The gym owner, Joe Jeannette, looked pleased. "You've been training, Jimmy.''
"I've been working, Joe. Not training."
"Show me what work you did."
"I was lifting sacks at the dock," explained Jim. "We used a hook, like this." He showed the movement.
"That's the perfect punching exercise," said Jeannette. "You've been getting a powerful left hand, and you didn't even know it."
In the next few weeks, Braddock trained hard. After all those months of hard work, it was like a vacation to train with Jeannette. But the trainer pushed him hard. Every week there were new exercises, new skills to learn and practice.
While Braddock worked at the gym, Joe Gould was busy in other ways. At Madison Square Garden, he walked into Jimmy Johnston's office and sat down.
"You're going to arrange a fight between Jim Braddock and John Henry Lewis."
Johnston looked up from the papers he was signing. "Now why would I do that?"
Joe smiled confidently. "Lewis is number two in line to fight for the heavyweight title, and he's already beaten Braddock once before. So put Braddock against Lewis. If Lewis wins, your boy has had a good practice fight before his next opponent, and you make some money. If, by some chance, Braddock beats Lewis, you have a people's favorite, which means you make more money. Whatever happens, you're richer with Braddock back in the ring." Gould sat back. "So what do you say?"