Good point.
I got you a fight.
- Go to hell. - Come on. You want it, don't you?
Are we gonna tell the Boxing Commission or not?
Yes. And they'll sanction it. This one fight and one fight only.
- It's not a comeback. It's just one fight. - Why?
- 'Cause of who you're fighting. - How much?
- Just ask me who you're fighting. - How much?
250 dollars. You're on at the big show at the Garden tomorrow night.
You fight Corn Griffin, Jimmy. Number two heavyweight contender in the world.
- Prelim before the championship bout. - Joe, this ain't funny.
No, it's not. And it ain't no favor either. Griffin's opponent got cut and can't fight.
We had to find somebody they could throw in at a day's notice. Nobody legit would...
Nobody would take a fight with Griffin without training.
So I told them...
use the angle Griffin's gonna knock out a guy who's never been knocked out.
You're meat, Jimmy.
- Are you on the level, Joe? - Come on. Always.
- For 250 dollars, I would fight your wife. - Now you're dreaming.
- And your grandmother. - Teeth in or teeth out?
- Take 'em out. - Then you're dead. Down, gone.
- 250 bucks? - 250 bananas. Come here.
Programs here.
45 cents. Programs here.
I mean, for Christ's sake.
A hundred and something fights, you never been knocked out.
Who the hell goes and sells his gear?
80 fights as a pro, 50 as an amateur.
How soon they forget. I'm so sorry.
Borrowed gear, borrowed robe. Knock yourself out.
Hey, Joe.
You know, I might as well get an Aooga horn and chase him round the ring.
That's good.
- You been drinking? - Are you trying to hurt my feelings?
Well, you're just too loose. You're spooking me. Sharpen up.
Come on, Joe. We both know what this is, right?
I get to put a little more distance between my kids and the street
and I get to say goodbye at the Garden.
Full house, night of a big fight.
Thank you very much.
Right, come on. Hurry up.
Let's get the lead out here.
What the hell was that?
- They ran out of soup on the line. - Ran out of soup on the line?
How the hell are you supposed to fight on an empty stomach?
Good evening.
Welcome to tonight's broadcast of the Primo Carnera/Max Baer fight
for the heavyweight championship of the world.
Hash is all they had, OK?
- Eat. Quick. - You got a spoon?
For Christ's sake. It's not there? We gotta go anyway.
- One bite, Joe. I'll eat it with my fingers. - Whoa, whoa! Hey, hey!
I don't have time to retape you. Just sit tight and I'll find you a spoon.
For Christ's sake.
Is that a ghost I'm seeing? An apparition?
Or is that James J. Braddock, the Bulldog of Bergen?
How you feeling, Jimmy? How's that right hand?
Braddock, you're up.
- Sporty Lewis. How you doing? - How you doing?
July 18, 1929.
New York Herald.
"Proving he was too young and too green
"and rushed to the top,
"Loughran wiped the ring with the Bulldog's career.
"A sad and somber funeral,
"with the body still breathing."
I don't fight the fights, Jimmy. I just write about 'em.
Sporty, save the crap for the customers.
- Who's Jim Braddock? - Get your pencil out. I got your lead line.
I'm not kidding. Write this down.
"The walk from the locker room to the ring was the only time tonight Jim Braddock...
- Looking good, Jimmy! ...was seen on his feet." You got that?
Before the championship battle, we'll bring you a special bout,
featuring Charlie Harvey's soldier boy, Corn Griffin.
Griffin is the fella that ran rings around the champion Carnera in training.
His opponent? Looks like they dug old Jim Braddock out of retirement
for one more fight.
Mike.
- What? - Isn't that your buddy?
In this corner...
the sensational heavyweight slugger from Fort Benning, Georgia,
who's punching a path to the top of the division,
John Corn Griffin.
Corn Griffin.
His opponent, the popular battler
who has never been KO'd in more than 80 professional bouts...
- Quincy, beer. We got a fight. - Coming right up.
