Attaboy! Keep him busy!
One. Jesus.
Two. You got it.
Three. He ain't getting up!
Four, five, six...
seven, eight, nine, ten.
Out!
Come here, Jimmy.
Get that sleeping beauty out of here!
Thas ten in a row, Jimmy! Ten!
By a knockout, at one minute 46 seconds in the second round...
tonighs light heavyweight winner...
from the great state of New Jersey...
the Bulldog of Bergen, James J. Braddock!
You're gonna be the next champ, Jimmy!
Hey, how you doing?
Just give them a few. Leave them wanting.
You want to sign my name for me, too?
At least then they can read it.
You gave him a cold meat party.
Sign this for me, Mr. Braddock.
You've been getting stronger with every fight.
I've been seeing it.
You may favor the right, sure, but you got no stage fright or nerves.
And you have never been knocked out.
You're in line. Thas all I'm saying, Jimmy.
You're gonna get your shot.
All right, let me see what we got here.
$886 for Jeanette...
$772 for Lou and Whitey...
$1,000 for the ring fees, my $2,658 and your $3,544...
makes $8,860. Stick that in your mattress, Irishman.
When we get there, you gonna come in and see the kids?
Is been a while. Come on. They miss their Uncle Joey.
Yeah, thas very sweet. You still married to the same girl?
I was this morning.
Well, congratulations. Maybe I'll take a rain check.
And would you tell her...
will you tell her I undercharged on the gym fees...
and no load on the towel? Would you do that for me, please?
I will be sure to point it out. I appreciate it.
You stop up at the corner here somewhere, Frank.
Home to Jersey for Mr. Adventure over here.
All right, see you, Frank.
I could kill you!
I like the sound of that.
Yeah, I like the sound of that a lot.
Jimmy. Yeah?
My sister.
Daddy, did we win?
Yeah, we won.
How are you, Alice?
Good. Thas wonderful, Jimmy.
Hey, Howard.
Thank you.
So tell me about him.
Was he a real slugger?
You know, you could come and watch.
No. You get hit...
every time, it feels like I'm getting hit, too.
And I'm not half as tough as you are.
So, tell me about the girls.
Girls?
I was at the Garden, it was a fight night...
Come on. There was one.
There musve been one. No.
Blond? Brunette.
Tall?
Like a gazelle.
I don't know how it is she breathed up there.
Mr. Braddock!
You're so strong!
And your hands, they're so big.
You're so powerful!
Jimmy, I'm so proud of you.
I'm so proud of you.
Introducing...
two-time state Golden Gloves title holder...
in both the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions...
21-0, with 16 wins coming by way of knockout...
the Bulldog of Bergen, the pride of New Jersey...
and the hope of the Irish...
as the future champion of the world...
James J. Braddock.
Ma, you woke me up.
Well, you kicked the covers off, honey.
Now you go back to sleep, all right?
Good night, Mom.
Good night, sweetheart.
I can't find my socks.
Jim! I'm sorry.
Mama?
Great. I'm sorry, baby.
I washed them last night. Took them right off your feet.
Don't you remember? No.
Well, you were out like a light.
How do I keep them this warm?
Mama, I want to eat, too.
Mommy will get you some, honey.
Hey, Rosy-Rosy. Good morning, good morning.
Got a notice yesterday. Gas and electric.
Come on.
Okey-dokey, there we go. I'll get the milk.
Well, I think there's some left over.
Yep.
You know, I got that fight tonight at the armory.
Yeah, one guy, Abe Feldman.
Thas $50, win or lose.
Thas good.
If I beat him, maybe I can get my purses back up to $75.
That would be great.
Rosy, use your fork, please.
Who needs a cow, huh?
Mama, I want some more.
I'm sorry, sweetheart. We need to save some for the boys.
Here you go.
You know, Mae, I dreamed last night...
that I was having dinner at The Ritz.
With Mickey Rooney and George Raft.
Really! Yeah.
And I dreamed I had a steak. A thick, juicy steak.
Like this, Rosy.
And then I had a mountain of mashed potatoes...
and I went back for ice cream three times.
I'm stuffed.
I'm absolutely full. I cannot eat another thing.
Want to give me a hand?
Jim.
Boys, hurry up. Don't dawdle.
