# James J. Braddock

James Walter Braddock (June 7, 1905 – November 29, 1974) was an American boxer who was the world heavyweight champion from 1935 to 1937.
Fighting under the name James J. Braddock (ostensibly to follow the pattern set by two prior world boxing champions, James J. Corbett and James J. Jeffries), Braddock was known for his spoiling, counterpunching style, powerful right hand, and his iron chin. 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 made a comeback, and in 1935 he fought Max Baer for the world heavyweight championship and won. For this unlikely feat he was given the nickname "Cinderella Man" by Damon Runyon. Braddock was managed by Joe Gould.

## Early life

Braddock was born on June 7, 1905, on West 48th Street in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. He moved to North Bergen, New Jersey, at an early age. He was one of seven children being raised by immigrant parents; Irish mother Elizabeth O'Tool and Anglo-Irish father Joseph Braddock.
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".

## Boxing career

Braddock pursued boxing, fighting as a light heavyweight. His first fight in a ring occurred on November 27, 1923. He turned pro at the age of 21. After three years, Braddock's record was 44–2–2 (.938), with 21 knockouts.
In 1928, Braddock pulled off a major upset by knocking out highly regarded Tuffy Griffiths. The following year he earned a chance to fight for the title, but he narrowly lost to Tommy Loughran in a 15-round decision. Braddock was greatly depressed by the loss and badly fractured his right hand in several places in the process.
His next 33 fights were significantly less successful, with an 11–20–2 (.364) record. With his family in poverty during the Great Depression, Braddock was forced to give up boxing and work as a longshoreman. Due to frequent injuries to his right hand, Braddock compensated by using his left hand during his longshoreman work, and it gradually became stronger than his right.
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.

### Max Baer fight

In 1934, Braddock was given a fight with the highly touted John "Corn" Griffin. Although Braddock was intended simply as a stepping stone in Griffin's career, he knocked out the "Ozark Cyclone" in the third round. Braddock then fought John Henry Lewis, a future light heavyweight champion. He won in one of the most important fights of his career. After defeating another highly regarded heavyweight contender, Art Lasky, whose nose he broke during the bout on March 22, 1935, Braddock was given a title fight against the World Heavyweight Champion, Max Baer.
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 hardly trained for the bout; Braddock, on the other hand, trained hard. "I'm training for a fight, not a boxing contest or a clownin' contest or a dance," he said. "Whether it goes one round or three rounds or ten rounds, it will be a fight and a fight all the way. When you've been through what I've had to face in the last two years, a Max Baer or a Bengal tiger looks like a house pet. He might come at me with a cannon and a blackjack and he would still be a picnic compared to what I've had to face."
The bout occurred on June 13, 1935, at Madison Square Garden Bowl, in Long Island City, New York. 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." Baer "undoubtedly paid the penalty for underestimating his challenger beforehand and wasting too much time clowning." During the fight, a dogged Braddock took a few heavy hits from the powerful younger champion (30 years versus 26 years for Baer), but Braddock kept coming, wearing down Baer, who seemed perplexed by Braddock's ability to take a punch. In the end, the judges gave Braddock the title with a unanimous decision, outpointing Baer 8 rounds to 6. 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".

### Heavyweight champion; loss to Joe Louis

Braddock held the title of Heavyweight Champion from 1935 until 1937. His first title defense was to be against German Max Schmeling on June 3, 1937, in the Madison Square Garden Bowl. However, Braddock backed out of the bout in favor of a fight with Joe Louis in Chicago. Braddock argued he would have received only a US$25,000 purse against Schmeling, compared to $250,000 against rising star Louis. There was also concern that if Schmeling won, the Nazi government would deny American fighters opportunities to fight for the title. 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. The New York State Athletic Commission fined Gould and Braddock $1,000 each for canceling the fight with Schmeling.
In his only defense of the heavyweight title, Braddock lost to Louis in the 8th round by a knockout, the only one of his career.
Braddock and Louis saw each other frequently over the years, and the "Brown Bomber" always greeted him the same way: "Hello, Champ." 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.'" 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". (Louis defeated Schmeling in 1938, part of his 12-year reign as Heavyweight champion, the longest championship reign in boxing history.)
Seven months after the Louis fight, Braddock had his next match with Tommy Farr and won in what turned out to be his last match.
While the fight with Louis was the end of Braddock as a major boxing force, part of his contract for that bout was to gain a portion of Louis' earnings over the next decade, which proved very lucrative for him.

