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JAMES J. BRADDOCK (CINDERELLA MAN)
James J. Braddock was born in a small flat on West 48th Street in New York City on June 7th, 1906. Weighing in at seventeen pounds at birth, James was one of seven children brought into the world by his parents Joseph Braddock and Elizabeth O'Toole Braddock of Ireland.
With five boys and two girls in tow, The Braddocks relocated their brood across the Hudson River into New Jersey and settled down in the peaceful township of West New York where Jimmy enjoyed playing marbles and baseball and loved hanging around the old swimming hole on the edge of the Hudson River or under the Hackensack River bridge. He aspired to be a fireman or a train engineer someday.
Braddock attended Saint Joseph's Parochial School in West New York, NJ. In a classroom of 35 boys, fighting was pretty commonplace. One of his reoccurring opponents was a boy named Jimmy Morris for whom Braddock tangled with nearly 30 times. Another unfortunate classmate named Elmer Furlong was Braddocks first KO. Shortly thereafter, Braddock quit school without the benefit of a diploma.
From around the year 1919 to 1923, Braddock worked a series of jobs. A messenger boy for Western Union, a printer's devil, a Teamster and an errand boy in a silk mill.
On the night of November 27th, 1923 in Grantwood, NJ, Jim Braddock entered the ring for what would become the first official fight of his career. Fighting under the alias of Jimmy Ryan, Braddocks opponent was Tommy Hummell, a member of the Fort Lee New Jersey police department. Both fighters hit the canvas several times during the bout which went the distance. The following morning, newspapers would announce that Hummell had an edge over Braddock but also agreed that it was the best fight on the card that evening. The Hummell fight was the spark that ignited the fire that put James J. Braddock on the path to greatness.
Over the next decade, Braddock would fight nearly 100 bouts. Then, on the evening of June 13th, 1935, Braddocks years of determination would pay off as his victory over Max Baer would earn him the title of Heavyweight Champion of the World.
Braddock would remain the Heavyweight Champ for two years. On June 22, 1937, Joe Louis, "The Brown Bomber" , clenched the title after an 8th round knockout. Though fighting a few fights over the next few years, Braddock hung up his gloves and retired from boxing in 1938.
James J. Braddock died on November 29th, 1974.
In 2001, "The Cinderella Man's" remarkable achievements were honored by boxers of past and present as James J. Braddock was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Name: James J. Braddock
Born: June 7th, 1906 in New York City
Nickname: The Cinderella Man
Height: 6'2 ½"
Weight: 193 lbs
Reach: 75"
Chest: 41" (normal) 44" (expanded)
Waist: 34 ½"
Biceps: 13"
Neck: 17"
Wrist: 8"
Calf: 16"
Ankle: 10"
Thigh: 22 ¾"
Fist: 11 ½"
Forearm: 12 ½"
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