Les try and sleep a little more.
I need nine men and only nine.
One. Two. Three.
Four. Five. Six.
Seven. Eight. Nine. Thas it!
All right, les get a move on!
Go on, get going! Got a lot of work today!
Hey, Dad. Hey.
No shifts today, Dad? Whare you doing, son?
I'm being good. I'm being quiet. I'm being 'hayve.
Great.
Daddy!
Hey, Rosy-cheeks. How you doing?
Daddy, Jay stole!
What? Jay stole.
Whas all this about? See? Is a salami.
Young lady, your brother's in enough trouble...
without you telling on him. You understand?
Is from the butcher's.
And he won't say a word about it, will you, Jay?
Will you, Jay?
Okay, pick it up. Les go.
Do not test me, boy. Right now.
Howard, stay here.
Okay, les go! Come on, give me a hand here!
Great, then you don't get paid!
Bye.
Don't forget to pick it up easy!
Marty Johnson had to go away to Delaware to live with his uncle.
Why?
His parents didn't have enough money for them to eat.
Yeah, well, things ain't easy at the moment, Jay, you're right.
But there's a lot of people worse off than what we are.
And just 'cause things ain't easy...
that don't give you the excuse to take whas not yours, does it?
Thas stealing, right? And we don't steal.
No matter what happens, we don't steal.
Not ever. You got me?
Are you giving me your word? Yes.
Go on. I promise.
And I promise you...
we will never send you away.
Is okay, kid.
You got a little scared. I understand.
Is okay.
Jim, he's a very slow guy.
Just plants himself there.
So you just keep him steady.
Keep him trapped in the middle. Keep dancing around him, okay?
You know what to do. You know this type.
That guy's a bum.
Two bits will get a guy a seat.
And that guy gets to watch you bleed and call you a bum.
And I know I gotta take it from him, 'cause he's a paying customer.
I see.
Well, well, well.
Pardon me, miss. Allow me to restate my position.
Mr. Abraham Feldman is a novice fighter...
whose ass you should gently kick...
until it is humped up between his shoulder blades.
That is, if it doesn't offend your overly sensitive nature.
God knows.
Now, you see, that break's still a few weeks away.
I know. Yeah.
And you were gonna tell me about this when?
Is gonna be fine. Is not fine. No, is not.
What the hell? You don't tell me?
What the hell kinda crap is that? I owe everybody money, Joe.
I can't get any shifts.
We ain't got any cash.
I got it.
Screw them. I'll tape it double.
Thanks.
Keep up. Stay up.
Keep moving. Keep your legs moving.
And here comes Braddock
with his long-time manager, Joe Gould.
You're washed up, Braddock.
And now for our main event.
Hey, which one's us, pal?
Jersey veteran James J. Braddock...
is up against Hymie Caplin's latest charge...
young Abe Feldman from Schenectady, New York.
Six rounder.
Some might recall that Braddock was once...
a light heavyweight title challenger.
His golden-boy peak ended when Tommy Loughran...
handled Jim over 15 rounds back in '29.
Since then, the oft-injured Braddock...
has shown only a glimmer of his early promise.
And the losses have started to pile up.
But Braddock continues to battle.
And here comes the popular Abe Feldman.
Feldman looks to be the real thing...
and showed some real moxie in his recent win over Hans Birkie.
Hey, who whipped Latzo?
I did. Goddamn right.
Who KO'ed Slattery in the ninth...
when everybody said he didn't have a rainmaker's chance in hell?
Thad have to be me, too. Right.
And we're supposed to pucker our assholes over this Abe Feldman?
The guy couldn't break wind. No.
Hey, Jimmy.
Anyplace else you'd rather be?
No. Good.
Now, what are you gonna do about it?
Here we are halfway through the fifth
And is more of the same.
The boys clinch again.
Break it up.
He's crushing my guy. Get him off!
Break!
The boo-birds have started flying here.
They want action from these fighters.
Feldman sticks a left in Braddock's face.
Braddock's right hand is his best and only weapon.
He'll show the left, but it lacks snap and Feldman knows it.
Come on, give these yokels a shot in the ass!
Feldman ducks a haymaker but fails to follow up.
And another big right by Braddock.
Now, there's the Braddock we all recall.