## Later life

Braddock enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 and became a first lieutenant. He served in the Pacific theater on the island of Saipan, where he trained enlisted men in hand-to-hand combat.
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. Braddock ultimately lost $15,000 on the restaurant venture. He invested in a marine equipment surplus supplier, which also lost money. Going back to manual labor, he helped construct the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge in the early 1960s.

## Personal life

Braddock married Mae Fox in 1930, and the couple had three children, James (Jay) Jr., Howard and Rosemarie. He used the money from his fight with Joe Louis to buy a $14,000 home in North Bergen. Through Rosemarie, Braddock's granddaughter is the actress Rosemarie DeWitt.
Braddock was a member of the Fairview Teeko Club, New Jersey, where he was regarded as one of the strongest teekoists.

## Death and legacy

After his death in 1974 at the age of 69, James J. Braddock was interred in the Mount Carmel Cemetery in Tenafly, New Jersey. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2001. James J. Braddock North Hudson County Park in North Bergen, New Jersey is named in his honor. On September 16, 2008, a 10-foot, 1,500-pound bronze statue of Braddock was erected in the park named in his honor not far from where he lived and trained. The statue was created by internationally renowned sculptor Zenos Frudakis.
The 2005 biographical film Cinderella Man tells Braddock's story. Directed by Ron Howard, it stars Russell Crowe as Braddock and Renée Zellweger as his wife, Mae. The film had an estimated budget of $88 million and grossed $108.5 million worldwide. Crowe's performance earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor. Paul Giamatti, playing Braddock's manager Joe Gould, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The role of neighbor Sara Wilson was played by Rosemarie DeWitt, who is Braddock's real-life granddaughter. The film received mostly positive reviews.

## Professional boxing record

All information in this section is derived from BoxRec, unless otherwise stated.

### Official record

| 87 fights | 47 wins | 23 losses |
| By knockout | 27 | 1 |
| By decision | 20 | 21 |
| By disqualification | 0 | 1 |
| Draws | 4 | 4 |
| No contests | 3 | 3 |
| Newspaper decisions/draws | 10 | 10 |
All newspaper decisions are officially regarded as “no decision” bouts and are not counted in the win/loss/draw column.
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
| 88 | Win | 47–24–4 (13) | Tommy Farr | SD | 10 | Jan 21, 1938 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 87 | Loss | 46–24–4 (13) | Joe Louis | KO | 8 (15) | Jun 22, 1937 | Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Lost NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring heavyweight titles |
| 86 | Win | 46–23–4 (13) | Max Baer | UD | 15 | Jun 13, 1935 | Madison Square Garden Bowl, Queens, New York, U.S. | Won NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring heavyweight titles |
| 85 | Win | 45–23–4 (13) | Art Lasky | UD | 15 | Mar 22, 1935 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 84 | Win | 44–23–4 (13) | John Henry Lewis | PTS | 10 | Nov 16, 1934 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 83 | Win | 43–23–4 (13) | Corn Griffin | TKO | 3 (5), 2:37 | Jun 14, 1934 | Madison Square Garden Bowl, Queens, New York, U.S. | |
| 82 | NC | 42–23–4 (13) | Abe Feldman | NC | 6 (10) | Sep 25, 1933 | Memorial Field Stadium, Mount Vernon, New York, U.S. | |
| 81 | Win | 42–23–4 (12) | Chester Matan | PTS | 10 | Jul 21, 1933 | Playgrounds Stadium, West New York, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 80 | Win | 41–23–4 (12) | Les Kennedy | PTS | 10 | Jun 21, 1933 | Oakland Arena, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 79 | Loss | 40–23–4 (12) | Al Stillman | UD | 10 | May 19, 1933 | St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 78 | Loss | 40–22–4 (12) | Martin Levandowski | MD | 10 | Apr 5, 1933 | St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 77 | Win | 40–21–4 (12) | Al Stillman | TKO | 10 (10) | Mar 21, 1933 | St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 76 | Loss | 39–21–4 (12) | Al Ettore | DQ | 4 (8) | Mar 1, 1933 | Olympia A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 75 | Loss | 39–20–4 (12) | Hans Birkie | PTS | 10 | Jan 20, 1933 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 74 | Win | 39–19–4 (12) | Martin Levandowski | PTS | 10 | Jan 13, 1933 | Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S., U.S. | |
| 73 | Loss | 38–19–4 (12) | Lou Scozza | TKO | 6 (10) | Nov 9, 1932 | Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, California, U.S. | |
| 72 | Loss | 38–18–4 (12) | Tom Patrick | PTS | 10 | Oct 21, 1932 | Legion Stadium, Hollywood, California, U.S. | |
| 71 | Win | 38–17–4 (12) | Dynamite Jackson | PTS | 10 | Sep 30, 1932 | Coliseum, San Diego, California, U.S. | |
| 70 | Loss | 37–17–4 (12) | John Henry Lewis | PTS | 10 | Sep 21, 1932 | Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, U.S. | |
| 69 | Loss | 37–16–4 (12) | Tony Shucco | PTS | 8 | Jul 25, 1932 | Madison Square Garden Bowl, Queens, New York, U.S. | |
| 68 | Win | 37–15–4 (12) | Vicente Parrile | PTS | 5 | Jun 21, 1932 | Madison Square Garden Bowl, Queens, New York, U.S. | |
| 67 | Loss | 36–15–4 (12) | Charley Retzlaff | SD | 10 | May 13, 1932 | Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 66 | Loss | 36–14–4 (12) | Baxter Calmes | UD | 10 | Mar 18, 1932 | Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S., U.S. | |
| 65 | Loss | 36–13–4 (12) | Al Gainer | PTS | 10 | Dec 4, 1931 | New Haven Arena, New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. | |
| 64 | NC | 36–12–4 (12) | Maxie Rosenbloom | NC | 2 (10), 2:43 | Nov 10, 1931 | Minneapolis Auditorium, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. | |
| 63 | Loss | 36–12–4 (11) | Joe Sekyra | PTS | 10 | Oct 9, 1931 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 62 | Draw | 36–11–4 (11) | Andy Mitchell | PTS | 10 | Sep 3, 1931 | Navin Field, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 61 | Win | 36–11–3 (11) | Jack Kelly | PTS | 10 | Mar 30, 1931 | New Haven Arena, New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. | |
