Jimmy Braddock

Born: James Walter Braddock
Heavyweight Champion 1935-37
In 1934 Braddock's manager, Joe Gould, got Braddock a fight on the undercard of the Max Baer-Primo Carnera  heavyweight championship fight against Corn Griffin. Braddock, now a heavyweight, was viewed as a mere "opponent" for the up-and-coming Griffin, yet he surprised everyone with a third-round knockout. Propelled by a victory over Hall of Famer John Henry Lewis, Braddock next fought top contender Art Lasky, and decisioned him at Madison Square Garden to earn a shot against Max Baer for the heavyweight title. Braddock was given no chance against the hard-hitting, though light-training, Baer. But if Baer did not take the fight seriously, Braddock did. He scored effectively with both hands to take command of the battle by the eighth round, and continued to pepper Baer with jabs to win the championship on a fifteen-round decision. Journalist Damon Runyon christened the upset winner "The Cinderella Man."
The Boxing Register