He had lost several bouts due to chronic hand injuries and was forced to work on the docks and collect social assistance to feed his family during the Great Depression.

He was one of seven children[8] being raised by immigrant parents; Irish mother Elizabeth O'Tool and Anglo-Irish father Joseph Braddock.

[9] He stated his life's early ambition was to play college football for Knute Rockne at the University of Notre Dame, though this did not come to pass, as he remarked that he had "more brawn than brains".

[13] Braddock felt humiliated by having to accept government relief money, but he was inspired by the Catholic Worker Movement, a Christian social justice organization founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in 1933 to help the homeless and hungry.

After his boxing comeback, Braddock returned the welfare money he had received and made frequent donations to various Catholic Worker Houses, and fed homeless people by inviting them to meals with his family.

[1][16] Despite Braddock's recent impressive victories, he was hand-picked by Baer's handlers because he was seen as a little more than a journeyman fighter, an easy payday for the champion.

Baer, ever the showman, "brought gales of laughter from the crowd with his antics" the night he stepped between the ropes to meet Braddock.

As Braddock "slipped the blue bathrobe from his pink back, he was the sentimental favorite of a Bowl crowd of 30,000, most of whom had bet their money 8-to-1 against him.

[16][19] A 10-to-1 underdog, Braddock won the Heavyweight Championship of the World as the in what was called "the greatest fistic upset since the defeat of John L. Sullivan by Jim Corbett".

There was also concern that if Schmeling won, the Nazi government would deny American fighters opportunities to fight for the title.

[21] Finally, American commentators had expressed opposition to the fight in light of the connections between Schmeling and Adolf Hitler, with whom the German fighter had been associated after his earlier victory over Louis.

As Jeremy Schaap wrote, "[Louis] fought eight world heavyweight champions, more than any other fighter ever, but he never called anyone but Jim Braddock 'champ.

'"[24] On the other hand, shortly after winning the title, Louis was quoted as saying, "I don't want to be called champ until I whip Max Schmeling".

[28][29] Upon return, he opened a restaurant, called Braddock's Corner, located at 157 W. 49th Street, in New York City, which was managed by Joe Gould.

Paul Giamatti, playing Braddock's manager Joe Gould, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.