The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1935-05-21
JERSEY HERCULES
GAVE BRADD
TOUGHEST FIGHT

Evans Loeb Sheldrake, N. r.,
May 20 - You'd imagine that
James j. Braddock would pick
his toughest fight fro mengage-
ments fought against such stars as
Jimmy Slattery, Ernie Schaaf,
Pete Late O, Joe Monte, Tommy
Loughran, Make Rosenbloom,
Lasky. Griffiths, Sekyra, Shucco,
John Henry Lewis, Hans Birkie.
No, a thousand times No
The man who made the quiet,
unassuming Irishman, who battles
Max Baer for the worlds heavy
weight title, June IS, at the Garden
Long Island Bowl, wish he had
never laced glaves on his hands
was Frank Zavita, stovemaker
out of Somerville, N. j. Jim was
81 years old when he met up with
Zavita in an amateur contest in
a Newark, N. j., tournament. IN
those days--back in 1925, Bad
dock was a tall, skinny kid seal
ing 1872 pounds. Zavita carrying
| 215 pounds of bone and MUSCLE
was hailed as a coming heavy
weight champ.
$50 you're a fighter, eh?''
snarled Zavita while the referee
was giving the customary instruc'
tions.
No sooner did the first sound Of
the bell die down than Zavita
dashed out like wild bull and
before Braddock could put up ms
hand smashed a terrific left hook
to the wind. To his dying day Jim
will believe the whole length OF
Zayitas arm disappeared in his
tummy. The effect Of the punch
doubled up Braddock like a jack
knife. He thought the building
| fell on him.
Came Back
Because of his remarkable re-
| cuperatiye powers Braddock came
| to in a jiffy and from then on the
spectators witnessed one OF the
most savage fights ever seen IN
Jersey. Braddock floored Zavita
eleven times but the latter kept
getting up and fighting back IKE
a demon, He hurt Jim some more
with hard smashes to body and
law. Braddock was the happiest
man on the face of the earth wnen
| the last bell tolled. ;,
"There was a real tough guy,
Braddock reminisced yesterday al
ter a stiff workout, sit gave
him the ozone. No more Zavita'
| for me. otherwise l haven't hau
many tough fights. I've never real,
| ly been punished much. The lad
who gave me the tin ear was Joe
Monte"
In the same year when Hoe
Gould assumed the youngsters
management the opponent match
maker, Charles Doessereck, select
| ed for Braddock in one Of his pre-
| Inns on the Young Bob Fitzsim-
| mons-Tiger Flowers card at Boyle's
| 3O-acres, was Leo Dobson, who
weighed 1S9 pounds and had nat
tened eleven opponents in row.
II didn't like the fight but Jim
urged me to let him go in," Gould
| recalled. THAT afternoon at weigh
| ing in time Dobson didn't show
up. He finally put in an appear
| dHce az Tins Time
ed on the scales ana tipped inc
beam at 1873 notcn; l dion SNOW
mucn ABOUT brauuocA' JUS. ~"
good he could ngnt. 70 my amaze
ment Jim knock out Dobson in the
first round. And tnat nlsneo Leo
| Watta Waiioper
| with twenty--t"o suecessise
kayos dangling from ms Oei' DIau.
dock became quite a caro-. new
York wanted 10 see MN sn.; Ins
first Fellow they gave US IN Tue pls
city was George La rocco wno
was going places. IA nocco nau
triumphed In tWenty-eisnl starts.
II was a Lour-rounuer Hau neiu ~
Madison square Garoen. orauuocA
nattened him IN the ,nrst neat.
From the nrst time SCI eye
on jim knew l nao q sreat nsn.,
er. IL is now history now piusseu
10 get MIN near Inc .op. he a.,
iaugned wnen coep ~. om nn
henry Lewis doiiSmins jim as Sass !.
Oh Sorn rnn,,;s hana ~, Sr Dyrs
tnougnt ! snouiu nave my Ias,... s
examined aIleI aoSep's ,.,ua 1
inn mas s'oou ~ ~, na1;sva vi,
a.yl AZ paen ese ~. h;ss narcb
sUppie WI oaei M aa... s caI, ~
wascn anu sec = : uoA ' sA'
'ul az ..,..,, ro.har H.
Aisnoush rs $500 nos -
1 the EtallH uQLGls DIaQQOCA 0OGot