But is one at a time. It may not be enough.
Come on!
The referee pulls the boys apart.
And there's the bell to end the fifth.
Easy now. Easy.
I saw that. You bust it again?
I'm calling it, Jim.
You gonna use the left? Okay, good.
You get in there but you don't let him crowd you.
You work his belly, you hammer his belly with the left.
Last round. Come on, you got to show me something.
Give me a good one. You're giving me an ulcer, Harry!
Shut up.
Work his belly with the left. You got it?
Give him the flapdoodle with the right because he don't know.
Right? 'Cause he's kind of stupid.
Okay? Last round.
Last round! Go get him!
The left!
Damn it, I wish he could find his goddamn left.
Thas it! Change it up!
Southpaw, thas it!
Feldman prancing around, looking for an opening...
but still few clean punches by the fighters.
Braddock still pawing away with the left.
Another ineffectual left from Feldman.
Braddock can hardly lift his arms. He's slow on his feet.
At least Gould in his corner is still throwing punches...
trying to urge his man on.
Go home!
Go home, Braddock!
No holding, Braddock!
Cavanaugh's working harder than the fighters.
Dry up!
Another clinch.
Is as if 80 tough fights have finally jumped on Braddock's back.
You're a bum!
Thas it!
Cavanaugh pulls them apart, and he's called the fight.
He's called the fight.
Is a "no contest."
And the popcorn and the peanuts are raining down.
And I'm afraid to say thas all these fighters deserve...
for the show they put on tonight.
I'm telling you, is sad to see a fighter that was once...
the caliber of James Braddock reduced to this.
Is all right, Jimmy.
An embarrassment, thas what it was.
An embarrassment!
Where the hell's the purse?
You wouldn't have to be asking that...
if you gave a shit about your fighter.
Okay. He's fighting hurt.
Maybe you got a bunch of fat and happy fighters at home...
can afford to rest a month between bouts. I don't know. Lucky you!
Christ, he hardly gets a punch in anymore!
Fights being stopped by referees? He's pathetic!
Fights like that keep people away.
We're revoking his license, Joe.
Whatever Braddock was gonna do in boxing, I guess he's done it.
Wait a minute. Thas all.
Oh, boy.
Mr. Johnston!
Jim.
Whas going on?
You didn't tell him? Yeah, of course I told him.
He wanted to hear it from you.
Come on, Mr. Johnston, no contest?
I broke my hand. Okay? Is legit.
You don't see me crying about it.
I don't see what you got to complain about.
I still went out there, I still put on a show. I did what I could do.
You know, we did that boondock circuit for you...
me and Joe. Remember?
I didn't quit on you. And I didn't quit tonight.
I didn't always lose.
I won't always lose again.
I can still fight. Go home.
I can still fight. Go home to Mae and the kids, Jim.
Go home? Go home with what?
Go home with what? A broken hand from Mount Vernon?
Mr. Johnston!
Baby?
What happened?
I didn't get the dough.
They didn't pay up.
They called it a "no contest," said the fight was an embarrassment.
They decommissioned me.
Jimmy, what happened to your hand?
Is broke again in three places.
They said I'm through, Mae.
They said I can't be a boxer no more.
Mercy.
Okay.
Jimmy, if you can't work...
we're not gonna be able to pay the electric, or the heat.
And we're out of credit at the grocery.
So I think we need to pack the kids.
They could stay at my sister's for a little while...
and I'll take in more sewing.
That way we could make two, three breadlines a day.
I'll get doubles, triples, whatever I can find.
Jimmy, you can't work. Mae, I can still work.
Jimmy, you can't work. Your hanïs broken.
They see me lugging this around,
you're right, they won't pick me.
Not down the docks, not anywhere.
So we're gonna cover it up...
with the shoe polish.
Okay?
I'm sorry. No.
I need five and only five!
Come on, Jake!
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five. Thas it!
What the hell happened to your face?
I got in a fight. Yeah?
Whad you go do that for?
Thas a good question.
Mike Wilson.
Jim Braddock.
I used to follow a pretty good fighter with that name.
And there's some other guy going around using that name now.
Can't fight for shit.
Gambling man will lose a lot of money on him. Twice.
That hand ain't gonna work.
You can't slow me down. I need this job.
I need the job, too.