| 60 | Win | 35–11–3 (11) | Jack Roper | KO | 1 (6), 1:08 | Mar 5, 1931 | Madison Square Garden Stadium, Miami, Florida, U.S. | |
| 59 | Loss | 34–11–3 (11) | Ernie Schaaf | SD | 10 | Jan 23, 1931 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 58 | Win | 34–10–3 (11) | Phil Mercurio | KO | 2 (10) | Sep 19, 1930 | Laurel Garden, Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 57 | Loss | 33–10–3 (11) | Babe Hunt | PTS | 10 | Aug 11, 1930 | Braves Field, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 56 | Win | 33–9–3 (11) | Joe Monte | PTS | 10 | Jul 2, 1930 | Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 55 | Loss | 32–9–3 (11) | Harold Mays | PTS | 10 | Jun 5, 1930 | Playgrounds Stadium, West New York, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 54 | Loss | 32–8–3 (11) | Billy Jones | UD | 10 | Apr 7, 1930 | Philadelphia Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 53 | Loss | 32–7–3 (11) | Leo Lomski | SD | 10 | Jan 17, 1930 | Chicago Coliseum, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 52 | Win | 32–6–3 (11) | Jake Warren | KO | 2 (6) | Dec 7, 1929 | Ridgewood Grove, Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | |
| 51 | Loss | 31–6–3 (11) | Maxie Rosenbloom | PTS | 10 | Nov 15, 1929 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 50 | Loss | 31–5–3 (11) | Yale Okun | PTS | 10 | Aug 27, 1929 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S. | |
| 49 | Loss | 31–4–3 (11) | Tommy Loughran | UD | 15 | Jul 18, 1929 | Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York, U.S. | For NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring light-heavyweight titles |
| 48 | Win | 31–3–3 (11) | Eddie Benson | KO | 1 (10) | Apr 22, 1929 | Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S. | |
| 47 | Win | 30–3–3 (11) | Jimmy Slattery | TKO | 9 (10) | Mar 11, 1929 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 46 | Win | 29–3–3 (11) | George Gemas | KO | 1 (10) | Feb 4, 1929 | Laurel Garden, Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 45 | Loss | 28–3–3 (11) | Leo Lomski | MD | 10 | Jan 18, 1929 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 44 | Win | 28–2–3 (11) | Tuffy Griffiths | TKO | 2 (10), 1:40 | Nov 30, 1928 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 43 | Win | 27–2–3 (11) | Pete Latzo | PTS | 10 | Oct 17, 1928 | Newark Armory, Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 42 | Loss | 26–2–3 (11) | Joe Sekyra | PTS | 10 | Aug 8, 1928 | Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | |
| 41 | Draw | 26–1–3 (11) | Nando Tassi | PTS | 10 | Jul 25, 1928 | Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | |
| 40 | Draw | 26–1–2 (11) | Billy Vidabeck | NWS | 10 | Jun 27, 1928 | Playgrounds Stadium, West New York, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 39 | Loss | 26–1–2 (10) | Joe Monte | PTS | 10 | Jun 7, 1928 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 38 | Win | 26–0–2 (10) | Jimmy Francis | NWS | 10 | May 16, 1928 | Playgrounds Stadium, West New York, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 37 | Win | 26–0–2 (9) | Jack Darnell | KO | 4 (10) | May 7, 1928 | Grotto Auditorium, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 36 | Win | 25–0–2 (9) | Paul Swiderski | PTS | 8 | Jan 6, 1928 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 35 | Draw | 24–0–2 (9) | Joe Monte | PTS | 10 | Oct 7, 1927 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 34 | Loss | 24–0–1 (9) | Herman Heller | NWS | 10 | Aug 31, 1927 | Playgrounds Stadium, West New York, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 33 | Win | 24–0–1 (8) | Vic McLaughlin | NWS | 10 | Aug 10, 1927 | Playgrounds Stadium, West New York, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 32 | Win | 24–0–1 (7) | George LaRocco | UD | 6 | Jul 21, 1927 | Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York, U.S. | |
