"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 to dance
and throw punches in the air.
"Three . . ." The referee's count continued.
Joe's eyes, shining with happiness and surprise, met Jim's.
"Where have you been, Jimmy Braddock?"
Griffin was back on his feet, but now Jim was the one moving
with confidence. Braddock rushed forward, throwing punch after
punch.
Gould was screaming. "That's it! Send him home. Send him
back South or wherever he comes from!"
The punches didn't stop. They fell like rain on the soup line,
like snow on the Newark docks. Finally, Braddock delivered a hard
right punch and stepped away. The crowd just watched as Griffin
fell forward. He landed on the floor and stayed there.
In the silence that followed, Jim saw Sporty Lewis next to the
ring. The reporter's eyes were big with surprise. The next second,
the crowd went wild.
"I can't believe it!" the radio announcer was saying. "Corn
Griffin, the number two challenger for the heavyweight title, has
been knocked out by Jim Braddock in the third round!"
•
Before he left the dressing room with Joe Gould, Jim finished the
bowl of food.
"Imagine what I could do if I had steak," he joked.
On their way out, they paused to watch the end of the evening's
main event. The heavyweight champion of the world, Primo
Carnera, was defending his title against a strong, young boxer
called Max Baer. Baer's punch was so powerful that he had once
killed a man in the ring. This was the fight the crowd had really
come to see.
In the last round of the fight, Max Baer's powerful punches
were falling on Camera without end. Carnera fell to the floor.
35
"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 to danceand throw punches in the air."Three . . ." The referee's count continued.Joe's eyes, shining with happiness and surprise, met Jim's."Where have you been, Jimmy Braddock?"Griffin was back on his feet, but now Jim was the one movingwith confidence. Braddock rushed forward, throwing punch afterpunch.Gould was screaming. "That's it! Send him home. Send himback South or wherever he comes from!"The punches didn't stop. They fell like rain on the soup line,like snow on the Newark docks. Finally, Braddock delivered a hardright punch and stepped away. The crowd just watched as Griffinfell forward. He landed on the floor and stayed there.In the silence that followed, Jim saw Sporty Lewis next to thering. The reporter's eyes were big with surprise. The next second,the crowd went wild."I can't believe it!" the radio announcer was saying. "CornGriffin, the number two challenger for the heavyweight title, hasbeen knocked out by Jim Braddock in the third round!"•Before he left the dressing room with Joe Gould, Jim finished thebowl of food."Imagine what I could do if I had steak," he joked.On their way out, they paused to watch the end of the evening'smain event. The heavyweight champion of the world, PrimoCarnera, was defending his title against a strong, young boxercalled Max Baer. Baer's punch was so powerful that he had oncekilled a man in the ring. This was the fight the crowd had reallycome to see.In the last round of the fight, Max Baer's powerful puncheswere falling on Camera without end. Carnera fell to the floor.35
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