Whas wrong with the goddamn hand?
You see us falling behind, Jake?
He's all right.
Appreciate it.
I'll get a cold beer.
Just a water for me, Quincy.
All I got today are big spenders.
Beer for him, too. I'm buying.
Don't hurt my feelings.
Is been a while, but... You don't have to twist my arm.
Yeah, I used to be a broker. Still lost it all in '29.
Yeah, me, too.
I had just about everything I ever earned in stocks.
Even had a little taxi company.
I mean, who loses their dough on cabs in New York City, right?
Well, I thought that one was gold for the grandkiddies.
You know, there's people living in shacks in Central Park.
Call it the Hooverville.
This governmens dropped us flat.
We need to organize, you know? Unionize. Fight back.
Fight? Fight what?
Bad luck? Greed? Drought?
No point punching things you can't see.
No, we'll work a way through this.
FDR, he's gonna handle it. Screw FDR.
FDR, Hoover, they're all the same.
You know, I come home one day. I stand in my living room.
And between the mortgage and the market and the goddamn lawyer...
that was supposed to be working for me...
it stopped being mine.
It all stopped being mine.
FDR ain't given me my house back yet.
Mama, why can't I go to school?
Is it because I'm a girl?
Maybe. Hadn't thought of that.
Who's that man at our house?
Excuse me!
Can I help you?
I'm sorry, lady, you're past due.
No, you can't.
You can't. There's kids.
If I don't, they let me go.
They already let two guys go. Please.
This apartment, is what we got left that keeps us hanging on.
Lady, I got kids, too.
$6.74.
How much to turn it back on?
Four months. $44.12.
If I work 26 hours out of every 24, it still won't add up.
We ain't got nothing. Nothing left to sell.
All the guys you coulïve married, huh?
Yeah. What happened to those guys?
Is Howard.
Since this afternoon.
"Bless us, O Lord...
"and these thy gifts which we are about to receive...
from thy bounty."
I'm all prayed out.
Here's more firewood.
Where are you going? I said where are you going?
Go to hell, you no-good bastard!
Go on, then! We don't need you!
All right. Help me, pick up some of that wood.
I got it, Mama. All right, les go, sweetheart.
All right, honey.
Nice and warm, huh?
Baby?
Look at Mommy.
Sweetheart.
Mommy?
Whas wrong?
Nothing, sweetheart.
Mommy will be right back, okay?
Howarïs fever was getting worse and then Rosy started to sneeze.
Where are they, Mae? Jim, we can't even keep 'em warm.
Where are the kids?
The boys will sleep on the sofa at my father's in Brooklyn.
And Rosy'll stay at my sister's.
Jimmy, we can't keep 'em!
You don't make decisions about our children without me.
What if they get really sick? We already owe Dr. McDonald...
If you send them away, then all this has been for nothing!
Is just until we get back... What else was it for?
If we can't stay together, that means we lost!
That means we've given up! I am not giving up!
I'm trying to protect our children. Mae, I promised him.
Outside the butcher's.
I looked him in the eyes...
and I promised him with all of my heart...
I would never ever send him away.
You can't do this.
You weren't here.
You can't break my promise.
Jim, you didn't see. You weren't here.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, Jimmy.
What are you doing?
Jim?
Jimmy! Where you going?
Where you going, Jimmy?
That doesn't qualify you, sir. What else can you tell me?
The problem is my wife is losing all of her teeth.
I got a relief order for her.
The doctor says is due to insufficient diet.
She's still nursing the baby on account of...
we can't afford milk for the family.
Okay.
I never thought I'd see you here, Jim.
He jumped up...
kicked his stool out of the ring...
and he was just, he was furious.
I grabbed the mike...
There's Jimmy Braddock.
The thing is, I can't afford to...
I can't afford to pay the heat.
I've had to farm out my kids.
You know, they keep cutting shifts down at the docks...
and you just don't get picked every day.
I sold everything I've got that anybody would buy.
I went on public assistance. I signed on at the relief office.
They gave me $19. I need another $18.38...
so I can pay the bill and get the kids back.
You know me well enough to know if I had anywhere else to go...
I wouldn't be here.
If you could help me through this time, I sure would be grateful.
Sure, Jim. Sure.
Good luck.