| 31 | Win | 23–0–1 (7) | Jimmy Francis | NWS | 10 | Jul 13, 1927 | Playgrounds Stadium, West New York, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 30 | Win | 23–0–1 (6) | Jimmy Francis | NWS | 10 | Jun 8, 1927 | Playgrounds Stadium, West New York, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 29 | Loss | 23–0–1 (5) | Paul Cavalier | NWS | 10 | May 27, 1927 | Arcola Park, Paramus, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 28 | Draw | 23–0–1 (4) | George LaRocco | PTS | 10 | May 20, 1927 | Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York, U.S. | |
| 27 | Win | 23–0 (4) | Jack Stone | NWS | 10 | May 11, 1927 | Playgrounds Stadium, West New York, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 26 | Win | 23–0 (3) | Stanley Simmons | TKO | 1 (6), 2:32 | May 2, 1927 | Oakland Arena, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 25 | Win | 22–0 (3) | Frankie Lennon | TKO | 3 (6) | Apr 19, 1927 | South Main Street Armory, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 24 | Win | 21–0 (3) | Jack O'Day | KO | 3 (10) | Mar 22, 1927 | Union City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 23 | Win | 20–0 (3) | Tom McKiernan | KO | 2 (10) | Mar 15, 1927 | Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 22 | Win | 19–0 (3) | Nick Fadil | PTS | 6 | Mar 8, 1927 | Pioneer Sporting Club, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 21 | Win | 18–0 (3) | Lou Barba | PTS | 4 | Mar 3, 1927 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 20 | Win | 17–0 (3) | Jack Nelson | UD | 6 | Feb 15, 1927 | South Main Street Armory, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 19 | Win | 16–0 (3) | Johnny Alberts | KO | 4 (6) | Feb 1, 1927 | South Main Street Armory, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 18 | Win | 15–0 (3) | George LaRocco | KO | 1 (4), 1:12 | Jan 28, 1927 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 17 | Win | 14–0 (3) | Tom McKiernan | TKO | 3 (8) | Jan 13, 1927 | Grotto Auditorium, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 16 | Draw | 13–0 (3) | Doc Conrad | NWS | 4 | Dec 20, 1926 | 4th Regiment Armory, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 15 | Win | 13–0 (2) | Joe Hudson | PTS | 6 | Dec 8, 1926 | Manhattan A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 14 | Win | 12–0 (2) | Al Settle | PTS | 6 | Dec 4, 1926 | Walker A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 13 | NC | 11–0 (2) | Willie Daly | NC | 1 (6) | Nov 18, 1926 | Floral Park Arena, North Bergen, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 12 | Win | 11–0 (1) | Lou Barba | PTS | 6 | Nov 12, 1926 | Pioneer Sporting Club, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 11 | Win | 10–0 (1) | Jack O'Day | KO | 1 (8) | Oct 27, 1926 | Stanley Theater, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 10 | Win | 9–0 (1) | Carmine Caggiano | KO | 1 (6), 0:49 | Sep 30, 1926 | Playgrounds Stadium, West New York, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 9 | Win | 8–0 (1) | Ray Kennedy | KO | 1 (6) | Sep 16, 1926 | Playgrounds Stadium, West New York, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 8 | Win | 7–0 (1) | Mike Rock | KO | 1 (6), 1:05 | Sep 13, 1926 | Oakland Arena, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 7 | Win | 6–0 (1) | Gene Travers | KO | 1 (6), 0:24 | Sep 7, 1926 | Oakland Arena, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 6 | Win | 5–0 (1) | Walter Westman | TKO | 3 (6) | Jul 9, 1926 | Boyle's Thirty Acres, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 5 | Win | 4–0 (1) | Jim Pearson | TKO | 2 (4) | Jun 28, 1926 | Oakland Arena, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 4 | Win | 3–0 (1) | Lee Dobson | KO | 1 (4) | Jun 18, 1926 | Boyle's Thirty Acres, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 3 | Win | 2–0 (1) | Phil Weisberger | TKO | 1 | May 1, 1926 | Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 2 | Win | 1–0 (1) | George Deschner | KO | 2 (6) | Apr 22, 1926 | Knights of Columbus, Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 1 | Draw | 0–0 (1) | Al Settle | NWS | 4 | Apr 13, 1926 | Amsterdam Hall, Union City, New Jersey, U.S. | |

