

Yeah that was one tough fucker!

[POJO_Risin]

He was a 10-1 underdog...and danced around Baer (who at the time was considered the hardest puncher of all time...killed 2 fighters)...taunted him throughout the fight...and one...garnering the name, "Cinderella Man," for his comeback...and underdog status...

He held the title before losing to the Brown Bomber...Joe Louis...

before that fight...Braddock had a shot for arthritis on his left arm...and left his left hand numb...he barely used it during the fight...

His record was 51-34...nothing like today...which goes to show you...how much of a Cinderella man he really was...

[POJO_Risin]

The funny thing is that his first real fight after winning the title was against Louis 2 years later...

He fought several exhibitions...

then was slated to fight Schmeling...

meanwhile...Louis had slaughtered Carnera...then Baer...and was the #1 contender...

Schmeling thought he saw a flaw in Louis' game...

and fought him...and knocked him out in 1936...

Schmeling showed up for the weigh-in with Braddock...Braddock didn't show up...his promoter feared if Braddock lost the title...Schmeling would take it to Germany and keep it there...

Louis would then beat Braddock...and then Louis would destroy Schmeling...

[Big Fat Sammy]

I want to see this. :)

[POJO_Risin]

I don't know how much of Braddock's career is in this...I think it's mostly about the man...and not the fight game..

I'm guessing the Baer fight will be the last fight...and the end of this movie...just a hunch...

[Big Fat Sammy]

If its Hollywood, it will have a nice warm happy ending, and everyone will feel like a winner!