Original subtitles

[indistinct chatter]

[announcer] Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together

for former featherweight champion of the world,

Willie Pep!

[triumphant music playing]

[music stops]

[man 1] He was a celebrity in my town. Are you kidding?

You'll play numbers with that guy? Watch out he don't stiff you!

-[Willie laughs] -He'll stiff you.

[Willie] You play my number?

[man 2] What's your number?

427.

427? What do you want on it?

You don't wanna put that on the camera. Don't let them see.

You gotta move this stuff. Turn this over. You crazy?

He sees me fighting.

He sees me fighting this kid, and after the fight, I whip him good.

He comes up to me, he goes, "What are you doing?"

-I said, "What do you mean?" -He goes, "You're fighting in the street.

Only suckers fight in the street. Go to the gym..."

-Gotta make money. -Gotta make money.

-I made some money. -You did all right.

-I think I did all right. -So and so.

I love you. Love you, kid.

You want me? Well...

This is me. This is me.

I'm not gonna win any beauty contests with this face.

And my nose, it's gonna be flatter in your pictures.

Make sure you get my good side, okay?

[man] His real name was William Guglielmo Papaleo.

From Middletown.

Guglielmo.

A real Italian name, Guglielmo.

Which translates to "William." [chuckles]

That's why they call him "Willie."

Best fighter I ever saw.

And I saw a lot of fighters. My father-in-law was a trainer.

[Willie] Tommy, you heard this one?

Listen...

I'm at a weigh-in...

And the kid I'm gonna box comes up to me and goes,

"Hey, Mr. Pep, can I get your autograph?"

I look at this kid, I say, "Kid, get away from me.

We're boxing here tonight, there's people watching.

What are they gonna think?" So, the bell rings, right?

Hold on, I gotta stand for this. Stand up, Charlie.

Now a lot of the young fighters, they turn white.

This kid is starting to turn purple.

Now I gotta do something, right?

So, I step in with a...

I'm not going to hit you. If I do, you're gonna be on the floor.

Relax, it's all right. I throw a right over his shoulder.

Now I'm gonna miss, but it's gonna look good for the crowd, right?

And I wrap this kid up and I say,

"Look, kid, relax, all right?

A lot of these people spent good money here. I'm gonna give 'em a show."

You're not gonna get hurt. We're just gonna box.

We're gonna have a good evening. Everybody's gonna be fine."

So, now I let him go, I step back...

Boom!

This kid falls right on the canvas.

[all laugh]

The referee counted him out.

I won the fight. Yeah. I didn't throw one punch.

Yeah, it's a true story. Sit down. You're a good sport.

Yeah.

I'm older now.

I'm always looking back.

I've been thinking about a comeback ever since I retired six years ago.

Well...

[interviewer] Good.

Keep it rolling.

[fanfare playing]

[lively music playing]

[narrator] Bedlam in the Garden tonight as the champ, Chalky Wright,

defends his title against the young Hartford Tornado, Willie Pep.

[Gore] I'm telling you, you're ahead. You're ahead on every card.

This guy has gotta knock your ass out this round.

And he can. He's the champ.

He wants to keep it that way.

Now you go out there and get away.

Get away from him!

[crowd cheering]

[boxing bell rings]

[Gore] I'll tell you what I remember about that fight.

I was having a heart attack for 15 rounds. That's what I remember.

Chalky Wright was the champ.

And he was... He was a stud.

Showgirls, the whole thing. Fighting Willie Pep.

Who the hell is he? He's nobody.

A snot-nosed kid from Hartford, Connecticut.

We had no business being in that ring.

But there we were, somehow.

[announcer] The champ is wasting no time, going for the knockout.

Amazing how fast these boys can be after 15 rounds.

Wright stumbles around but is back into action.

Pep is like a ghost out there.

Pep makes Wright miss. First with a left, then a right.

He's boxing like a master, like you wouldn't expect a 21-year-old to do.

What the hell are you doing? Get out of there, Willie!

[announcer] Listen to this crowd!

Pep's jabs are flying now, and we're gonna stop counting them!

[both grunting]

[boxing bell rings]

[Lee] I had him sign my press pass from that night.

Willie was no more than a bright local prospect.

His meteoric rise from nowhere

made him not just a boxing world champion,

it made him a sports sensation.

That night at the Garden a star was born.

The decision, and new featherweight champion of the world...

Willie Pep.

[crowd cheering]

[announcer] Scenes of indescribable bedlam here!

[Gore] You're the champ.

As Willie Pep, Will O' the Wisp,

becomes the youngest world champion in 40 years!

[crowd continues cheering]

[Willie] I always had a thing for good-looking clothes.

I've spent a lot of money on wardrobe. [chuckles]

You know, being champ, better look like one too.

Now this suit...

This suit really paid off for me.

Yeah, looking sharp.

What do you think, huh?

You ain't got nothing?

You ain't gonna give me nothing? Nothing?

You get that.

You keep this camera off my wife.

I guess I can't tell you, "Take a picture, it'll last longer."

[Willie] Hey, Herman. See this? This was a gift. A good gift.

Bob Hope. You believe that? He gave me this.

He came to all my fights. This is engraved.

It says, "For the champ. You're always a pleasure to watch."

You'd expect better from Bob Hope.

She's cute. That's why I keep her around.

-[Willie] You almost ready? -[Linda] I'm almost ready.

[Willie] Hartford's home.

But I love this place.

I had a lot of good memories here.

I had all my big fights here.

I met Linda here.

I was the hat-check girl at Willie's club.

She was a bad one.

You're too good for that place.

You're gonna tell me that I have more wins

than Joe Louis, Jake LaMotta,

and the big guy Rocky Marciano over there? [scoffs]

[man] You've got more of them than all of them combined.

Hey, see this guy right here?

Survived a plane crash in his prime.

And they said he would never fight again.

Thank you so much for having us. We appreciate it.

Great to spend some time with you.

-I need my hand. -I'm sorry.

-You get all of that? -Stop.

No, I mean, that was cute.

How much did you have to pay him?

See a lot of familiar faces around.

I ain't gonna look too close. I might find somebody I might wanna fight.

Yeah, you right.

-[Willie] Bob. -[clears throat]

What is it?

That guy doesn't like me, you always seat me near him.

-What guy? -Sandy.

Sa... [stammers]

That's what the organizers want.

That's the deal. You sit together.

But what about what I want?