### Unofficial record

| 87 fights | 52 wins | 25 losses |
| By knockout | 27 | 1 |
| By decision | 25 | 23 |
| By disqualification | 0 | 1 |
| Draws | 7 | 7 |
| No contests | 3 | 3 |
Record with the inclusion of newspaper decisions in the win/loss/draw column.
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
| 88 | Win | 52–26–7 (3) | Tommy Farr | SD | 10 | Jan 21, 1938 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 87 | Loss | 51–26–7 (3) | Joe Louis | KO | 8 (15) | Jun 22, 1937 | Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Lost NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring heavyweight titles |
| 86 | Win | 51–25–7 (3) | Max Baer | UD | 15 | Jun 13, 1935 | Madison Square Garden Bowl, Queens, New York, U.S. | Won NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring heavyweight titles |
| 85 | Win | 50–25–7 (3) | Art Lasky | UD | 15 | Mar 22, 1935 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 84 | Win | 49–25–7 (3) | John Henry Lewis | PTS | 10 | Nov 16, 1934 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 83 | Win | 48–25–7 (3) | Corn Griffin | TKO | 3 (5), 2:37 | Jun 14, 1934 | Madison Square Garden Bowl, Queens, New York, U.S. | |
| 82 | NC | 47–25–7 (3) | Abe Feldman | NC | 6 (10) | Sep 25, 1933 | Memorial Field Stadium, Mount Vernom, New York, U.S. | |
| 81 | Win | 47–25–7 (2) | Chester Matan | PTS | 10 | Jul 21, 1933 | Playgrounds Stadium, West New York, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 80 | Win | 46–25–7 (2) | Les Kennedy | PTS | 10 | Jun 21, 1933 | Oakland Arena, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 79 | Loss | 45–25–7 (2) | Al Stillman | UD | 10 | May 19, 1933 | St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 78 | Loss | 45–24–7 (2) | Martin Levandowski | MD | 10 | Apr 5, 1933 | St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 77 | Win | 45–23–7 (2) | Al Stillman | TKO | 10 (10) | Mar 21, 1933 | St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 76 | Loss | 44–23–7 (2) | Al Ettore | DQ | 4 (8) | Mar 1, 1933 | Olympia A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 75 | Loss | 44–22–7 (2) | Hans Birkie | PTS | 10 | Jan 20, 1933 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 74 | Win | 44–21–7 (2) | Martin Levandowski | PTS | 10 | Jan 13, 1933 | Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S., U.S. | |
| 73 | Loss | 43–21–7 (2) | Lou Scozza | TKO | 6 (10) | Nov 9, 1932 | Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, California, U.S. | |
| 72 | Loss | 43–20–7 (2) | Tom Patrick | PTS | 10 | Oct 21, 1932 | Legion Stadium, Hollywood, California, U.S. | |
| 71 | Win | 43–19–7 (2) | Dynamite Jackson | PTS | 10 | Sep 30, 1932 | Coliseum, San Diego, California, U.S. | |
| 70 | Loss | 42–19–7 (2) | John Henry Lewis | PTS | 10 | Sep 21, 1932 | Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, U.S. | |
| 69 | Loss | 42–18–7 (2) | Tony Shucco | PTS | 8 | Jul 25, 1932 | Madison Square Garden Bowl, Queens, New York, U.S. | |
| 68 | Win | 42–17–7 (2) | Vicente Parrile | PTS | 5 | Jun 21, 1932 | Madison Square Garden Bowl, Queens, New York, U.S. | |
| 67 | Loss | 41–17–7 (2) | Charley Retzlaff | SD | 10 | May 13, 1932 | Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 66 | Loss | 41–16–7 (2) | Baxter Calmes | UD | 10 | Mar 18, 1932 | Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S., U.S. | |
| 65 | Loss | 41–15–7 (2) | Al Gainer | PTS | 10 | Dec 4, 1931 | New Haven Arena, New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. | |
| 64 | NC | 41–14–7 (2) | Maxie Rosenbloom | NC | 2 (10), 2:43 | Nov 10, 1931 | Minneapolis Auditorium, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. | |
| 63 | Loss | 41–14–7 (1) | Joe Sekyra | PTS | 10 | Oct 9, 1931 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 62 | Draw | 41–13–7 (1) | Andy Mitchell | PTS | 10 | Sep 3, 1931 | Navin Field, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 61 | Win | 41–13–6 (1) | Jack Kelly | PTS | 10 | Mar 30, 1931 | New Haven Arena, New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. | |
| 60 | Win | 40–13–6 (1) | Jack Roper | KO | 1 (6), 1:08 | Mar 5, 1931 | Madison Square Garden Stadium, Miami, Florida, U.S. | |