...from North Bergen, New Jersey,
James J. Braddock.
Braddock!
Yeah!
The skinny from ringside is that Braddock won't last two rounds.
Griffin is the five-to-one favorite.
Joe Gould claims Braddock's right hand is fine.
Jimmy will need two good hands tonight.
Griffin storms out of his corner. Things are up-tempo right away.
Come on, Braddock. Make a fight of it.
Get out of it, Jimmy!
Braddock takes a left to the body and a right to the head.
Braddock giving ground now.
Get out of there, Jimmy!
- And Braddock is down! - Shut up. I wanna hear this. Shut up.
Jim? You're fine, you're fine, you're fine. Stay down. Stay down.
- One. Two. - Stay down. What's the hurry?
- Three. - Hey, listen! Work the left. Try two lefts.
Give him two lefts. Pop, pop.
- Double it up. - Seven.
- Up, up, up, up. Let's go. - Eight. Nine.
- Braddock, up at nine. - Yeah! Come on, Jimmy!
Referee waving Griffin in.
Move in on that! Nice move!
Welcome to New York.
That's more like it. Let me see that cut.
You look great.
It sure as hell beats working on the docks.
Say, the two jabs look sensational, they look sweet! He's loading up on you, see?
He opens up after you jab, and you gotta come in with the right.
Real quick. Pop, pop. Bang.
But you gotta stop some of those left hands.
See any gettin' past my head?
Keep moving. Pop, pop, bang.
Griffin is still winging big shots. He wants to be the first to stop Braddock.
Another big right hand. Snapped Griffin's head back with that one.
Griffin loading up.
- Move out! - Another big flurry by Griffin.
Braddock hanging tough. But, folks, he is taking a beating.
That's two rounds more than I thought he was gonna go.
He's a half a step behind you. Do you feel that? Pop, pop, bang.
- Stick with it. Stick with it. - Busy, busy.
Six minutes of fury so far.
Braddock has the look of a man trying to hold back an avalanche.
Griffin cuts him with the left. Braddock is stepping in postholes.
Keep him in front of you!
Lure him in, Jim.
Jimmy's finally moving his head.
Pick your spot.
Pop, pop - now!
Griffin is down!
Where the hell have you been, Jimmy Braddock?
One. Two. Three.
He's up at three. The referee wipes his gloves.
That's it! That's it! No daylight!
Take it to him!
- Another big right by Braddock. - Finish him, Jim!
Knock him back to the goddamn Ozarks!
Griffin is ready to go!
Break it up.
Get back.
Get back to your corner.
Jimmy!
This fight is over! This is incredible!
Corn Griffin, the number two contender in the world
has just been knocked out by Jim Braddock in the third round.
- What an upset! - You son of a!
It's pandemonium here in the Garden.
Settle down, for Christ's sake!
Jesus H. Christ.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Mary Magdalene, all the saints and mothers and... Jesus!
Did I say "Jesus"? Where the hell did that come from?
When my hand was broken, I had to work down the docks and I had to use my left.
- So... Well, no, that and luck. - Luck?
- Sheer, dumb-ass Irish luck. - Don't give me that "luck of the Irish" crap.
Lucky? That's something you ain't been in a long time, brother.
- Everybody's due. - Due or not, I'll take it.
You had the left. The left - but you were bouncy.
You were bouncy. You went: Pop, pop, bang!
Pop, pop, bang!
Unbelievable. Pop, pop, slide.
- Sliding, slipping. You were like a cat. - I did that on hash.
Imagine what I would've done to him if I'd had a couple of steaks.
Jimmy?
That was one hell of a goodbye.
Here you go, fellas.
Jesus Christ.
Murder him, Maxie!
This is fighting? Why doesn't he just hit him with a goddamn chair?
Griffin was supposed to fight Baer next.
He should kiss your ass for saving him from that thing.
Throw him down, Maxie!
Give it to him, Maxie!