Do I not put money in your pocket?

Do I not keep your name out there?

I don't see anybody else doing the things I do for you.

Sit with Linda, please. Help me with this.

That's all I ever do for you, by the way, is help. That's what I do.

-That's what you're supposed to do. -I'm a helper. I help you.

-Hey, Bob. -Yeah?

You're fired.

[guests applauding and cheering]

Come on, Sandy.

Sandy Saddler, everybody, Sandy Saddler.

Sandy and I, we're great friends.

In fact, there's nothing in the world that I wouldn't do for Sandy.

And there's nothing in the world Sandy wouldn't do for me.

That's how we've been going about our whole lives.

Doing absolutely nothing for each other.

[all chuckle]

We're colorful fighters, Sandy and I,

very colorful fighters.

We bled all over the ring.

-[man] Give him the mic! -Take it easy, pal.

If I give him the mic, I can't get it back.

Here, Sandy, say something.

Well, I was featherweight champ of the world.

And thank God, I had a wonderful career.

Good, tell them how tough I was. Tell 'em.

Well, Willie was a tough opponent

and a very tough fighter.

-[Rocky] You've been training? -[Willie] Yeah.

What are you training? Dogs? Come on. [laughs]

I'm gonna make a comeback.

Oh, you're making a comeback? That sounds right.

I know I'm not gonna win any championships,

but, you know, I'm in good shape.

I just want to show people that a man my age can still do it.

There's nothing else I know how to do.

What is all this? What are you doing?

You're gonna get hurt.

You see Sandy?

Wanna be Sandy? Huh?

You won't be able to fuck your wife.

You won't be able to do anything.

Come on. Brains.

[Linda] When I first got with Willie,

I asked him, "Did you ever fight Rocky?"

And he said, "No, I'm a feather, he's a heavy.

We're different weight classes. We would never fight each other."

Yeah, they don't do that.

Right, so I said to him,

"Well, that's good because he's a hell of a lot bigger than you are."

Hah. I see. Okay. [chuckles]

Just... Can you go shoot Willie, please?

That's what we're here for. I don't know what you're doing.

Earlier today, he comes up to me and goes,

"Hey, Mr. Pep, you recognize me? We fought."

I said, "Lie down on the ground, and then I'll recognize you."

-[all laugh] -[Willie] I was a featherweight.

Most fans, they go to the fights for the big punchers.

You know, the heavyweights, like Rocky, Sonny Liston.

Smile for the camera, Rocky.

[Willie] You know what? He's not shy. Rocky is not shy.

I'm gonna tell you why Rocky is not shy.

Rocky's gonna pick up the bill.

Everybody, Rocky's gonna pick up this bill.

Yeah, I'm picking up the bill. Okay, yeah.

-In advance, Rocky. -I'm picking up the bill.

-Thanks, Rocky. -Rocky's got the bill.

On Saturday, I wanted to go to Benihana.

Willie said, "We can't. I don't do ethnic cuisine."

So, we went to Carmine's for the 8,000th time.

And then last night, we saw Colombe.

Isn't it groovy? It's warm, it's tender.

The music is incredible. The score, the performances.

Everything. The direction. All pure genius.

Deirdre. She got a callback for the lead.

That'd be something.

[Rosco Gordon's Gotta Keep Rolling playing]

♪ I searched The biggest cities ♪

♪ Now I'm going To New Orleans ♪

♪ Get myself a mojo ♪

♪ And I'm gonna Bring her back home to me ♪

♪ I gotta keep rolling ♪

[song fades out]

[pensive music playing]

-Just a few more. -Hm?

Just a few more.

I'll take you home soon.

-You want to go dance? -Yeah, let's go dance.

-You gonna put on your shoes? -Wait.

Not very lady-like.

I don't want to call it a night. I'm having a good time.

-Let's just call it a night. -Baby, baby, baby.

Oh, can I get a--

-Just one more. -It's fine, honey.

[Willie] I can't believe I had to pick up that tab.

I thought Marciano would do it.

You know I made $1.2 million in my career?

And I spent $1.3 million of it.

I had three wives before I met Linda.

They married me for my name, for my money.

They kept the name, and they all kept the money.

You know, my first fight was actually on the street.

Front Street. I'll never forget this big kid.

He tried to take my shoeshine stand.

I couldn't go home broke. My father would've killed me.

So, I fought him.

I didn't know I could "fight" fight until that very day.

No one ever messed with my stand again.

That's for sure.

There's some days I don't wanna get out of bed.

I mean, what for?

When I was fighting, I'd get up every morning, 5 a.m.

Like it was nothing.

-Hey. -Hey.

[thudding]

[Gore shouting indistinctly]

[Gore] Move around! Come on!

Work hard, Joey. You hear me? Work hard.

I wanna see just the jab now. Just the jab.

Just jab. Yeah, like you're fighting with one arm.

Faster.

You're a one-armed fighter.

Just jab. Jab. Fast.

Fast. Again.

Don't show me the right. Just the jab.

Get that goddamned right hand down!

You need to empty yourself right there.

No? You don't need the yack?

If you don't need the yack, you're not working hard enough.

So, get off the ropes and get back to work.

Come on, Kenny. Hey, you.

Nice to see a face not quite as ugly as the mugs usually around here.

Yeah, right.

You can't hold these poor guys to this standard.

What are you doing here? You trying to catch a heart attack?

Light work.

-My gear in my locker? -[Gore scoffs]

I wouldn't touch your gear if I was wearing a gas mask and a rubber suit.

-Yeah, your gear's still there. -Good.

-Place has seen better days. -Falling down around my ears.

I just hope we're not still here when the roof caves in, huh?

In that case, I better get to work.

Mm-hm. I'm not running a charity here.

-Drop your dues on my desk. -Oh!

This is "The House That Willie Pep Built."

[Lee] March, 1942.

From my editorial column, "With Malice Toward None."

"Bill Gore hadn't been in town more than two days

before he became intensely interested in Willie Pep.

Without butting in, he put Pep and his handlers

through a quiz program.

How did Pep prepare for a fight?

What sort of work did he do?" It goes on like that.

Speaks to the beginnings of the Gore-Pep relationship.

I was right there when it started, almost 30 years ago.

It became one of the most prolific duos in boxing history.

Willie was a good fighter,

but Gore shaped him into an all-time great boxer.

He challenged Willie to be more than anyone could ever imagine.

