thumb|Braddock (left) and Gould (center), training as officers at the Atlantic Coast Transportation Corps Officers Training School in Fort Slocum, New York.
Joseph "Joe" Gould (August 13, 1896 – April 21, 1950) was an American boxing manager best known for representing boxer James J. Braddock, dubbed "The Cinderella Man," who in 1935 upset Max Baer to become the world heavyweight champion. He also managed lightweight contender Ray Miller from 1930 to 1933.
Early life
Gould was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1896. Gould also suffered during this period of the Great Depression, but the two men stayed close and helped each other when they could.
Braddock was then slated to face Max Baer, the reigning heavyweight champion of the world. On June 13, 1935, at Madison Square Garden Bowl, the 10-to-1 underdog Braddock won the world heavyweight championship in one of the most stunning upsets in boxing history. But rising star Joe Louis' manager Mike Jacobs and Gould had been planning a Braddock–Louis matchup for months. Braddock claimed he would receive only a US$25,000 purse against Schmeling, compared to $250,000 against Louis. In addition, American commentators expressed opposition to a proposed Braddock-Schmeling fight in light of the connections between Schmeling and Adolf Hitler, with whom the German fighter had been associated after his earlier victory over Louis.
Schmeling's prior victory over Louis gave Gould tremendous leverage in his negotiations with Jacobs — if he were to offer Schmeling the title chance instead of Louis, there was a very real possibility that Nazi authorities would never allow American fighters such as Louis a shot at regaining the title. Gould's demands were therefore onerous: Jacobs would have to pay 10% of all future boxing promotion profits (including any future profits from Louis's future bouts) for ten years. Braddock and Gould would eventually receive more than $150,000 from this arrangement.
Well before the actual fight, Jacobs and Gould publicly announced that their fighters would fight for the heavyweight title on June 22, 1937. Each of the parties involved worked to facilitate the Braddock–Louis matchup. Louis did his part by knocking out former champion Jack Sharkey on August 18, 1936. Meanwhile, Gould trumped up anti-Nazi sentiment against Schmeling, and Jacobs defended a lawsuit by MSG to halt the Braddock–Louis fight. The New York State Athletic Commission fined Gould and Braddock $1,000 each for canceling the fight with Schmeling. But a federal court in Newark, New Jersey, ruled that Braddock's contractual obligation to stage his title defense at MSG was unenforceable for lack of mutual consideration.
Figuring that the New York State Athletic Commission would not sanction the fight in deference to MSG and Schmeling, Jacobs scheduled the fight for Chicago. On June 22, 1937, Braddock lost the title to Louis in an eighth-round knockout.
Seven months later, in the final fight of Braddock's career, he defeated Tommy Farr in Madison Square Garden.
Later life
Gould enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942, along with Braddock. He and Braddock trained as officers at the Atlantic Coast Transportation Corps Officers Training School in Fort Slocum, New York. Gould became a first lieutenant, later rising to the rank of captain. He worked as the athletic director of the U.S. Army's Camp Shanks in Orangetown, New York.
Fictional portrayals
In the 2005 film Cinderella Man, Gould is portrayed by actor Paul Giamatti. The role earned Giamatti an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.