Jim.
Hey, Jimmy.
Here you go, Jim.
Good luck, Jim.
I'm sorry, Joe, I didn't... I'm sorry.
What in the hell do you have to be sorry about?
Jesus Christ, Jimmy.
How short are you?
About $1.50.
Okay.
We're home! Hooray, we're home!
We're glad to be home!
Good.
Okay. All right.
Howard, don't jump on the bed. Sorry, Mama.
Read to me, Jay.
"On his way up and down the stairs..."
Do you like being home? I like being home, too.
My little doll.
# "Happy birthday to you" #
# "Happy birthday," "dear Howard" #
# "Happy birthday to you" ##
Make a wish, kids.
Blow!
Hey, Howard, come on. They're gonna cut the cake up.
You wanna line up, huh?
You looking forward to some chocolate cake?
I liked it better when we had our own.
I can understand that.
Hiya, Howard. Hi.
Hey, your dad ever tell you that I used to spar with him?
You hit the Father? As often as I possibly could.
He was kinda tricky, though. Hard to catch.
Go and get some cake. Go on.
Missed you at mass, Jimmy.
I can get an extra shift on a Sunday, you know?
Don't you walk away from me! James.
Mike, you hear me?
Excuse me.
Every day, "fix the world." How about fixing your family?
What kind of father are you?
Too proud to cross the street because she can't have her own cake?
And now you're drunk at church, for Chriss sake.
That a joke, Sara? Making a joke? I'm just saying is enough!
Guys, where's the ref? Why don't you stay out of this?
Is between man and wife. How do you even call yourself that?
Whad you say to me? Come on.
Get your hands off me!
You've had a couple drinks. Is Sunday.
No harm in that. Day of rest. All washed up. Can't get a fight.
What, you want to fight me?
Mike, you don't have to do this.
I ain't got no beef with you.
Come on! Can't make it in the ring, huh?
Come on, Braddock, I'll take your head off!
Jim, no! Mike, you okay, baby?
Why don't you get off me?
Go to hell! The both of you!
Jesus, Jim, he wasn't gonna hit me.
Mike, wait!
Now, what is all about is rotating your body behind your fist.
Bang. Thas right. Right in the kisser, yeah.
There you go.
Good girl. You got a better jab than your dad.
Boy, you are a brave man. Not really. Mae's at the store.
Thas a good one, kiddo!
You want to go play with the other kids while I talk to Uncle Joe?
Joe Gould, still looking dapper, I see.
Certainly. Gotta keep up appearances, right?
Good to see you, Jimmy. Nice to see you, Joe.
Nice day, huh?
Yeah.
You drove all the way out here to talk about the weather?
Maybe I was in the neighborhood. Did you ever think of that?
Little fresh air.
Joe, this is Jersey.
Yeah. Good point.
I got you a fight.
Go to hell. Come on. You want it, don't you?
What, we gonna bring this up with the Boxing Commission, or not?
Yes, and they'll sanction it. This one fight, and one fight only.
Is not a comeback, right? Is just one fight.
Why? 'Cause of who you're fighting.
How much?
Just once, ask me who it is you're fighting.
How much? $250.
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.
You know, Joe, this ain't funny. No, is not.
And it ain't no favor, either.
Griffin's opponent got cut, and he couldn't fight.
So they 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...
never been knocked out.
You're meat, Jimmy.
Are you on the level, Joe?
Come on. Always.
For $250, I would fight your wife.
Now you're dreaming.
And your grandmother. At the same time.
Teeth in or teeth out? Take them out.
Then you're dead. You're down, you're gone.
No chance. $250?
250 bananas. Come here.
Get your programs here!
Programs here! 25 cents!
I mean, for Chriss sake, 100 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.
Joe.
I might as well get an Aooga horn and chase him around the ring.
Thas good. You been drinking?
Are you trying to hurt my feelings?
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 good-bye at the Garden.
Full house, night of a big fight.
Thank you very much.
Right. Come on, hurry up.
Les get the lead out of here.
What the hell was that?
They ran out of soup on the line this morning.
Ran out of soup on the line this morning.
How the hell are you supposed to fight on an empty stomach?
Good evening.
Welcome to tonighs broadcast of the Primo Carnera/Max Baer fight...
for the heavyweight championship of the world!
