James J. Braddock - Guestbook

Welcome to the official guestbook of the James J Braddock website. Due to spam, we have been forced stop guestbook entries.

I don't see my email address on that entry here it is: sdawg345@cox.net. Thank you again.

My grandmother's name was Edna Braddock, I was wondering if anyone could tell me if there is a connection. My grandmother left this world in 1999, so I'm very limited on what the family history is. She had a brother named Dewey Wayne Braddock and Stephen Braddock which lost his life in WWII. My grandmother married CG Skelton and as far as I know spent most of her life here in west Texas. Any info anyone may have would be wonderful as I am a single mother and would love to share some family history of this wonderful man with her if there is a tie. Please feel free to email me any info you may have it mean the world, thank you and God bless.

Jimmy Braddock is Hudson County's greatest athlete!

His upset of Baer is the real Rocky style victory...

I grew up in West New York and Union City during the late '60s and '70s and boxed for both cities' boxing teams. I attended the same school (St. Joseph's of the Palisades) and the same church where , I am told we would occasionally run into the former champion. Unfortunately, I don't recall ever meeting the champ because I was so young. My father would tell me of his imposing presence yet warm and accessible personality. Everyone impressed with the champ's physical size and his incrdible humility. We learned that James J. Braddock was not just the name of the "80th Street Park" from our boxing coaches, who taught us the story of courage, struggle, determination and eventual triumph, all accomplished through hard work and with dignity. I never boxed after the age of 12 but I fully understood that, like Braddock, as a kid from Hudson County from meager working class roots, whose father worked in a factory, I too could accomplish great things. The greatness of James J. Braddock in not merely defined in the boxing ring. He was a true inspiration to anyone who believes in the American dream. All of us who followed his example of determination, courage and family are his legacy. Thanks you, Ron Howard. Thank you, Russell Crowe.....His story truly deserves to be told.....

I had the privilege of seeing a preview screening of Cinderella Man tonight. I came home and did internet searches on the filming. Ron Howard took great pains to re-enact the fights as they happened. Braddock was, from all I have ever read, a wonderful and loving family man, a hard worker, honest and fearless in everything he did. Russell Crowe portrays him precisely that way. I cannot recommend this film enough. No finer man than James J. Braddock ever held the heavyweight title, and this film, like this website, is a wonderful tribute to a wonderful man.
Henry Zecher

Hello - I can't wait to see this movie. I'm from Pittsburgh, PA, and for some reason, I thought that James Braddock was also from Pittsburgh - Can anyone tell me if he or his family have any ties to the city of Pittsburgh?

Looking for Tim Braddock, James's grandson...
Tim -- I'm not sure if you remember me, but I'myour cousin Tricia. When you went to #6 school in Cliffside Park we became friends (I was a few years younger) and then we discovered we were first cousins. Your mother, Elsie, and my father, Bill, are sister and brother. I remember you would walk me to your house and we would play. Just wondering if you remember me. I always heard stories growing up of your grandfather, and I remember playing at Hudson County Park a lot. I can't wait to see this movie. It's an honor to be distantly related to this great man. I hope you are doing well. Please give my best to "Uncle Howie," as I remember calling him when I was little.

What a great example of courage and determination for our generation and the generations to come. God..give us the same courage and determination as Jimmy Braddock's

Like many others here, I too saw a preview screening last night. The audience was composed of film buffs from a largely liberal San Francisco Bay Area. In other words, not a hotbed of boxing fans.

Still, we were thrilled with what Ron Howard brought to the screen. About all I knew going in was seeing a trailer and reading one viewers on-line posting. To realize that this was a true story, not fabricated, made it all the more enjoyable. Congratulations to Howard, and his incredible cast of Russell Crowe (whom you swear was the reincarnation of James Braddock), Paul Giamatti as his manager, and Rene Zellweiger as the insufferable wife. Well, she does suffer. Boxing movies, and especially those set during the Great Depression, can easily slip into hoary cliches. Not this one.

Now back to reading about truly a great American sports hero.