And Willie didn't let him down.

Willie's success has been my success.

Hartford's success.

I'm his biggest fan.

Always was.

Always will be.

[dramatic music playing]

Shh.

[knocking on door]

Linda, come on, it's 10 a.m. You can't sleep all day.

-Go away. -Come on. Let's go.

-Big day. -[groans]

Come on. I wanna show the guys some things. Let's go.

-Showtime. -Mm-mm.

[Willie sighs]

No, you can't. She's got no clothes on.

I don't even get a "good morning"?

Now these, these are my prized possession.

These are the gloves I had on

when I beat Chalky Wright for the world championship.

Yep. I've sold off all my other stuff, but...

I've been offered a lot of money for these. A lot of money.

But I won't do it. I can't.

Look at this. This is me as a kid.

This is Linda's father.

When I made my comeback. When I cracked up in a plane, you know?

I was in a body cast, chest and legs, for five months.

This is me and Sandy Saddler.

That's Yankee Stadium. That's our third fight.

That's our rubber match.

You guys remember Sandy from the other night?

Yep. He beat me that time.

Keep that out of there.

All right, this is...

That's my mother.

That's my father.

These are my kids.

That's Billy, and that's Mary. Look at that.

We used to be real close, but, you know...

Not anymore.

-Casa Loma tonight? -I don't like that place.

-It's got bad energy. -Bad energy?

Yes? Bad energy.

You're lucky you're so damn pretty.

Come on, give me a kiss, I gotta go.

I'm not the one who wants to kiss. You come to me.

-Come on, gimme a kiss. -Okay.

All right.

[in Italian]

Are they bothering you?

[in Italian]

-[laughs] -[laughs] Okay.

[in Italian]

Yeah. It's nice.

My father, he's been laid up about six weeks now.

Had a bad stroke.

It's hard to see him like that, really hard to see him like that.

Hey.

He's from Siracusa. Sicily.

He can't read or write English, or anything like that, but...

He had it tough, working construction during the Depression.

Yeah.

He wasn't the perfect father.

He was a real bastard sometimes.

A real bastard.

[groans]

[chuckles]

That's my kid sister, Frances.

Hey, there she is. Look at her. Look at this face.

Didn't she get all the good looks? Hi, Mama.

Cut it out, Willie. I can't with this.

They're not gonna bother you.

You gotta see her around a suit. I had Sinatra over once,

and she took up his pants. She did such a great job.

She could have been tailor to the stars.

But now she's at the DMV.

-You still at the DMV? -You know I'm at the DMV.

Tell them the Sinatra story. They'll love it.

I could barely hold the needle. I was so nervous.

-He was nice to you. -Yeah, he was a gentleman.

My heart was racing for a week.

That was the last time you came by the house.

-Was that 1953, 1954? -No, no, let's stop that.

Let's go eat, Mama.

[in Italian]

No, Mama, we can't do that. And Willie, I can't go.

What's with all the noes? They're not coming.

No, it's not about that. I gotta get back to the kids.

-All right, all right. -Let's get Mommy in the car.

-We'll do it next time? -Yes, next time.

Next time.

[in Italian]

[in English] You okay? All right.

[Fran] Hey, you still married?

[Willie] Watch yourself. Respect your older brother.

Fourth time's a charm, huh?

Oh, you guys should check her birth certificate.

[soft music playing on radio outside]

[interviewer] Hold for car radio outside.

Linda Papaleo, Take 2. Mark.

Did I do that right?

Linda Papaleo, Take 3. Mark.

I'm trying to figure out how honest to be.

I was only 19 when we met, but...

He was very patient.

Very respectful.

I liked that about him.

We got married in New York, just before my 21st birthday.

And then we had to leave.

Come here.

Most of my friends and family are still in New York,

so I do miss it, but...

Did Willie tell you about the play?

Okay, so I was in a play down there in New York.

And we only had a short run, but...

That's what I want to be doing. Really.

Acting.

It's my...

dream.

You know, it's my passion.

Hartford is not exactly a happening place for an actor.

I mean, it's not happening here. Period.

[interviewer] So, why did you leave New York?

Do you want Willie's story or mine?

This is her favorite. Watch.

I got you a little something.

Your son is here.

Don't give me that because he just barged in.

What's she whispering about?

-Mind your own business, Billy. -Okay.

Go upstairs. I'll handle this. Go to your room.

You really know how to pick 'em, Pops. You're a piece of work.

I'm not going anywhere.

-You happy to see me? -Billy, you're making a mess.

-It's all over the floor. -You're a real movie star now?

-Hey! -That's it.

Come outside. Let's have a little chat, okay?

Excuse me.

Can I bum a smoke?

Please.

Can I bum a smoke?

It will be good for the movie.

Hope you got a lot of film in that camera.

[Willie] Damn it, Billy!

This is my house. And Linda's!

You got that? You don't just barge in here.

-You understand me? -Yeah.

-Are you on that junk? -No.

-You lying to me? -No.

You stay away from that. And you stay away from my wife.

Okay.

Get that out of your mouth!

[sighs]

[man] Go, go, go, go, go.

-Hey. -Okay.

[in Italian]

[Willie in English] Aye, you son of a...

-[exclaims] Oh! [laughs] -[all cheer]

-[grunts] -[groans]

[interviewer] All those fights...

Who was your toughest opponent?

My first wife. [chuckles]

No, seriously, uh...

Sandy Saddler, without question.

[cheering]

[narrator] October 29th, 1948.

The Hartford Tornado, the Will O' the Wisp,

Willie Pep defends his featherweight title

against challenger Sandy Saddler.

They'll be joined by referee Ruby Goldstein in the ring.

We now go to Don Dunphy, live at Madison Square Garden.

[crowd cheering]

[boxing bell rings]

[Don] Pep is in trouble, and so is his record of 73 wins in a row

coming into this contest.

[crowd cheering and whistling]

[both grunting]

[Don] Pep is down! Pep is down!

Saddler has delivered the first knockdown of Pep's career.

[boxing bell rings]

Hey, hey, hey, congratulations.

Finally you've been knocked down.

Welcome to the club. What'd you think, it was never gonna happen?

The kid's a good fighter.

But don't forget you're the champ.

Don't forget that, and don't let him forget it either.

Come on, show me Willie Pep. Come on, champ.

-[boxing bell rings] -[crowd cheering]

[inaudible dialogue]

[crowd whooping]

[crowd cheering]

-[referee] Neutral corner! -[Don] Pep is down again!

