Cinderella Man Page #9

And the fight is on!

The boys come out...

and immediately Braddock

shoots a left to Maxie's jaw!

That's it!

Take it right to him, Jimmy!

Now, now.

Baer snaps Braddock's head

back with two right uppercuts.

It's always a question of which Max

will show up in the first round...

the killer or the clown?

Maxie doing well.

It looks like he's enjoying

himself, mugging for the crowd.

Take it into him!

A big flurry by Braddock!

A vicious right to the head!

Take it easy, pal. I'll let

it go a couple of rounds.

Madcap Maxie is heavily favored to

put the long snore on Braddock...

in the first round.

That big right hand of his

has dynamite in it...

especially when he traps

his man on the ropes.

He's gonna carry him

for a couple of rounds.

Braddock! Break it up!

Break it up, I said!

Go on, Jimmy!

Jim survived the round and

looked pretty good doing it.

Braddock will not be bullied.

Not tonight.

When he does this horseshit,

knock it off.

He's trying to thumb you.

All right?

And then slip inside of there

and shorten up the punches.

All right? Shorten them up.

That's your turf!

Inside is yours!

Good job, Braddock!

Come on, Braddock!

Well, no one expected Braddock

to go past the first round.

Shorten them up.

Stay inside of him.

The experts at ringside

were wrong again.

Shorten them up!

There's the bell!

And here we are

in the second round.

That had some salt on it!

Braddock lands a hard right

to the head.

Max swats him away

with cool contempt!

He appears to be

toying with Braddock.

There's no other word for it.

Max struts around the ring

without a care in the world.

Sharp, efficient, tough,

and short! Good.

Knock that on out.

And Max responds with

swinging rights and lefts.

All power punches from Maxie.

Break him!

And Braddock punches

right to the head!

Cover up!

Is that the right spot, Jimmy?

All right.

Break it up!

Break it up, you two!

Stay clean!

How are those ribs?

Okay. All right. Take it easy.

Good pace. Good pace, Jim.

Take it easy. Just breathe.

Deep breaths. Relax.

Good rhythm.

You're looking great

out there, Jimmy.

Yeah.

You look great.

Hey, Jim?

If he goes for your body...

drop the elbows on him.

Teach him a lesson.

Break his goddamn hand.

That round was tough to score.

Braddock landed several

surprising right hands.

And those thunderous

body punches by the champ...

should pay dividends

in the later rounds.

In the fifth,

Baer's smile is gone.

Yeah, that's it!

Jimmy comes in

with a hard right...

then neatly slides off

to Baer's left.

Avoiding the counterpunch,

Jimmy sticks a jab.

And now the crowd is jeering

and even laughing at the champ.

And Maxie's none too pleased.

All right, break it.

Break!

Baer backhands Braddock

across the face!

That'll cost Maxie.

You lousy shegetz!

That's a warning, Max.

I'm sorry.

How's that wife of yours?

Break!

She talk about me?

Knock off the wrestling.

All right. Break it up!

Quit fooling around, Max!

Low blow!

What was that?

Keep them up. Wake up,

you wet son of a b*tch!

Max salutes the crowd.

He's one of a kind, folks.

She say my name in her sleep?

Baer took a chin-full of

Braddock's head in that clinch.

That's it! Work his body!

She miss me?

Baer grips Braddock's head

in a headlock.

Jesus! Hey, Maxila you

gonna punch him or pork him?

That's your job, a**hole.

Jimmy fights his way free.

Hey, buddy...

Gets a shot in to the head.

You kidding me?

Fantastic!

You're gonna get hurt.

Braddock keeps punching. They

hammer each other, toe to toe.

Okay, break!

There's the bell!

Keep your hands up

and your mouth shut, Maxie.

You watching the fight or

the cute guy in the front row?

Take a seat, Maxie!

He's nothing, nobody.

The guy has got nothing!

Jesus! Sit down!

Give me the sponge.

What are you doing?

Don't worry about it.

Well, quit screwing around.

Hey! Relax.

Give me the goddamn water.

Ten seconds!

Hit this guy. Cut him!

You cut him down to size.

Cut him!

Oh, sh*t.

In the seventh,

the boys come out again.

And Max is all business now.

Put him away, Max!

Get him!

Attaboy, Maxie! Attaboy!

Slide it, Jimmy!

Braddock starting

to look his age here...

as Baer pushes him

around the ring.

Baer swings hard to the body.

Braddock gets in a right

to the head.

Murder him, Maxie!

Jesus Christ.

Baer with a tremendous shot

right there!

That was the hardest blow

in the fight!

Oh, Christ.

Baer turns him again...

with another right to the head.

Another right. And another.

Push him, push him!

Braddock gets in

a vicious uppercut.

Baer keeps on punching!

Jesus, Johnny!

Let him go! That's enough!

Break it up!

You're gonna go home

in butcher paper, pal!

To your corners!

Butcher paper!

All right.

Let me see that nose.

Get it out.

You're okay.

Let me see it.

Tilt your head back.

That's nothing.

That's a piece of cake.

Keep your head up.

Breathe through your mouth.

Breathe.

You got all your ugly friends

down from Jersey here.

They're dressed up nice.

They've come to see you.

You're putting them to sleep.

You're not turning him anymore.

Come on, pick it up.

Spit that out, boy-o.

Good boy.

Come on.

The boys go after each other

immediately.

Braddock gets in a left to

the body. And a hard right...

Mae.

... to Max's head.

Baer comes swinging across

with a long, swinging...

It's the cops.

... right to Braddock's head.

Braddock stumbles away.

Baer tries that right again!

They come together. Braddock

swings a left and a right.

Please, Ma.

Max comes back with a left

and a right of his own.

Braddock sticks out a left!

Baer still after him.

Another left!

And a hard right by Braddock

that rocked Baer for a moment!

Baer tries that right again.

A hard right

to Braddock's head!

Braddock is hurt.

His legs are gone.

Braddock sticks out a left!

Another left!

Neither man will back down!

It's a slugfest, folks!

And there's the bell!

James J. Braddock has

exhibited a lot of heart here...

over 11 grueling rounds

with the champion.

Nobody expected him to last more

than a few innings with Baer.

Yet here he is.

And he's held his own.

But now we head into the

championship rounds, folks.

Hey, Jim, look at me.

I swear to God, boy,

win, lose or draw...

Thanks, Joey.

For all of it.

You son of a b*tch.

All right. Stop talking.

Get in there!

And bury him!

Finish him off.

Come on, Jimmy!

Here in the 12th,

James J. Braddock...

is showing this crowd

what heart is all about.

Jimmy seems to be

timing that left...

and has slapped it away

several times.

Keep moving, boy-o!

You stay with him!

Son of a b*tch!

Braddock with a shoeshine.

Left, right!

Am I seeing what I'm seeing?

Finish him, Jimmy. Finish him!

Braddock, Braddock!

Maxie's glamour-boy smile

is now a bloody grimace.

This crowd is desperately

hoping for a Braddock victory.

But Mr. Baer might have

something to say about that.

Holy crap!

Low blow!

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