A SAGA OF COURAGE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 135, 24 June 1937, Page 9

A SAGA OF COURAGE

Braddock's Fight to Fame The career of Braddock is a saga of courage and thq will to. fight back when all seemed lost. In 1929 Braddock was ranked as one of the most promising * men in the light-heavy-weight di vision and the late Tex Rickard, the doyen of boxing proinoters, did all in his power to bring him tp the „ forefront. When Rickard died, Braddock sank into obscurity and was

glad to find employmont in the training camps of' better-k.nown fighters, one of ihe men for whom he worked being the famous Gisborne boxer, Tom Heeney. Braddock's darkost years were tliose between 1930 and 1933 when bis fin- . ances were in such a -pitiable condition

that he was forced to take relief work j to support his wife and three children. Added to this, Braddock was sufferiug lrom a broken hand and was foroed to lighfc even under tliis handicap to supjjlement his meagr© earnings. Jimmy i Johnson, the prominent American promotur, was endeavouring to build up Coon Griffin, a young Georgian, who was being hailed as a coming champion, and he pieked on Braddock^ as a likely victim for Grifiin in a feature bout in New York. Although he had not worn a glove for over a year Braddock accepted the match and caused one oi the major upsets of the year by dei'eating Grifiin in two rounds ana followed this with victories over Jolin llem-y LeYfis, light-heavyweight cbampion of tlie world and Art Laskey, another higlily toutcd perfornier who was thought to be the logical contender for a title bout witli Max Baer. Following on these fine victories, Braddock was matched with Baer for the heavyweight crown and won the title, being a 10 to 1 outsider, thus running true to his reputation of being a man who fought best when least i'avoured. Braddock may not be a great champion but he must be respected as a man of great courage and fottitude and, win or lose, he will ahvays be regarded as an ornament to the sport.