Jim stepped up to Sporty, toe to toe and eye to eye. "Save that
garbage for your readers," he said.
Suddenly, the door opened and an official pointed at Jim. "It's
time," he said.
Jim left the room, keeping his eyes on Sporty Lewis's. Sporty
stared after him, pale and shaken.
"That guy," he said to the official. "What a loser!"
Minutes later, Sporty was back in his seat by the side of the
boxing ring. A young reporter next to him asked, "Who's Jim
Braddock?"
"Get your pencil out, kid," Sporty Lewis said. "I have your story
for you: 'The walk from the changing room to the ring was the
only time tonight that Jim Braddock was seen on his feet.' "
•
"In this corner, Corn Griffin!"
Griffin jumped to the center of the ring and lifted his thick
arms above his head. The tall young boxer wore a confident smile
on his face. He was young and powerful, a natural heavyweight
with long arms and a big punch.
"And in this corner . . . from New Jersey . . .Jim Braddock!"
The crowd were silent.
When the bell rang, Griffin came out punching hard and
fast. Braddock danced and dodged, doing everything possible to
keep away from Corn's powerful punches. After thirty seconds,
Braddock decided that this fight was a bad idea. His opponent had
trained hard and was ready to fight. He timed his jabs and punches
to Braddock's body perfectly. Jim's only goal now was to finish the
fight without getting hurt. He had to be able to work at the docks
the next day.
Suddenly, a big left-hand punch from Griffin hit Braddock on
the side of the head. He went down. As he lay there, the clocks
seemed to stop.
33
"Braddock's down!" cried the announcer over the crowd's
boos.
"One . . . two . . . three . . ." counted the referee. Braddock
tried to get to his feet. "Four . . . five . . . six . . ."
Braddock was on one knee, but the referee continued counting.
"Get up and use your left!" Gould called to his fighter.
Finally, Braddock stood. The referee walked over to him and
checked his eyes and the cut in his mouth.
"It's finished, Braddock," he said.
Braddock looked across the ring at his opponent and joked,
"He doesn't look so bad." But the referee began to lift his hand to
end the fight. Jim held his arm with two gloved hands. "Please. Let
me fight."
The referee paused, looking hard at Jim, and then he stepped to
the side. The fight could continue!
Griffin was waiting to continue his attack. Braddock answered
one punch with a left-hand jab. It didn't hurt Griffin, but Jim was
surprised that he could throw a left-hand punch at all.
In the second round, Griffin continued to chase Braddock
around the ring. The young fighter wanted to win by a knockout,
and Jim had to keep moving to dodge Corn's punches.
At the end of the round, Jim sat heavily in his corner. Joe
poured water in the fighter's mouth. When it ran out again into
the waiting bucket, it was pink with blood. Jim hardly heard his
manager's words, though they were screamed into his face.
"He's half a step behind you!" shouted Joe. "Move to the side
and see what happens. Hit him with two jabs and then the big
punch."
The bell rang for the third round. Braddock moved out of his
corner slowly; Griffin came out punching. Remembering Gould's
advice, Braddock moved his shoulders to one side. Griffin didn't
see the move and Braddock hit him with a right that sent Griffin
to the floor. The referee started counting.
34
"That's it!" screamed Gould. The little manager started
Jim stepped up to Sporty, toe to toe and eye to eye. "Save thatgarbage for your readers," he said.Suddenly, the door opened and an official pointed at Jim. "It'stime," he said.Jim left the room, keeping his eyes on Sporty Lewis's. Sportystared after him, pale and shaken."That guy," he said to the official. "What a loser!"Minutes later, Sporty was back in his seat by the side of theboxing ring. A young reporter next to him asked, "Who's JimBraddock?""Get your pencil out, kid," Sporty Lewis said. "I have your storyfor you: 'The walk from the changing room to the ring was theonly time tonight that Jim Braddock was seen on his feet.' "•"In this corner, Corn Griffin!"Griffin jumped to the center of the ring and lifted his thickarms above his head. The tall young boxer wore a confident smileon his face. He was young and powerful, a natural heavyweightwith long arms and a big punch."And in this corner . . . from New Jersey . . .Jim Braddock!"The crowd were silent.When the bell rang, Griffin came out punching hard andfast. Braddock danced and dodged, doing everything possible tokeep away from Corn's powerful punches. After thirty seconds,Braddock decided that this fight was a bad idea. His opponent hadtrained hard and was ready to fight. He timed his jabs and punchesto Braddock's body perfectly. Jim's only goal now was to finish thefight without getting hurt. He had to be able to work at the docksthe next day.Suddenly, a big left-hand punch from Griffin hit Braddock onthe side of the head. He went down. As he lay there, the clocksseemed to stop.33"Braddock's down!" cried the announcer over the crowd'sboos."One . . . two . . . three . . ." counted the referee. Braddocktried to get to his feet. "Four . . . five . . . six . . ."Braddock was on one knee, but the referee continued counting."Get up and use your left!" Gould called to his fighter.Finally, Braddock stood. The referee walked over to him andchecked his eyes and the cut in his mouth."It's finished, Braddock," he said.Braddock looked across the ring at his opponent and joked,"He doesn't look so bad." But the referee began to lift his hand toend the fight. Jim held his arm with two gloved hands. "Please. Letme fight."The referee paused, looking hard at Jim, and then he stepped tothe side. The fight could continue!Griffin was waiting to continue his attack. Braddock answeredone punch with a left-hand jab. It didn't hurt Griffin, but Jim wassurprised that he could throw a left-hand punch at all.In the second round, Griffin continued to chase Braddockaround the ring. The young fighter wanted to win by a knockout,and Jim had to keep moving to dodge Corn's punches.At the end of the round, Jim sat heavily in his corner. Joepoured water in the fighter's mouth. When it ran out again intothe waiting bucket, it was pink with blood. Jim hardly heard hismanager's words, though they were screamed into his face."He's half a step behind you!" shouted Joe. "Move to the sideand see what happens. Hit him with two jabs and then the bigpunch."The bell rang for the third round. Braddock moved out of hiscorner slowly; Griffin came out punching. Remembering Gould'sadvice, Braddock moved his shoulders to one side. Griffin didn'tsee the move and Braddock hit him with a right that sent Griffinto the floor. The referee started counting.34"That's it!" screamed Gould. The little manager started
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