Ladies and gentlemen, the new heavyweight champion of the world -
Max Baer!
Come on. He's home.
I won.
I knew you'd win!
- I knew you'd win! - You won, you won, you won!
Get the silverware.
So, was it like you said? Or are they letting you back in?
No, baby. It was just one fight.
- Jake! Jake! - I need seven men, and seven only.
One. Two.
Three.
Four. Five.
Thanks.
Braddock!
Listened in last night. Was that really you?
- Yeah. - Didn't think I'd be seeing you back here.
It came up at the last minute, you know? It was a one-fight deal.
The purse was $250. My end of that was a little less than half. It was $123.
We owed $118. Left me with five bucks.
- Makes you a rich man. - Around here.
- Good fight. - Thanks.
- Dock seven. - Seven.
- Hey, Jim. - Hey, Mike.
- Good fight. - Thanks.
- I wouldn't have hit Sara. - I know, Mike.
I couldn't live with myself if I'd have hit her.
I just get so angry with all this shit.
You know, if you were gonna win, you could've told me.
If I knew I was gonna win, I would've bet on myself.
- Why can't you ever listen to me, huh? - I don't know.
...to determine whether the strikers were willing to submit to arbitration...
Why don't you go play with the boys, sweetheart? Be careful.
- Hey, Rosy. - Hi, Daddy.
Beep beep! Vroom, vroom.
You know, Joe Gould was just here.
- Yeah, I saw him. - You did?
He thinks the commission might be willing to reverse their ruling.
He thinks he can get me another fight.
He wants me to stop working and get back in shape.
I thought it was just the one fight.
Well, yeah.
He fronted us 175 dollars so I can train.
Know what that is right there? That's a second chance.
That's what that is.
It's not that I'm not grateful,
or proud.
I am. I'm so proud of you.
But we got off easy when you broke that hand.
We're back to even now.
And nine months from now we'll be back in the same boat.
Baby, please. We just don't have anything left to risk.
Mae.
There's still some juice in these legs and I can still take a few.
Baby, please.
Just let me take 'em in the ring.
At least I'd know who was hitting me.
I'm gonna go tell the kids.
- Jay. Guess what. - What?
- I got another fight. - Who with?
I don't know, but he's goin' down. Hey, Howard!
Jesus.
Joe, open the door.
Joe, open the damn door.
Don't hide in your fancy apartment.
I want to talk to you.
You are not gonna make my husband your punching bag all over again.
We are just gettin' by and you take him from his work like a bloodsucking leech.
And I will not let you get him hurt again like that. Do you hear me? I will not let you.
I guess you'd better come in.
- How is it? - Too sweet. Per usual.
Really? Go figure.
- Yours? - Nice, thanks.
Sorry about that.
Just don't want folks to see you down, that's all.
I didn't know. I mean, I thought that...
Yeah. That's the idea.
Always keep your hands up.
So...
Sold the last of it two days ago - so Jimmy could train.
Why?
Well...
Sometimes you have an instinct, Mae.
You see something in a fighter.
You don't even know if it's real, you're looking for it so bad.
Can't have no hope at all.
But this is crazy. I mean, you don't even know if you can get him a fight.
I'll get him a fight. Believe me, if it's the last thing I do, I'll get him a fight.
Honey. Go get us some of those crackers, would you?
She looks good wearing the pants.
Can you ever stop yours? When he sets his mind to a thing?
I wish I could.
See, I never know who it's harder on - them or us.
We have to wait for them to fix everything.
And every day...
they feel like they're failing us.
Really, it's just the world that's failed, you know.
It's a lovely apartment.
Thank you.
Now, what am I gonna go and do that for?
You saw the papers. The News had to print extra copies the day after Braddock's fight.
People are sentimental. Some people are sentimental.
Yeah? So tell me why I care.
You're still sore over the way Braddock took down Griffin, fine.
It was a heartbreak - for a lot of people, yes.
But look.