Hash is all they had, okay? Eat, quick.
You got a spoon? For Chriss sake, is not there?
Come on, we gotta go anyway. One bite, Joe.
I'll eat it with my fingers. Whoa, hey!
I don't have time to re-tape you.
Just sit tight, and I'll find you a spoon.
For Chriss 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 them, see?
Sporty, save the crap for the customers.
Who's Jim Braddock?
Go get your pencil out, kid. I got your lead line for you.
Go ahead, I'm not kidding, write this down.
"The walk from the locker room to the ring...
was the only time tonight old Jim Braddock..."
Looking good, Jimmy!
"...was seen on his feet." You got that?
Before tonighs 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.
And who's his opponent?
Looks like they dug old Jim Braddock out of retirement...
at least for one more fight.
Hey, Mike! Griffin is up in the ring now.
Braddock? Isn't that your buddy? Look at the size of him!
In this corner...
the sensational heavyweight slugger...
from Fort Benning, Georgia...
who is punching a path to the top of the division.
John "Corn" Griffin!
His opponent: The popular battler...
who has never been KO'ed in more than 80 professional bouts...
Quincy, beer. We got a fight!
... the power-punching veteran...
from North Bergen, New Jersey...
James J. Braddock!
The skinny from the reporters at ringside...
is that Braddock won't last two rounds.
Griffin is a five-to-one favorite to do just that.
But Joe Gould claims Braddock's right hand is fine.
Jimmy will need two good hands tonight.
Griffin storms out of his corner!
Things are uptempo right away.
Come on, Braddock, make a fight of it!
Get out of it! Get out, Jimmy!
Braddock takes a left to the body
and a hard right to the head!
Braddock's giving ground now.
A hard right!
Pins him in the neutral corner.
Get outta there, Jim! Get out!
Griffin's all over him!
Braddock taking hard jabs.
And Braddock is down.
Shut up! I wanna hear this! Shut up!
Jim? You're fine. Stay down.
One. Two. Stay down! Whas the hurry?
Three. Four. Hey! Listen.
I liked the left. Try two lefts. Five.
Give him two lefts! Six.
Pop, pop! Double it up. Seven.
How 'bout it? Up, up. Eight.
What the hell are you doing? Les go.
Nine.
Yeah, come on, Jimmy! On your feet, come on!
The referee waving Griffin in.
Move in on that.
Nice move!
Bring him in!
Snaps a stiff jab! Another!
Welcome to New York.
Beautiful!
Thas 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!
Now, he's loading up on you. You see that?
He opens up after you jab him. You gotta come in there with a right.
Real quick.
But you gotta stop some of those left hands.
You see any getting past my head?
Keep moving!
Griffin still winging big shots.
He wants to be the first to stop Braddock.
Braddock gets in another big right hand!
Snapped Griffin's head back with that one.
Come on!
Griffin loading up.
Move out! Give him the slip, Jimmy!
Another big flurry by Griffin!
Braddock hanging tough but, folks, he is taking a beating!
Thas two rounds more than I thought he was gonna go.
He's a half a step behind you. Do you feel 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 hits him with a left.
And Braddock is stepping in post holes.
Keep him in front of you!
Lure him in, Jim.
Jimmy's finally moving his head.
Pick your spot!
And Griffin is down!
Where the hell have you been, Jimmy Braddock?
One. Two. Three.
He's up at three.
The referee wipes his gloves.
Thas it! No daylight!
Take it to him!
Another big right by Braddock!
Finish him, Jimmy!
Knock him back to the goddamn Ozarks!
Griffin is ready to go!
Be careful.
Get back.
Get back there. Get back in 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 bitch!
Is pandemonium here in the Garden!
Thas it, man, he did it! I don't believe it!
You beautiful bastard!
Settle down, for Chriss sake!
Jesus H. Christ!
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Mary Magdalene...
all the saints and martyrs and Jesus!
Did I say "Jesus"?
Where the hell did that come from?
I don't know. When my hand was broke...
I had to work down on the docks and I had to use my left.
So, what? No, that and luck.
Luck? Sheer dumb-ass Irish luck.
Don't give me that luck-of-the-lrish crap. No, sir.
Lucky? Thas 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 bouncing.
