Braddock's Pusher.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 307, 28 December 1935, Page 4 (Supplement)

Braddock's Pusher.

A TALKATIVE MANAGER

Pestered "The Heads" Till They

Gave Him a Match

The news from Memphis, Tennessee, that James Jay Braddock, the heavyweight champion of the world, will sail for England at the end *of September or early in October, should be of particular interest to followers of boxing in the Manchester district, writes a London sports scribe.. On arrival Braddock will establish himself in London for some days, but when last I was with him he told me that his chief wish was to visit the places in the north where his father and mother were born and spent their young days. The most romantic figure professional pugilism has known for many a long year will not do any serious fighting on this side, but I understand from Francis Albertanti, the publicity manager of Madison Square Garden, who for a while was associated with Braddock after he won the title, that the champion has fixed up exhibition contracts that will keep him busy for two or three months. The best news is that his tour of the United States has been a success. The person most pleased about this must be Braddock, for it was known to all who were friendly with him that he doubted whether ho would get over as a sort of fistic entertainer. Braddock is naturally shy and unassuming, and I shall not readily forget the first time he was asked to go on the air. That was in Jack Dempsey's Xew York restaurant the night after he had licked Max Baer.

His new crown rested most uneasily on his head, principally because he hail not become used to it, and if it had not been for the urgent urgings of his manager, Joe Gould —the next best thing in volcanic pugilistic pilots since the late Francois Descamps I have ever known —he would have left the table and disappeared.' The names of those in Braddock's party for his first trip abroad are not vet known, but Manchester and all other places caii be certain they will see a lot ot Joe. The description lie deserves to be given is "Young Faithful." When his fighter was on the dole in New Jersey Joe resolutely refused to give up hope. The outlook was as black as the inside of a cave, but every day Joe would liauiffct the oflices of promoters and plead liraddock's case. He can talk the leg off a chair, and that may be taken as one explanation why James Jay to-day is sitting right on top of the boxing world. "Look at that little runt," Jimmy Johnston, the general manager of the Garden, said to me one day—the scene was his heavily guarded room, and his finger was pointed at' Joe. "Ho has given me more headaches than any other guy in this racket. Do you know the real story of how Braddock came back? Well, here it is. "I gave him a fight because I {rot terrified of falling over Joe as he sat on the doorstep downstairs. "There is no way on earth of getting rid of our Mr. Gould, but there is one 'tiling I will say for him; he never breaks his word. "You have heard him declare that Braddock's next contest in defence of his title will be fought under the auspices of the. Garden. "I am so sure of Joe that I would not ask him to sign his name to an agreement. "But, oh what a pain in the neck he was when the going was not so good as it is now."