-He is down again and this could be it! -[referee] Three, four,

-five, six, seven... -[crowd booing]

...eight, nine, ten.

-Out! -[Don] Ladies and gentlemen,

we have a new featherweight champion!

Sandy Saddler has shocked the world!

[Willie] Nothing worse than losing a title.

And before that, I...

I thought I was invincible.

After that, it was never the same.

Never.

[man] Greetings, nutmeggers! Come connect in Connecticut with Hartford's holiday market,

next Saturday across from the Wadsworth from 9-5.

[Bob] Willie.

[sighs]

I don't know, they told me there'd be a sports crowd.

There ain't no crowd here, Bob.

Christ, I don't know how long I can go on like this.

Well, hopefully, at least until 3:30.

That's when we're booked.

Besides lunch, I brought a nice offer.

Oh, here we go. Another Bob Kaplan extravaganza?

Are you gonna hear me out? 'Cause this is good.

All right? Hear me out.

A guy wants to buy the Chalky Wright gloves.

-How much? -Three grand.

-That's a lot of money. -You're damn right that's a lot of money.

I don't think so, Bob. Anything but the gloves.

-I can't do the gloves. -So, I just tell him no?

A guy like this, he's not gonna be around much longer.

We have a window, but it's closing.

Maybe that window is about to open up again.

He's really playing into this thing, huh?

-No. -You're gonna fight again?

I've been training, and I feel good.

Did you see his last fight?

'Cause he almost got himself killed.

-That's not a La Rosa bag. -Come on.

I was running behind, I didn't have time to get down.

This is a good sandwich.

-This is unedible. -It's fine, Willie. The sandwich is fine.

One second.

We're doing okay with the appearances and stuff, right?

If you need more cash, you gotta swallow your pride.

Take a regular job.

What?

The maître d' at Carbone's?

Bob, I gotta talk to people. I gotta greet them,

bring them to a table. What are they gonna think of me?

What do you care what they think?

I care because it's my hometown.

I'm the champ.

Okay.

I know a guy at the Hilton.

You managed that place down in Miami, right?

Yeah.

Okay, so I give him a call.

Maybe he's got something.

I want you to do me a favor though, okay?

Think about the gloves.

'Cause you do a lot with that money.

I'll think about it.

-Hey, Bob. -Yeah?

You're fired.

He thinks he's funny.

I do.

[in Italian]

[in English] No, not right now. They ate yesterday.

[interviewer] Linda, what are you doing here?

I'm just setting up for dinner.

"Supper," as Mama calls it.

Did you cook it or did she?

What do you think?

No, I can't cook.

I told Willie that.

And you know what he said? He said,

"When my father married my mother,

he made her go and live with his in-laws

for two months so that she could learn to cook the way they cook."

I'm not kidding you.

And I said,

"If you think that there's a chance in hell

that I'm going to Hartford to live with your mother for two months

to learn how to cook her food, you got another think coming."

But the joke's on me. Clearly.

[rock music playing]

[Willie] What made me special was my speed, my unique footwork.

You know, the V-step is

I kick this one forward.

And I do this, and I go like this, then I do this,

then I do this.

Thank you for this food that we are about to receive

from thy bounty, to Christ our Lord. Amen.

-[Mama] Amen. -[Billy] Amen.

[Willie] Bon appétit, Mama.

[in Italian]

Not everyone thinks it's nice, Nona.

[in Italian]

-What's she saying, Willie? -She said, uh...

Spaghetti and meatballs killed more Italians

than all the wars combined.

-She's giving me the evil eye. -Come on, stop.

Mama wants you to eat a meatball.

That's all. Just eat a meatball.

Trying to fatten me up for the kill? [chuckles]

[Willie] What are you doing?

Leave me alone. I'm just trying to eat.

You're gonna give my mother a heart attack.

[Linda stammers] Is this right, Mama?

Forgive me. My God.

[Willie] You didn't eat, huh?

[Billy] Yeah, I wasn't that hungry.

So, as you can tell, I am not welcome.

Because the little bitch don't like me.

And he does whatever she says.

So, you know...

She got him on a string.

Can you believe it?

They turned my room into the junk room.

So, you probably want some Willie Pep stories, I assume?

How about...

When I was in school

and all the kids, they used to gang up on me

'cause they wanted to see if I could fight like my father.

You know, I probably had more fights than he had.

Um, what next? Oh, you know my sister, Mary?

Of course not. Oh, I wanna show you something.

Get a shot of this.

You see that?

That is

our mother.

She was not good enough for Willie Pep.

He took two little kids away from their mother.

Can you imagine?

He was out living the life.

Fight to fight, city to city, woman to woman.

It fucking destroyed her.

Us too. Honestly.

The great Willie Pep.

One of the best there ever was.

Yeah, tell that to my mother.

[man] It goes without saying, Willie,

that we would love to have you

as part of the Hilton family.

Oh, I tell you, Karl, that's great. That's really great.

-I appreciate that. -Of course.

But we do have...

some concerns.

Okay, well, let me know. What are they?

-Is this okay? -Yeah, don't worry about them.

Uh... I checked your reference.

You know, at the hotel in Miami and...

They said you were involved with someone at the hotel.

One of the secretaries.

Yeah, yeah, but that...

[chuckles] That was the old me.

But you should've seen her. I'm married again, though.

Sometimes, someone like me, my name gets dragged through the mud.

So, these are just rumors. They're rumors.

So, you're saying it's not true? Based on my source--

No, what I'm saying is that sometimes someone like me,

my name gets dragged through the mud.

That's it. That's just what it is.

Whatever happened in Miami has nothing to do

with my ability to manage your hotel here in Hartford.

Either that or I go back to fighting.

Look at this face. See this face?

I get hit one more time...

I already look like a bag of chopped meat, right?

They know, they see me all day.

Bob Hope gave me this.

-That's very nice. -Yeah, it's from Bob Hope.

-The Bob Hope? -There's no other Bob Hope.

-Huh. That's... [chuckles] -Tell them it.

Uh, okay. Um...

"For the champ.

You were always a pleasure to watch."

I like you, Willie, and I want to help you out.

There is an opening, an assistant manager position,

at one of our hotels outside of Hartford in Brockton.

Whoa, wait.

Brockton?

That's 100 miles out. Come on, Brockton?