You got an elimination series over who gets a shot at Baer for the championship.
John Henry Lewis, he's your number two in line.
Now, he already defeated Braddock once in Frisco, correct?
Say you put Braddock back in the game against Lewis.
Lewis wins, you get your revenge on Braddock,
and your boy gets a topflight tune-up with full publicity before Lasky.
And what happens? You make more money.
Now, say on the other hand, by some minute, infinitesimal chance,
God forbid, Braddock beats Lewis,
you got an old favorite go up and lose against Lasky.
And what happens? You'll make more money.
James! Either way you're a richer man with Braddock back in the ring than if he's not.
Come on. Don't be foolish. We both know the name of this game.
And it sure as hell ain't pugilism.
They oughta put your mouth in a circus.
What do you say?
Don't chase him. Go around. Cut him off.
Time!
- I got you a fight. - Who?
You're gonna fight John Henry Lewis again.
- Joey! I could kiss you. - Please, not in front of the fellas.
- Ain't John Henry one of Johnston's boys? - You let me worry about that, please.
Now I know why you won't kiss me. You're all puckered out already.
- Brother, you have no idea. - Lewis? Kicked our ass in Frisco.
- Who's this? Who's "our ass" up here? - Joe Gould, Mike Wilson. Mike, Joe.
That guy ain't been beat in ten fights.
But you win on a long shot and that's a great payday for me.
- That's great. - I'll keep that in mind.
You got more important things to think about. Come here.
Now, I ain't gonna bullshit you, all right? You win one, I can get you another.
Win again, and then things maybe start getting serious around here.
Jimmy...
Win.
That's it.
That's it, James. Be a bully, James. Aggression. That's it.
Thanks.
I know this isn't what you wanted,
but I can't win without you behind me.
I'm always behind you.
Thank you, baby.
I got a great idea. Want to come along?
Come on. Just this once? All right, all right.
OK, OK. I'll make that a rain check, then.
Lewis still moving well here in the fourth.
He dances in and out before Braddock can react.
Don't let him set the pace, Jimmy.
There you go, there you go.
Braddock slides to his right, tries cutting down the ring.
- Knock him out, knock him out. - Braddock!
Lewis spins his way up the ropes and looks to resume control at the bell.
There we go. Suck it up, suck it up. Deep breath, deep breath.
- Breathe, breathe. - He's even faster than I remember.
Yeah, yeah. He's fast. Big deal. You're not so bad yourself.
What are you doin'? You beat this guy easy last time.
He ain't the same guy.
Use your speed. Keep that jab in his face and slide to his right.
You see that? Keep him in front of you, cut him off. Right?
And let go with the punches. Hit him. He ain't gonna like it.
I guarantee you, the more you hit this bastard, the slower he's gonna get.
He's an old man, he's slow. He can't keep up with you.
- How's that cut? - He's all right.
Knock the legs out from under him. Trap him in the corner and work him.
Do not fight this fight his way. You make him fight this fight your way.
Let's go. You got him, you got him.
A left to the body, a right to the head.
A left-right-left by Lewis. His dancing shoes are off. It's a fight now, folks.
- Work his body! - Punching well with both hands now.
Toe-to-toe. No one giving an inch.
That left has some pop!
Jimmy's hoping those body shots will pay dividends.
Keep him in there! Stay with it!
Don't give him any room. No room!
- Outta the corner! - Braddock pushing all the action now.
Lewis can't discourage him. Tremendous pressure from Jimmy.
Lewis is running out of real estate in this 24-foot ring.
Jump on him!
And Lewis is down.
Gotcha. Good boy.
- One. - Get up.
- Two. - Come on. Come on.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
The referee wipes his gloves. Braddock steams back in.
Close it down!
A big right by Braddock. Lewis is a piece of meat and Braddock is carving him up.
Braddock is now dominating Lewis. Here comes Jimmy!
Side to side. Side to side.