| 59 | Loss | 39–13–6 (1) | Ernie Schaaf | SD | 10 | Jan 23, 1931 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 58 | Win | 39–12–6 (1) | Phil Mercurio | KO | 2 (10) | Sep 19, 1930 | Laurel Garden, Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 57 | Loss | 38–12–6 (1) | Babe Hunt | PTS | 10 | Aug 11, 1930 | Braves Field, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 56 | Win | 38–11–6 (1) | Joe Monte | PTS | 10 | Jul 2, 1930 | Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 55 | Loss | 37–11–6 (1) | Harold Mays | PTS | 10 | Jun 5, 1930 | Playgrounds Stadium, West New York, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 54 | Loss | 37–10–6 (1) | Billy Jones | UD | 10 | Apr 7, 1930 | Philadelphia Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 53 | Loss | 37–9–6 (1) | Leo Lomski | SD | 10 | Jan 17, 1930 | Chicago Coliseum, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 52 | Win | 37–8–6 (1) | Jake Warren | KO | 2 (6) | Dec 7, 1929 | Ridgewood Grove, Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | |
| 51 | Loss | 36–8–6 (1) | Maxie Rosenbloom | PTS | 10 | Nov 15, 1929 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 50 | Loss | 36–7–6 (1) | Yale Okun | PTS | 10 | Aug 27, 1929 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S. | |
| 49 | Loss | 36–6–6 (1) | Tommy Loughran | UD | 15 | Jul 18, 1929 | Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York, U.S. | For NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring light-heavyweight titles |
| 48 | Win | 36–5–6 (1) | Eddie Benson | KO | 1 (10) | Apr 22, 1929 | Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S. | |
| 47 | Win | 35–5–6 (1) | Jimmy Slattery | TKO | 9 (10) | Mar 11, 1929 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 46 | Win | 34–5–6 (1) | George Gemas | KO | 1 (10) | Feb 4, 1929 | Laurel Garden, Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 45 | Loss | 33–5–6 (1) | Leo Lomski | MD | 10 | Jan 18, 1929 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 44 | Win | 33–4–6 (1) | Tuffy Griffiths | TKO | 2 (10), 1:40 | Nov 30, 1928 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 43 | Win | 32–4–6 (1) | Pete Latzo | PTS | 10 | Oct 17, 1928 | Newark Armory, Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 42 | Loss | 31–4–6 (1) | Joe Sekyra | PTS | 10 | Aug 8, 1928 | Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | |
| 41 | Draw | 31–3–6 (1) | Nando Tassi | PTS | 10 | Jul 25, 1928 | Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | |
| 40 | Draw | 31–3–5 (1) | Billy Vidabeck | NWS | 10 | Jun 27, 1928 | Playgrounds Stadium, West New York, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 39 | Loss | 31–3–4 (1) | Joe Monte | PTS | 10 | Jun 7, 1928 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 38 | Win | 31–2–4 (1) | Jimmy Francis | NWS | 10 | May 16, 1928 | Playgrounds Stadium, West New York, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 37 | Win | 30–2–4 (1) | Jack Darnell | KO | 4 (10) | May 7, 1928 | Grotto Auditorium, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 36 | Win | 29–2–4 (1) | Paul Swiderski | PTS | 8 | Jan 6, 1928 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 35 | Draw | 28–2–4 (1) | Joe Monte | PTS | 10 | Oct 7, 1927 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 34 | Loss | 28–2–3 (1) | Herman Heller | NWS | 10 | Aug 31, 1927 | Playgrounds Stadium, West New York, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 33 | Win | 28–1–3 (1) | Vic McLaughlin | NWS | 10 | Aug 10, 1927 | Playgrounds Stadium, West New York, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 32 | Win | 27–1–3 (1) | George LaRocco | UD | 6 | Jul 21, 1927 | Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York, U.S. | |
| 31 | Win | 26–1–3 (1) | Jimmy Francis | NWS | 10 | Jul 13, 1927 | Playgrounds Stadium, West New York, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 30 | Win | 25–1–3 (1) | Jimmy Francis | NWS | 10 | Jun 8, 1927 | Playgrounds Stadium, West New York, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 29 | Loss | 24–1–3 (1) | Paul Cavalier | NWS | 10 | May 27, 1927 | Arcola Park, Paramus, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 28 | Draw | 24–0–3 (1) | George LaRocco | PTS | 10 | May 20, 1927 | Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York, U.S. | |