We can arrange to put you up until you get settled.

But it's where we have an opening.

And if it works out, down the line--

You want me to work under some kid

who just came out of college?

And get paid half what the manager makes?

Don't take it that way, Willie. It's what I can do right now,

-considering all the factors. -Yeah, "considering."

Oh, hey, Angelo, how are you?

Tell your father I said hello. Okay? All right.

Hey. Keep punching, kid.

[traffic humming]

Bruno, you good?

I just saw your grandson at the gym.

He's looking good.

Hey, he could be a fighter.

Um... You know, it's been a bad month.

Very bad month.

So, uh... Can we do another $500?

I thank you. It means a lot. It's gonna help. Thank you.

All right, you be good.

[Willie] Hey, thanks for coming in, Lee.

Always, champ.

[Willie] The Willie Pep comeback story?

It starts right here.

Hey, world's greatest reporter right here, Bill Lee.

Now, Dutch, you're giving me the chicken wing again.

Tuck in. Tuck in.

Tuck in and shoot it.

That a boy. Move the mitts around, Kenny.

That a boy.

Keep moving them around.

Paint the fence this weekend?

I said I was gonna paint the fence, so I did.

Yeah? How'd it come out?

Like the Sistine Chapel.

Cut the bullshit. What's on your mind, Willie?

I wanna fight again.

Hey, Dutch, you wanna move to the right once in a while?

You're predictable as hell.

You know you're dumb sometimes, really dumb.

I'm not dumb. I've thought about this a lot.

Yeah, that's the problem, when you get thinking.

Why don't you just get a job, Willie?

Job? It's the best job I know.

You're 42 years old. You're doing this to impress this young wife of yours?

No. Come on, Bill. I'm serious.

I can still do things in there. Good things.

After everything, we're back to this?

Hey, Lee.

Why don't you take a walk? There's no story here.

I think I'm qualified to determine that myself.

Are you?

Well, here's your story. Willie, this is bullshit. Bullshit.

Truly bullshit. Bottom line:

You don't belong in the ring anymore, okay?

That's your story. Fine?

Now accept it.

Gimme your best.

Gimme your best!

Come on, point him out. Point him out.

I'll show you what I still got in there.

I can do this, Bill, all right?

Just give me a few fights, that's all I want.

After that, I'll figure out what my next move is.

I just need a few fights.

You're a lulu. You know that?

A real lulu. Hey, Dutch.

You're done for the day.

Nice job, son.

-He wants my best, huh? -[Lee] Mm-hm.

Do you know about this?

Well, it's not surprising.

-But it's stupid. -I know it's stupid.

-You know what his record is? -I know his record.

Of course I know his record.

-You wanna tarnish that? -Listen--

Doesn't occur to you to say something?

-"Willie, it's a stupid idea." -How you gonna make him stop?

"You're behaving like a complete fucking moron."

No, he's gonna stop when he's ready.

He's gonna stop when he wants to stop.

[Gore] It don't matter.

Willie's still gonna get his clock cleaned.

Thank you, doll. Well, look at who it is.

So good to see you.

Nice to see you. Thank you.

[guests chattering]

You guys are a beautiful crowd. You look beautiful today.

Thank you. Thank you.

Sandy and I, we were both very colorful fighters.

We bled all over the ring.

After every fight with Sandy, my hands would hurt.

I didn't know why, but then I figured it out.

The ref was stepping all over them the whole fight.

Uh, I'm honored to be here at the historic West Indian Social Club.

Happy to be here, very happy.

In fact, I'm happy to be anywhere right now.

All right, well, enough about me.

Allow me to introduce

this man that you all know and admire.

He's one of the great featherweights of all time.

A gentleman. At least not when you're in the ring with him.

Don't get in the ring with him.

The former featherweight champion of the world,

-of West Indian descent. -[woman] Yeah.

The great Sandy Saddler, everybody.

-Give him a hand. -[guests cheering]

-So... -Hold on.

Don't forget to tell 'em how tough I was. Go.

Thank you, Willie. You know...

Willie always like to do a lot of talking outside the ring.

I like to do most of my talking inside the ring.

I... I whipped you pretty good, Willie.

[guests applauding]

[Sandy] I appreciate you coming out.

It wasn't really a Willie Pep crowd.

Screw you, Sandy.

[laughing]

[Linda] We are here on the set of Case File: Hartford Edition.

I was cast as "the victim."

There was an open casting a couple of weeks ago.

And I was so excited when I got the part.

Because they picked one woman in all of Hartford.

And it was me.

A television series filming in this town happens maybe once a century.

I've never been on TV before.

It's exciting, you know?

I'm excited.

[man] Action!

Cut!

Check the gate.

[thudding]

What do you think?

For an old man, he's coming along.

-[Linda] As your stepmother... -[interviewer] Roll it.

...I think what you're doing is very disrespectful!

-[Billy] That's a fucking joke! -Get away from me, Billy!

-Hey, hey, hey. -Get your fucking hands off me!

-What's going on here? -You are not my mother!

-You're not my mother! -Thank God for that, Billy!

That is my wife, and you respect her as such!

Now get out of here. Go!

Hey, you okay?

What happened?

It's nothing.

Linda, tell me what happened.

He don't like me, and I don't like him.

All right. That's gonna be enough for the day.

[interviewer] How you doing?

I'm frustrated over a lot of things.

This was supposed to be something fun.

I didn't expect all these problems.

All right, that's enough for today.

I think you got enough for today.

[Fran] How you doing, Pop? You okay?

Could you come in to help me lift him? So I can get in?

[Fran] Well, Pop's bad.

You should really come up next time.

I'll see him when he gets home.

Franny, don't write the old man off yet.

[Willie] Think of all the times that he hit Ma.

Hit us.

I wonder if that bastard is thinking about that right now.

[Fran] Willie. Please.

We have to be ready is all.

You know? It's not looking good. We need to think about things.

Why don't I come with? We could drive, it's pretty out.

I just need a day for myself.

I'm gonna see my friends, see my psychic.

-Is that asking too much? -No, it's fine.

-I got it. -No, I got it. Hey.

-Leave it. -All right.

[bell rings]

Look, Linda, I'm gonna handle it, all right?

Handle what?

You know, everything with Billy.

Okay. Okay, yeah.

I'll call you from New York.

I know this is so exciting, putting groceries away.

-[man 1] Speeding. -[man 2] Fran Papaleo, Take 1.

