Jim Braddock vs the Cruiserweights

Over 15 rounds he beats all of them IMO

 

I actually think he does really well.
I think he would beat Gassiev, but I don't think he was consistent enough to not lose one or two.

 

I'll take a stab. My first gut reaction. I didn't give each matchup a ton of thought.

Jim Braddock > Marvin Camel (I'd actually have favored Mate Parlov over Braddock)
Carlos DeLeon > Jim Braddock
Ossie Ocasio toss-up Jim Braddock (lean toward Ocasio)
S.T. Gordon toss-up Jim Braddock (lean toward Gordon)
Jim Braddock > Lee Roy Murphy
Jim Braddock > Piet Crous
Jim Braddock > Alfonso Ratliff
Jim Braddock > Bernard Benton
Jim Braddock > Ricky Parkey
Dwight Qawi > Jim Braddock
Evander Holyfield > Jim Braddock
Taoufik Belbouli > Jim Braddock
Jim Braddock > Glen McCrory
Jim Braddock > Robert Daniels
Jim Braddock > Boone Pultz
Jim Braddock > Jeff Lampkin
Jim Braddock > Magna Havna
Jim Braddock > Massimiliano Duran
Jim Braddock > Bobby Czyz
Jim Braddock > Anaclet Wamba
Jim Braddock > James Warring
Jim Braddock > Tyrone Booze
Alfred "Ice" Cole > Jim Braddock
Jim Braddock > Marcus Bott
Jim Braddock > Nestor Giovannini
Orlin Norris > Jim Braddock
Dariusz Michalczewski > Jim Braddock
Ralf Rocchigiani > Jim Braddock
Nate "Mr." Miller > Jim Braddock
Jim Braddock > Marcelo Dominguez
Jim Braddock > Adolpho Washington
Jim Braddock > Uriah Grant
Carl Thompson > Jim Braddock
Imamu Mayfield > Jim Braddock
Jim Braddock toss up Fabrice Tiozzo (lean toward Braddock)
Juan Carlos Gomez > Jim Braddock
Jim Braddock > Arthur Williams
Johnny Nelson > Jim Braddock
Jim Braddock toss up Vasili Jirov (lean toward Braddock)
Virgil Hill > Jim Braddock
Jim Braddock > Wayne Braithwaite
Jean Marc Mormeck > Jim Braddock
James Toney > Jim Braddock
Jim Braddock > Kelvin Davis
Jim Braddock > O'Neil Bell
Jim Braddock toss up Enzo Maccarinelli (lean toward Braddock because of Enzo's chin)
Krzysztof Wlodarczyk toss up Jim Braddock (lean toward Wlodarczyk)
Steve Cunningham > Jim Braddock
David Haye > Jim Braddock
Guillermo Jones > Jim Braddock
Jim Braddock > Giacobbe Fragomeni
Tomasz Adamek > Jim Braddock
Jim Braddock > Victor Emilio Ramirez
Marco Huck > Jim Braddock
Jim Braddock toss up Zsolt Erdei (lean toward Braddock)
Jim Braddock > Denis Lebedev
Jim Braddock > Krzysztof Glowacki
Tony Bellew > Jim Braddock
Yoan Pablo Hernandez > Jim Braddock
Jim Braddock > Murat Gassiev
Mairis Briedis > Jim Braddock
Oleksandr Usyk > Jim Braddock

 

How are you arguing that the cruiserweights are better than the guy who went 8 rounds with Joe Louis and knocked him down? The man who beat Tommy Farr? And a (to be fair, goofing off) Max Baer?

Braddock's early career is no real representation of his later career, his prime

 

I like Gassiev. His fights are usually fun to watch. But Braddock had 75 pro fights, and he wasn't always at his best, yet he was really only stopped once. By Joe Louis. After he had Joe Louis on the floor. (His other stoppage loss was on a cut.)

So I don't envision Gassiev stopping him. And if it goes 15 rounds (or even 12), I think Braddock moves a lot, throws a lot, lands shots from odd angles, and takes the decision.

Gassiev is very strong and quick. But that shutout against Usyk showed how he isn't able to adjust at all. Even if things aren't working. He's good at what he does, but adjusting or switching plans isn't his strong suit.

The guys I picked over Braddock tended to be people who were more boxer/punchers/counterpunchers. The exceptions were Qawi and S.T. Gordon. I originally picked Braddock over Gordon. Braddock would probably win, now that I think about it. But Gordon and Qawi did beat guys who held heavyweight titles. So I gave Gordon the benefit of the doubt.

I don't see Gassiev doing that (beating any heavyweight beltholders). I was never as high on him as others were. He's good, but there were guys on here picking him to beat Wilder. I think the Gassiev hype got a little exaggerated.

 

Virgil Hill and Tony Bellew win but Braddock beats Lebedev and Gassiev? Don’t be mad.

 

I don't know. I'm no Braddock expert. I've seen all the fights of him available. I've read the same books everyone else has. I've watched his interviews. He started off his career great. Then, because of nagging injuries, and problems in his personal life, and close decisions that didn't go his way, he went on a losing streak for some years. Then he rebounded at the end of his career and put together another good run.

That's happens to fighters. There were about five years in there where Evander Holyfield lost a lot - because of a bad heart, or Ped use, or chronic shoulder injuries, whatever.

Or you have fighters like Jimmy Young who are average, then become one of the best in the world, then are awful, then become contenders again, then are awful again.

A lot of fighters don't follow a nice arc where they were prospects, then contenders, then champ, then they decline, then they retire ... and you can say "his prime was right here."

Braddock at his best was very good. When picking, I just thought of Braddock at his best versus the others at their bests.

That's all. I wasn't thinking of certain years or anything. When Braddock was fighting early in his career or at his best at heavyweight, he was under the cruiserweight limit. So you can really go with any strong point in his career.

 

It's all about styles. Hill and Bellew can adjust in fights, and box at a distance, Lebedev and Gassiev not so much.

 

Lebedev is a really good counter puncher who became a more educated mover as he got older. He’s not just some come forward bulldozer.

Gassiev moved and outboxed Dorticos when center ring wasn’t working for him. He has good timing, fast hands and it took a generational talent to outbox him.

 

It's not like Gassiev had 300 amateur fights and has been exposed to every style.

He had a handful of amateur fights (like 20) and then turned pro and has fought the usual suspects for the most part and a number of nobodies, too.