In the tenth, riding high after his dazzling victory over John Henry Lewis,
Jim Braddock has just hit a wall named Art Lasky.
- He can't keep taking those body shots. - He's cracked a couple of ribs for sure.
Lasky walks through those jabs and keeps working on Braddock's body.
Braddock won't fold. He's making Lasky work hard for every minute of every round.
That's it. Get on him.
Lasky's starting to impose his will,
showing why Johnston is making noises about matching him with Baer for the title.
Break it up.
Break clean.
Don't sit down. You're not tired. You're fine.
Get that thing outta here. He don't need it.
Is he looking over? Shake your head like you don't need it.
Shake your head like you don't want it. Yeah.
- Why isn't he sittin' down? - Pay attention.
Now he'll wonder: "If Braddock is such an old man, why's he still standing?
"Why's he still coming at me?"
You're stronger than this guy. Don't back up, don't back off!
This guy is a bull-rusher. He'll keep coming at you all night, until you stop him.
He can't back up. You stop him.
You gotta beat this son of a bitch from the inside out!
You hear me? You gotta get in there.
You get in there and hit him and keep hitting until you break his nose.
You fill his face with blood.
Beat him from the inside out, Jim, from the inside out!
Lasky continues to fire. Braddock looks like he's finally starting to wilt.
That's it. That's more like it.
Back him up.
Lasky now looking to put a Grimm ending to Braddock's fairy-tale comeback.
Lasky pounding hard shots to the body.
Braddock just took a tremendous shot, a hard right to the head,
which knocked his mouthpiece to the canvas.
Braddock just took Lasky's best shot and it didn't even faze him.
Get in there and take that sucker!
He's showing tremendous determination.
Right in there, and get his nose!
Braddock comes in with a hard shot to the body.
Lasky's wilting under the pressure from the Bulldog of Bergen.
Braddock's now back on the attack. Another vicious combination by Braddock.
Lasky flowing blood from the nose.
The 15th and final round.
Braddock now looks like the younger fighter.
The Garden is on its feet! Jim Braddock will not be denied!
There's the bell. This one goes to the scorecards.
And the winner, by unanimous decision,
James J. Braddock!
Thanks, buddy.
- Max? - What?
Max!
Jim Braddock just beat Lasky. They made him the number one contender.
- Max, when are we? - Shut up.
- Maxie. - Shut up!
I'm not gonna fight Jimmy Braddock. He's a chump.
You tell Johnston to bring me somebody who can fight back.
You're gonna bust your contract? It's done, Max.
There's Braddock.
Hey, Mrs. Braddock.
- Sara's here. - Yeah?
- I got her to sleep. - Hey.
Hey, Jim.
Mike's gone missing.
How long?
Three days.
I've been staying at my brother's since Jake cut him.
Jake fired him? I didn't know that.
You know how Mike gets. All his talk, so much trouble.
He's been sleeping nights down in the Hooverville.
My brother didn't have room for both him and us.
Mike said, you know, if he had to stay down there anyway,
he was gonna try to get everybody organized.
Something's wrong, Jim. I know it.
Now I'm hearing there's some trouble in Hooverville.
He wouldn't leave me and the baby for this long.
He just wouldn't.
I didn't know who else to come to, Jim.
Come on, out of the way. Beat it. Move along.
Get the hell out of here, coppers!
Mike! Mike Wilson!
Mike Wilson!
We didn't do nothing. You let these commies in here and start a riot.
Then what do you think's gonna happen?
Get over here. On your feet!
You pull a knife on me, you son of a bitch?
We tried to break up these agitators, peaceful like, but they charged us.
- What is this? - Horses got spooked, the wagons tipped.
Three or four of 'em got run over. They're hurt pretty bad.
Go away. Come on, move. Move back.
Keep those bastards back.
Get those guys next. The ones who got trampled.
- Hey, Jim. - Mike.
You're gonna be OK, Mike.
- Tell Sara... Tell her... - I'll tell Sara.