Oh, my God.

As the big brother and world champ,

he was always the one helping.

But now he needs help, and I'm here for him.

But we're talking about a Sicilian man, okay?

He will never ask for or accept anyone's help,

much to his detriment.

Oh, I know he misses fighting.

Absolutely.

It was good for him too. You know, to have that release?

And now he's all pent up. You know, he's tense.

Goose, you up for going about five or six rounds in there?

-Yeah? -Mm-hm.

Okay, I got an old fighter coming.

Old but very good fighter. He was world champion.

-Willie. You know Willie Pep? -Mm-hm.

Okay, I want you to do that. Don't go easy on him.

Don't you cut him a break. Don't you kill him.

Don't cut him a break. You good with that?

-Yeah. -All right.

-Curly. -Yeah?

Glove him up, will ya?

[Lee] Could be the end of the Willie Pep comeback story.

-[Fran] Is it my turn? -[woman] I got a losing hand.

No, you go ahead, that was your point. I got a losing hand.

But because he was in such good shape,

because he was world champ at the time...

-Oh, yes, he was in good shape. -All right.

You always had a thing for him. You always had a thing for him.

-Ah, you know... -No, you did.

It's disgusting.

You're talking about my brother.

You're disgusting, Julie. Know what he says to me?

"This is how you know you're done as a fighter.

First, you lose your legs.

Then you lose your money.

And then you lose your friends.

And that's just how it goes."

But I do tell him, "Willie, you don't have to be a hero forever.

You're a good man."

And that should be enough.

I just wish that he would...

He would let it go.

And just look at what's right in front of him.

[Gore] Bell.

[boxing bell rings]

[men cheering]

[men clamoring]

-[man 1] Here we go. -[man 2] Willie.

[man 3] Come on, Willie.

Yeah. Yeah.

[man 4 laughs]

[man 5] There you go.

[man 1 Here we go. Here we go.

[men chattering]

[both grunting]

[boxing bell rings]

[men chattering]

[boxing bell rings]

[man 1] Come on. Let's go.

Let's go. Let's go.

[both grunting]

[men clamoring]

[both grunting]

[men clamoring]

[boxing bell rings]

That's enough.

I'll say when it's enough, Bill.

That's enough.

Why are you standing around like a bag of hammers, huh?

Quit goldbricking. Get back to your work.

Hey, champ. Hey.

[Willie] Strong kid.

[Goose] That straight right, though.

-Great job. -Appreciate it.

Looked good, looked good.

[Gore] You can still fight,

but between you and me,

you ain't no Willie Pep.

Not no more, you ain't.

You know what I mean?

Hey, Mike Marino down in Miami.

-Yeah. -He asks about you all the time.

You know he's got a stable.

He'd like you to come down and work with his fighters.

You make some money.

Stay in the game.

Change of scenery might do you good.

You gotta think about how you want to be remembered.

Well, that's just it, Bill.

No one remembers me.

For crying out loud, your record speaks for itself, huh?

It's going with you to the grave. It's etched in stone.

Two-twenty and ten.

Ain't nobody gonna touch that, not now, not ever.

You think about it, huh?

I don't understand what you're saying, Mama.

What is she saying, Billy?

[people chattering nearby]

Oh.

She won't turn up the heat, and I have friends upstairs.

It's not nice, Mama! That is not nice.

[in Italian]

You're a mean woman.

Shhh.

Shhh.

Uh, have you seen Willie?

[interviewer] We thought that he'd be here.

He's gonna miss the show.

She don't like her. Says she's no good.

Tell them, Mama. Say it to the camera.

[in Italian]

She said that he had it good with my mother.

And she wishes that it had worked out with them.

Now go.

-What'd you think about that? -I don't know. I'm nervous!

[pop music playing]

[guests chattering]

I mean you're a natural. You're such a natural.

Be careful, Sam, my husband could walk in here any minute.

And he would clean the furniture with you.

He's a boxer, you know?

-That little guy? -You better watch it.

Don't have to worry about me. I can handle myself.

I played a boxer once.

-Oh, you played a boxer. -The program is starting.

[man on TV] ...the desk of another detective in anywhere USA:

Case File. The show that brings

the real-life police drama of our great nation

directly into your living room.

This week's crime scene:

Hartford, Connecticut.

The stories we tell here are true.

The characters our actors play are real.

The crimes really happened, and the justice was really served.

Please sit back and join me, J. Walker Blake,

for this week's episode of Case File.

[man speaking indistinctly on TV]

[door closes]

[man continues speaking indistinctly on TV]

[ominous music playing on TV]

Where have you been? Come.

I'm sure you guys have televisions in your own house.

[Linda] Honey, please, sit down.

What are you doing? My scene is coming up.

I told you I was having some friends over to watch the show.

I can introduce you to everyone after, but please, come join us.

Move, Willie.

Do I know you?

Get off my couch.

Sam Hornsby.

I'm Willie Pep, world champ.

And if you don't beat it, I'm gonna beat it out of you.

-Willie! -Okay, okay.

-Get out. -Okay, okay.

-[Sam] Good night. -No, you don't have to leave.

This is my home too. Now apologize. Now.

-Beat it. -[Billy] You heard him. Go.

-[Linda] How dare you? -Okay. Okay.

[Linda] Honestly, how...?

My part.

It's over, I...

I missed my part.

[Willie] Yeah.

That means the party's over.

-You all can leave. -[Billy] Fucking go.

Bar's closed.

-Chop-chop. -Do you want me to stay?

-It's fine. -Okay.

It's really fine, Dorothy. I'm fine.

[ominous music playing on TV]

[TV turns off]

[door closes]

And I know it must look pretty silly.

Me being so excited

about a little part in this silly TV show.

I was really looking forward to seeing that, you know?

[interviewer] It's not silly.

Thank you.

As hard as this is right now for me,

that does make me feel a lot better.

-Do you want a cigarette? -Sure.

That's swell.

[sniffles]

-Thanks. -Yeah.

You know...

To be honest...

That was the meanest thing that anyone has ever done to me.

[sobbing softly]

[chuckles]

[clears throat]

Hey, could you do me a favor?

Um...

I probably don't even have to ask, but...

Could you keep all that out of it?

Like whatever happened earlier,

I would really, really appreciate it

if you didn't show that.

Well...

Well, what?

I understand where you're coming from,

and we'll do our best, but you know,

that's all I can really tell you right now.

