22.6.1937 James J. Braddock vs Joe Louis

James J. Braddock won the world heavyweight championship from lethal puncher Max Baer in 1935. The match was described as one of the biggest upsets in ring history.

Jim Braddock was supposed to defend the heavyweight title against the former champion Max Schmeling in September 1936 but was offered almost 300.000 dollars if he defended it against 'the Brown Bomber' Joe Louis instead. So Jim Braddock met Joe Louis in the ring on June the 22nd 1937, for the heavyweight title.

In the first minute of round 1 they started to exchange and Braddock managed to get a right uppercut in Louis' chin and knocked him down briefly but Louis went on to dominate the rest of the bout all the way to the eighth round where Louis' left to the body and a hard right to the chin knocked Braddock down heavily. The referee counted him out at 1:10 of the eighth round while he was lying on the canvas lifelessly.

Joe Louis was the only person who managed to knock him out. He had been knocked down only twice before in his career and both times he got up to win.

Joe Gould wanted to stop the bout in the rest period between the 7th and the 8th round since Braddock was bleeding severely and his face was swollen badly. But Jimmy showed a heart of a champion and stood up once more to fight for his belt.

Braddock later said after the fight: "When he hit me with that left-right combination I could've stayed down on the canvas for three weeks".

Here you can see round 1 (Louis down), a part of round 2 and the ending of round 8 (Braddock down and out).

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  Sports

[kinglouie23]

Max Schmeling was no Nazi. He may have showed them respect, but he was no Nazi.

[TheTibbert]

I think Max Schmeling actually helped a few people escape nazi germany.... risking his own life in the process

[MrLawsie1]

he was an old man when he fought Schmeling

[billy farnham]

He did indeed. He saved one of his few boxing students and his sister escape.

[CoolerKing37]

Nah. Braddock never really had a "prime". He was a marginal fighter for most of his career, who had an all-time great comeback late. He was sorta like a reverse Leon Spinks.

[spactick]

Do you think Marciano would have beaten Louis in his prime? Cus alot of critics say he wouldn't have.

[andrewman111ah]

At his prime ... braddock is number 1

[brandon owens]

wrong.....

!. Ali

2. Jack Johnson

3. Joe louis

[bullmeatt]

THE SEQUAL TO CINDERELLA MAN

[joshuauribe]

Fuckin genius fighter, see how he punched his left arm first to create the opening for his straight right?? Unbelievable, joe was the man!!

[big5622]

yeah agree Max Schmeling  was a OK guy watch Joe vs max movie you will see. great movie by the way.

[aura iolanda]

1. Rocky Marciano

2. Muhammad Ali

3. Joe Louis