I'm discovering Jim Braddock. I work as a copywriter with Historia Channel in Montréal. This fall we will broadcast the documentary Cinderella Man : the real life Jim Braddock Story. I wrote texts about the show and about Braddock and I discover a great sportman.

Just saw the movei WOW!
Great movie! Impressive man! What an inspiration!
Go see the movie. The casting was superb. I got totally sucked in and the audience cheered at the end!

I saw the sneak preview last night, what an AWESOME movie! What makes it better is that it's a true story.

I am too young to remember Mr. Braddock, but I am a native of North Bergen, NJ (Liberty Avenue). I have been to Braddock Park many times but we always knew it as Hudson County Park. I am just glad to see a movie being made about a sports hero from Hudson County who overcame 10 to 1 odds to dethrone Max Baer. What a great thing to see!!!

I grew up on the Hudson and Bergen County Border. I met the Champ when I was a young boy about 12. He lived on 79Street in North Bergen near the park until he died in 1972. He was known to many of the kids in that neighborhood. I learned about the movie while in Ireland near the Post Office where the Easter Rebellion started. James, the Ciderella Man, had the same spirit as those who staged that failed rebellion. Both ultimately succeeded!

I grew up on boxing stories, and the upset victory of Braddock in the dreary heavyweight years between the retirement of Gene Tunney and the coming of Joe Louis, was all there was to cheer about.

Some years ago I came across a postcard of the restaurant the champ owned in retirement. The card was autographed both by Braddock and a young Joe Dimaggio. Champions not only eat well, they keep good company, too.

I recently went to see a movie and saw a poster for the movie on the wall.
I said to my brother that I wanted to see the movie when it came out, and he asked me what it was about. I told him that I was not sure, but wanted to see it anyway. Today I googled James J. Braddock, and I am glad that I did. I learned some things that I obviously did not know about him that has started me wanting to know more. I am not much of a boxing fan, but none the less I want to know more. When the movie comes out in June I will definetly go and see it. I watched the trailer for it on another web site, and it looks like it will be a great movie depicting Mr. Braddocks life and love for boxing.

I'm a native of Hudson County, New Jersey. I've lived in North Bergen for a few years where Jim Braddock lived and died. I've been to the park named after Jim, a million times, but we unknowingly called (80th Street Park). But unknowing to me at the time, I was living in the mist of a great man. And I am Irish just like the Great Jim Braddock.

seems like a good guy, if u like him and his story then check out the movie Raging Bull which chronicles the life of Jake LaMotta (portrayed by Robert De Niro)

I just saw the trailer for the movie today! I can't wait to see it. I love stories like this....good guys do finish first! :)

Great story indeed! Got to learn much about Braddock recently, I am an actor and I had the fortune to get cast in the upcoming ESPN2 documentary as one of the sportswriters that followed Braddock's career. Should be a fine program, check listings for air time.

I was fortunate to see the preview last night and I loved it. It is a great story, beautifully done in every way. In fact, the movie inspired me to search for information and I ended up here. I've enjoyed reading all of your comments, especially the family members and those who met him. Thanks for sharing with the rest of us. If you haven't seen the movie, don't miss it.

Wow! I just saw a preview presentation of Cinderella Man. What a fantastic show. Those who are so eagerly anticipating it will be well pleased. I am not a boxing fan and usually hide my eyes. This time I couldn't. I have a new hero. I never thought to have one who had been a boxer. To the producers: Don't change a thing about the movie.

Katrina -- I think I found your friend Peter. You didn't give an email address. If you include it, I'll send you his address and phone number.

Saw the advanced screening of the movie tonight in Charlotte, where Jimmy had his last fight. I've not seen a movie that exciting in quite a while. What a story, all the more remarkable because it's true. What an emotional rollercoaster of a story. Whew!

My father-in-law Georeg Fox, youngest brother of Mae Fox Braddock, shared many stories about his brother-in-law James Broddock. The entire Fox family is looking forward to the upcomig movie.