[scoffs]

Okay.

Cheers.

[man speaking indistinctly on TV]

[footsteps]

[honks horn]

Get In the car, Billy.

Look. Billy, I know I ain't father of the year, okay?

But I am your father.

Okay.

Okay.

All right, you be good.

It fits you perfectly.

-That was worth every penny. -You complain about money,

and then you go out and buy me a fur.

Yeah, you like it?

-I do like it. -Good.

But I'm not like the others, Willie.

Now, that's where you got me wrong.

'Cause I'm not a doll who you can take out,

and dress up whenever you want to play with me.

Can you give us a moment, please.

-Hey, listen. -You cannot buy my forgiveness.

You can't buy me, period.

Not all the money in the world can buy me.

Don't you understand?

I bet you didn't even pay for it anyway.

-What the hell do you mean? -You know what I mean.

This whole thing.

It's a farce, hm?

That what it is. It's crap. And for what? A few bucks?

You gotta understand that they don't care about you,

or your comeback, or anything else.

That's enough.

Well, in that case, Willie, bring it back.

I don't want it.

You don't deserve it.

[narrator] ...indication of his great courage and boxing skill.

He can take all that punishment and still win the fight.

Now here we are in round 7

of this 15-round featherweight title bout

between world champion Willie Pep,

and former champion Sandy Saddler

here at Yankee Stadium, New York.

A big crowd of 39,000 people expect to see a sensational battle tonight.

-Want some water, Sandy? -Just give me a minute, man.

-These headaches. -[knocking on door]

I can't keep this car waiting any longer.

Just gimme a minute. We'll be right out.

If you're not down in five minutes,

we're gonna have a problem.

If you don't give me a moment,

you're gonna have the problem.

-Get out of here. -Mr. Pep.

Want me to shut a light? Your eyes hurt you?

[knocking on door]

Oh, hey, Bob. You find a doctor?

No, we're in Boston. It's Sunday. There's nobody in.

There's a car downstairs waiting for us. We got people--

I know this, Bob. We're trying to pull it together here.

-There you go, Sandy. -[knocking on door]

Christ, who is that? You got it?

-What is happening? -Mr. Saber.

-We are... -Oh, this is a problem.

What's going on? I am on the line.

I don't represent Mr. Saddler.

-I represent Mr. Pep. -I have to fly solo.

-Unless you want me to pull out too. -Oh, that's great!

No, that's not gonna work.

We're not pulling out of anything, okay?

We're going to fulfill the agreement.

We're going to make the event.

-You think you're better than me? -[Saber] I have an agreement

with Mr. Kaplan here that is legally binding.

-Willie. Willie. Stop it. -Get out of here!

I don't need you to do anything for me.

[Sandy] I was mostly fine after I stopped fighting.

But you know, if I didn't have this,

a lot of things would be different now.

I know I would have had many more fights

and many more victories.

[interviewer] You were saying about Willie Pep.

Well, Willie...

I respect Willie as a man,

and I respect Willie as a fighter.

But I beat Willie Pep, three out of four fights.

I beat him good.

And Pep was the greatest featherweight ever.

How is that?

I always wondered.

[crowd cheering]

[boxing bell rings]

I made a career of making guys miss.

You know, look like amateurs.

That night against Saddler, that was different.

He took the one thing that no one could ever take from me.

My title.

My title.

[Gore] Listen to me. You can't run.

Give him everything you've got, Willie, you hear?

Everything! You have no choice.

[crowd cheering]

For the first time in my career, I tell you...

I really wanted to hurt the other guy.

[crowd cheering]

And I was ready to die in that ring.

-Or kill. -[boxing bell rings]

[announcer] And the winner, by unanimous decision,

hailing from Hartford Connecticut...

Willie Pep!

[crowd cheering]

-How's everybody doing? -[announcer] He will become the first

featherweight to ever regain a lost title!

[crowd chanting] Willie Pep! Willie Pep! Willie Pep!

-Here's the new champ! -Willie Pep! Willie Pep!

[dramatic sting playing on TV]

[man on TV] She wouldn't move.

She just sat there and sat there...

[inaudible dialogue]

[woman] Your family would like you to join them in his room.

Guglielmo.

Hey, Pop.

You remember Doncho?

He was a big kid.

He took my shoeshine stand

and I came home crying and you...

You smacked me around a little bit, and you said...

You said I had a choice.

I either fight him

or I fight you.

I'll tell you, that was one of the easiest choices

I ever made in my life.

I was so scared, Pop.

But Salvatore Papaleo's son...

He had to fight.

And I did.

And it turns out I was a good one.

[sobbing] I'm sorry, Pop, I'm so sorry.

I'm sorry. I love you.

I'm just angry. I love you.

-How you doing? -I'm okay.

Thank you, really.

[Gore] Hey, Mrs. Papaleo.

I'm very sorry for your loss. He was a good fella.

-It's good seeing you. -[Willie] He's an embarrassment.

[Fran] He's gonna either wind up dead or in jail.

What do you do? Put my own son in an institution?

Do me a favor, watch your dress.

-It's hiking up. -[Fran] You want some water?

Pull it down even more.

Thank you.

Hey. Billy, sit up.

We got people here, sit up. I said, sit up now.

You need a glass of water or something?

Why don't you guys eat something. There's food.

[Gore] Marino's coming to town next week.

-[Willie] Who? -Mike Marino.

I told you about him. He runs fighters down in Miami.

Oh. Uh...

I'm closing the gym.

Yeah. It's sucking the lifeblood out of me.

[chuckles] I...

I'm sick of paying rent, and to tell you the truth,

there's not one damn fighter there who's worth anything so...

I'm gonna head south myself, warm up in the Tampa sunshine.

Tell you the truth, I'm kind of looking forward to it.

That's my future.

Maybe you should focus on your future while you still got one.

Do yourself-- do us both a favor, Willie.

-Meet with Marino, talk to him. -[Fran] He needs help.

I gotta go, Bill.

Yeah.

-Get up, Billy, come on. -Come on, honey.

-Come on, honey. Get up. -Let's go to bed, buddy.

-[Fran] It's time to get up. -Get off me.

-Get off me! -It's all right. It's all right.

-Jesus Christ. -Let's get you to bed.

You'll be all right.

[Linda] Hey, Willie?

Hey.

Can we be alone for a minute?

What is it?

What is it, Linda? You can tell me. It's fine.

