It was 77 years ago when Jim Braddock beat the odds and defeated Max Baer by unanimous decision. Braddock made a comeback from nowhere to become an inspiration to the entire country during the Great Depression (Braddock upset Baer with 10-to-1 odds against him). This bout was resurrected in the Cinderella Man film in 2005. Detemination and his family kept Braddock on his feet in the fight of his life. 

Braddock was an old school warrior who was a part of what is now known as "The Greatest Generation" that overcame the Great Depression and won World War II. Although Braddock was a decided underdog, he was a seasoned professional who used his experience and old school work ethic to win the world heavyweight championship. To quote Braddock: I’m training for a fight. Not a boxing contest or a clownin’ contest or a dance. Whether it goes 1 round or 3 rounds or 10 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.

Boxing is a great metaphor for life, and Braddock symbolized the idea that if you work hard and put your mind to it you can overcome obstacles and accomplish anything.

 [Also: Lessons in Manliness: James J. Braddock]

P.S. Depression-era boxer Jim Braddock's comeback after being considered "washed up" illustrated the following from Think and Grow Rich, a book by Napoleon Hill written during the Depression: