How good was Jimmy Braddock?

Looks like the guy did fight injured for quite a while, but trying to figure out just how good he was is very,very difficult. As you say ,an enigma

 

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If it weren't for the Louis bout I would say he wasn't very good. At least at heavy. I would say he beat a sloppy and way over confident Baer with grit and determination but was a flash in the pan.
However he hung tough with Louis for a little while so he deserves credit for that. I still think he isn't that good but he was game and made the best of the tools he had.

 

He looks sloppy and open on film. He had decent size for his day and heart. I know he had injury trouble and other outside negative factors, but the skills and talent just don't seem to be there in spades.

 

Obviously above average in his own era but had he not beat Max Baer then he probably wouldn't be mentioned here in the classic section.

 

He knocked Louis down early in the title fight.

 

He battled through set backs and injuries, got the shot at baer, became champ and then fought his heart out against Louis till he was knocked unconscious, so he did a heck of a lot better than most men with his situation.

 

I would say he gets beat by majority of Heavyweight Champions if they anywhere near their best, but if they were not at top of their game, i see the workman like Braddock exposing many to having a bad day at the office.

 

He had a world class heart, a terrific chin and a decent right hand .. a workman like fighter .. by no means great but capable of holding his own and pulling out some decent wins if styles and time to train line up ..

 

As a light heavyweight he was and was known as a KO puncher. He retained a pretty good right hand as a hwt. Decent boxer as a hwt enough to beat an overconfident Baer although even Baer at his best would have had issues with Braddock in the ring.

 

Totally overrated based on the cinderella story. He looks absolutely inept in what was supposed to be his prime. Bad footwork, bad punching technique, low ring IQ. He barely squeeked by a completely unmotivated Baer and judging by the film you could make a case he didnt do enough to even win that fight. Hes a guy like Billy Miske whose story arc has made people think he was a better fighter than he was.

 

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Jim Braddock was a fair to middling boxer whose limited means were glorified and amplified to a higher level by his sterling work ethic and raw courage. He went by the book in beating one of the greatest head cases of all time in Max Baer, but cannot be labeled a fine textbook boxer or anything...as he was shown up graphically by Tommy Loughran in that department. His courageous "go out on his shield" performance vs Louis further exalts him as a courageous warrior.
I've always believed that if he did what he should have done when champion, and given the highly deserving Max Schmeling a title shot, the German would have excelled once again, and outclassed Braddock. Denying Schmeling his rightful opportunity was ironically, a deficit for Braddock in the courage and ethics department IMHO.

 

I believe at the time Braddocks motivation (aside from $) was to not let the title fall into the hands of the German. He could not have felt he had a better chance to beat prime Louis.