...I�m gonna be late, Jimmy.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil...
Mae. Look up, Mae.
How about it, Pete, yeah? Time-out.
That's it. Keep your questions short and to the point.
We're gonna start off with Frank Essex. Frank Essex.
Take it easy, Petey. Jeez. Frank Essex, Daily News.
A lot of reporters here today, a lot of people interested in this fight.
What do you got to say to your fans today, Jimmy?
I guess I'm grateful for the opportunity.
I know that these days not everybody gets a second chance.
I have a lot to be grateful for.
I have three beautiful, healthy, troublemaking kids.
And I have the prettiest wife a man could wish for.
Bob Johnson, Boston Globe.
Two days ago we ran a story about you giving your relief money back.
Can you tell our readers why?
I believe we live in a great country.
A country that's great enough to help a man financially when he's in trouble.
But lately I have had some good fortune and I'm back in the black,
and I just thought I should return it.
Listen, what's the first thing you're gonna do if you make world champion?
First thing? I'm gonna have to go and buy some turtles.
I said to the kids when I left the house this morning I was gonna bring back the title,
and they thought I said "turtle."
So, naturally, I don't wanna let 'em down.
But if I could bring back the title and a turtle, they sure would be tickled.
You got that? Title, turtle. Right?
- Jake Greenblatt from Chicago Trib. - Hello, Jake.
It's been a while. What's changed, Jimmy?
I mean, you couldn't win a fight for love or money, right?
How do you explain your comeback?
The truth is, Jake, for a number of years there, we was fighting injured.
I broke my hand. More than once.
I got in a car accident one time I was on the road, and I had to get that fixed.
I had a run of bad luck.
And this time around, I know what I'm fighting for.
Yeah? What's that, Jimmy?
- Milk. - Milk?
- Sporty Lewis, New York Herald. - Sporty.
Actually, my question's for Mrs. Braddock.
Mrs. Braddock, my readers would love to know,
how do you feel about the fact that Max Baer's killed two men in the ring?
So, how do you feel about that, ma'am? Are you scared for your husband's life?
She's scared for Max Baer, is who she's scared for, Mr. Lewis.
How about one more question?
- Said downstairs you wanted to see us. - Sure. Jim, come on in. Have a seat.
Right here.
Editorial says this fight is good as murder.
And everybody associated with it should be hauled into court and prosecuted after.
They're getting letters from people saying you're their inspiration.
Like you saved their lives or something. If you ask me, it's a lot of crap.
But I'm not getting hung out to dry if something happens to you.
You're all heart.
My heart's for my family. My brains and my balls are for business.
- And this is business. You got me? - Got you.
You will know exactly what you're up against.
And my attorney Mr. Mills will witness I've done everything in my power to warn you.
You know, I seen the Carnera fight.
- Carnera's height saved him. - He was knocked down 12 times.
Exactly. It would've been worse if he was shorter.
Baer had to punch up to hit him. Took a little something off.
That's Frankie Campbell.
Stand-up fighter, knows how to take a punch.
His style familiar, Jim?
- Like looking in a mirror. - He don't need to see this.
He'll see it or I'll call off the fight.
Do you see that combination?
Campbell didn't go down on the first punch. He was a tough guy.
Second one killed him, on the spot.
Just cut it off, will you?
The autopsy said that his brain was knocked loose from the connecting tissue.
Consider your ass fully covered, OK?
Run it again.
Remember Ernie Schaaf? Nice guy. You lost one to him in '31.
Ernie took one of those on the chin from Baer. He was dead and didn't know it.
Next fight, first little nothing jab put him to sleep forever. Detached brain, they said.
Joe?
No snappy comeback?
It ain't my skull the guy's gonna try and stove in.
You want to think about it?
You think you're telling me something?
What, like boxing's dangerous, something like that?
You don't think triple shifts or workin' nights on scaffolds is just as likely to kill a guy?
How many guys died the other night living in cardboard shacks trying to save on rent?