Unbelievable. Sliding, slipping. You were like a cat.
I did that on hash.
Imagine what I woulïve done to him if I'd had a couple of steaks.
Jimmy?
That was one hell of a good-bye.
Here you go, fellas! Have at him!
Jesus Christ!
Murder him, Maxie!
Primo!
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.
Hooray, he won! I knew you'd win!
He won, he won, he won!
Get the silverware.
So was it like you said? Or are they letting you back in?
No, baby. It was just one fight.
All right, 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, like, $123.
We owed $118. Left me with $5.
Makes you a rich man, huh? 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.
Just get so angry with all this shit.
You know, if you were gonna win, you coulïve told me.
If I knew I was gonna win, I woulïve bet on myself.
Why can't you ever listen to me? I don't know.
... to determine whether the strikers were willing...
to submit to an arbitration situation.
Tension pervaded the New York waterfront yesterday.
Why don't you go play with the boys, sweetheart?
Be careful.
Hey, Rosy. Hi, Daddy!
You know, Joe Gould was just here.
Yeah, I saw. 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 so I can train.
You know what that is right there?
Thas a second chance.
Thas what that is.
Is not that I'm not grateful...
or proud, honey. I'm so proud of you.
But we got off easy when you broke that hand.
We're back to even now.
Right. And nine months from now, we're 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 them in the ring.
At least I know who's hitting me.
I'm gonna go and tell the kids.
Jay! Guess what. What?
I got another fight! Who with?
I don't know, but he's going 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 getting by, and you're taking him from his work...
like some bloodsucking little leech!
And I will not let you get him hurt again like that...
do you hear me? I will not let you!
Guess you better come in.
How is it?
Too sweet per usual.
Really? Go figure.
Yours? Nice, thanks.
Sorry about that.
You just don't want folks to see you down is all.
I didn't know. I mean, I thought that...
Yeah, no. Thas the idea. Always keep your hands up.
Sold the last of it two days ago.
So Jimmy could train.
Why?
Sometimes you have an instinct, Mae.
You see something in a fighter.
You don't even know if is 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 is 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 is harder on...
them or us.
We have to wait for them to fix everything.
And every day...
they feel like they're failing us.
And really, is just the world thas failed, you know?
This is a lovely apartment. Thank you.
Now, what am I gonna go and do that for?
You saw the papers.
"News" had to print extra copies the day after Braddock's fight.
People are sentimental, you know. Some people are sentimental.
Yeah, so tell me why I care.
You're still sore over the way Braddock took down Griffin, fine.
I can understand that. It was a heartbreak for a lot of people.
Yes. But look.
You got guys fighting an elimination series...
over who gets a shot at Max Baer for the championship in June.
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 has gotten 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.
Now you got a sentimental 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 ought to put your mouth in a circus.
What do you say?
Don't chase him. Go around, cut him off.
Time! James!
I got you a fight. Yeah?
You're gonna fight John Henry Lewis again.
Yeah!
Joey! I could kiss you!
No, please, not in front of the fellas.
Isn'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.
Yeah. Hey, Mike. Who's "our ass" up there?
Joe Gould, Mike Wilson. Mike Wilson, Joe Gould.
Hi.
That guy ain't been beat in ten fights.
But you win on a long shot, and thas a great payday for me.
Thas great. I'll keep that in mind, Mike!
You got more important things to think about. Come here.
Now, I ain't gonna bullshit you, all right?
Now, you win one, I can get you another.
Win again and then things maybe start getting serious around here.
Jimmy?
Win.
Look good.
Leverage.
Thas it, James!
Be a bully, James! Aggression, thas 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. You want to come along?
Come on, just this one time. All right. Okay.
Okay, 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.
Braddock slides to his right, tries cutting down the ring.
John, get off the ropes. Move out of there.
Lewis spins his way off the ropes...
And looks to resume control at the bell!
There we go. Suck it up. Deep breath.
Deep breath, deep.
All right. That ain't bad. He's even faster than I remember.
Yeah. He's fast. Big deal. You're not so bad yourself.
What are you doing? You beat this guy easy last time.
He ain't the same guy. You got to use your speed.
Keep that jab in his face and keep sliding to his right.
You see that. Keep him in front of you.
Cut him off, all 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.