| 27 | Win | 24–0–2 (1) | Jack Stone | NWS | 10 | May 11, 1927 | Playgrounds Stadium, West New York, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 26 | Win | 23–0–2 (1) | Stanley Simmons | TKO | 1 (6), 2:32 | May 2, 1927 | Oakland Arena, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 25 | Win | 22–0–2 (1) | Frankie Lennon | TKO | 3 (6) | Apr 19, 1927 | South Main Street Armory, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 24 | Win | 21–0–2 (1) | Jack O'Day | KO | 3 (10) | Mar 22, 1927 | Union City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 23 | Win | 20–0–2 (1) | Tom McKiernan | KO | 2 (10) | Mar 15, 1927 | Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 22 | Win | 19–0–2 (1) | Nick Fadil | PTS | 6 | Mar 8, 1927 | Pioneer Sporting Club, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 21 | Win | 18–0–2 (1) | Lou Barba | PTS | 4 | Mar 3, 1927 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 20 | Win | 17–0–2 (1) | Jack Nelson | UD | 6 | Feb 15, 1927 | South Main Street Armory, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 19 | Win | 16–0–2 (1) | Johnny Alberts | KO | 4 (6) | Feb 1, 1927 | South Main Street Armory, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 18 | Win | 15–0–2 (1) | George LaRocco | KO | 1 (4), 1:12 | Jan 28, 1927 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 17 | Win | 14–0–2 (1) | Tom McKiernan | TKO | 3 (8) | Jan 13, 1927 | Grotto Auditorium, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 16 | Draw | 13–0–2 (1) | Doc Conrad | NWS | 4 | Dec 20, 1926 | 4th Regiment Armory, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 15 | Win | 13–0–1 (1) | Joe Hudson | PTS | 6 | Dec 8, 1926 | Manhattan A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 14 | Win | 12–0–1 (1) | Al Settle | PTS | 6 | Dec 4, 1926 | Walker A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 13 | NC | 11–0–1 (1) | Willie Daly | NC | 1 (6) | Nov 18, 1926 | Floral Park Arena, North Bergen, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 12 | Win | 11–0–1 | Lou Barba | PTS | 6 | Nov 12, 1926 | Pioneer Sporting Club, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 11 | Win | 10–0–1 | Jack O'Day | KO | 1 (8) | Oct 27, 1926 | Stanley Theater, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 10 | Win | 9–0–1 | Carmine Caggiano | KO | 1 (6), 0:49 | Sep 30, 1926 | Playgrounds Stadium, West New York, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 9 | Win | 8–0–1 | Ray Kennedy | KO | 1 (6) | Sep 16, 1926 | Playgrounds Stadium, West New York, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 8 | Win | 7–0–1 | Mike Rock | KO | 1 (6), 1:05 | Sep 13, 1926 | Oakland Arena, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 7 | Win | 6–0–1 | Gene Travers | KO | 1 (6), 0:24 | Sep 7, 1926 | Oakland Arena, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 6 | Win | 5–0–1 | Walter Westman | TKO | 3 (6) | Jul 9, 1926 | Boyle's Thirty Acres, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 5 | Win | 4–0–1 | Jim Pearson | TKO | 2 (4) | Jun 28, 1926 | Oakland Arena, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 4 | Win | 3–0–1 | Lee Dobson | KO | 1 (4) | Jun 18, 1926 | Boyle's Thirty Acres, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 3 | Win | 2–0–1 | Phil Weisberger | TKO | 1 | May 1, 1926 | Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 2 | Win | 1–0–1 | George Deschner | KO | 2 (6) | Apr 22, 1926 | Knights of Columbus, Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 1 | Draw | 0–0–1 | Al Settle | NWS | 4 | Apr 13, 1926 | Amsterdam Hall, Union City, New Jersey, U.S. | |

## Titles in boxing
### Major world titles

* NYSAC heavyweight champion (200+ lbs)
* NBA (WBA) heavyweight champion (200+ lbs)

### The Ring magazine titles

* The Ring heavyweight champion (200+ lbs)

### Undisputed titles

* Undisputed heavyweight champion