I had an audition last week.

You didn't tell me that.

Willie, you know I went to New York.

Yeah, but you didn't say--

Yeah, well, you didn't ask.

I didn't know I had to.

I got the part.

Well, that's good.

That's good, right? I mean...

That's what you wanted, so...

-Congrats. -I wanted to tell you days ago,

but then your father died, and I...

I have to be back in New York for rehearsals.

It's a traveling show. We start in a couple of weeks.

Yeah...

-Traveling, huh? -Yeah.

When are you leaving? You know, we should...

We should discuss this because we're married.

I gotta do this, Willie.

I've seen you act.

I've seen you try.

You're not really an actress.

Don't do that, Willie. Don't.

Absolutely not.

How long are you gonna be gone?

I don't know yet.

But that doesn't matter, Willie.

You lived your dream.

And you had your chance.

And now this is mine.

Well, good luck with your chance.

[bell rings]

[man over PA] 7:46, Hartford Express to New York,

now arriving on Track 2.

Good morning.

[interviewer] Do you know where Willie is?

[in Italian]

[thudding]

[Willie] You guys just can't get enough, huh?

I didn't agree to all this.

All this personal stuff.

That wasn't part of the deal.

'Cause you said this is like a "Where Is He Now" type thing.

Upbeat. Positive.

Supposed to help my career, not hurt it.

You dragged my family...

My family!

-[interviewer] Willie, listen. -I'm done.

I'm done.

You think you're doing the right thing.

And it doesn't work out.

I never said no to a fight.

So, they never stopped asking.

I was always leaving my family for the road.

Living the high life.

All the money I spent.

The women.

And gambling.

I got run out of New York.

Linda wanted to stay, but...

I owed everybody in town.

How's that?

And I'm losing my damn son.

I regret taking the kids from their mother.

So, here I am.

Same old dirty gym.

So, now what?

Now what?

I'm hoping I can find Billy.

And when I find him...

I hope he's doing the right thing.

I appreciate that, thank you. Have a good day, all right?

Stay out here.

I'm looking for someone.

[soul music playing on speakers]

[man] Bathroom's for customers only.

[woman] Someone's in the wrong bar.

All right. Hey, sugar.

What are you doing busting into my place of business, brother?

-Did you sell my son this junk? -Whoa, whoa!

-Did you sell him...? -Hold on! Hold on, chief!

If I catch you near my kid again!

-Billy. -Hold on, he still owes!

Hey. Get that shit out of your hand.

Billy. Bill!

Get up. Get up.

Is this what you do, huh?

Let's get you out of here.

[man] Leave the kid alone.

This is not my son!

You understand me?

I'm gonna help you, Billy.

Let's go. Let's go.

Follow me.

Hold on!

-What's going on here? -[Willie] Nothing to see here!

[patrons clamoring]

Nothing to see here.

Mind your business.

There ain't no problem. Mind your business.

-Get out of my way! -Get your hands off me.

I'm not going to let you be this way, Billy, you understand me?

I'm not gonna allow it.

Get in the car. I'm getting you home.

Get in the car.

Enough with that thing. Get the hell out of here!

[crackling]

-[interviewer] Okay. We're good? -[man] Yeah, we're rolling.

[interviewer] Willie, hey. Yeah, we're recording now.

-Can you hear us still? -[Willie over phone] Yeah, hey, thanks, fellows.

-[interviewer] Hey, champ. -[Willie] Listen.

I know the last time we filmed,

things got a little out of hand.

[interviewer] Look, we completely understand.

-Honestly, I didn't-- -[Willie] Okay.

We don't need to talk about it.

Now listen to me.

I've got a plan. I think we film a little bit more.

And it's gonna be good, good for your picture,

-I tell you that. All right? -Okay.

Can you meet tomorrow? 9 o'clock?

Willie!

It's Mike.

Hundred and ten a week, plus 10% of the purses.

I got a place for you to lay your head.

I'm not gonna lie,

it's not the Plaza Hotel.

And the kid?

Oh, Italian-American kid from Pittsburgh.

Street kid, been through some stuff. You know the type.

I mentioned you to him. His face lit up. You had to see this kid.

That's good. I'm glad he remembers who I am.

-Young kid. -Oh, he knows who you are.

I'm in.

-What? -I'm in.

-Fantastic! -I'd like to work with the kid.

Sounds like a nice opportunity.

Now, Mike, look, there's one more thing.

What?

The cash is fair. It's fair.

But if I can make a few extra bucks...

-[stammers] Can I just stop you? -Go ahead.

It's really, honestly, the best I can do on the money.

I get it. Listen, hear me out.

I'd like a fight.

And I was hoping that you'd put me on one of your cards.

-You'd like a fight? -I'd like a fight.

Thank you.

Thank you.

[laughs]

-This your plan the whole time? -No, not at all, you know.

It's just that if I'm gonna give this young fighter what he needs,

-I gotta get what I need, right? -Yeah.

-I need a fight. -I need a trainer.

You got one. You have my word.

You got that.

You need to sell your fights, right?

-It helps. -Of course it helps.

A Willie Pep comeback.

If you can't sell that...

[chuckles]

I tell ya, I'd pay to see that.

-Tell me we got a deal. -Oh, yeah, we got a deal.

[Mike laughs]

[man] Here they are.

[man] Been waiting quite a while.

[Bob] Yeah, I thank you for your patience.

I appreciate that.

A lot of history in these gloves.

Haven't been worn since he took them off that night.

[man] I appreciate it very much.

[Bob] Absolutely. I want you to meet Willie.

Willie.

Come on over here.

I have a line on other items.

If there's anything else that you're interested in,

even if I don't have a connection to it,

-I can... -Absolutely.

Hey, Willie, how are you? Here, stand up.

This is Willie Pep himself.

[in Italian]

[in Italian]

-[in English] I'll be outside. -They're in good hands.

[in Italian]

[groans]

To meet the man that wore these gloves.

He's really something, isn't he?

The gloves are sitting there, they're just collecting dust.

So, our deal is 30% on anything over $1,000,

but I only took 20% 'cause I know how much those gloves meant to you.

Thanks, Bob.

I'm not looking to get rich here.

That's nice of you.

All right, well... [groans]

-All right, champ. -All right.

Enjoy yourself down there in Florida.

Yeah.

-I will. -Soak up that sun.

[Willie chuckles]

-Hey, Bob. -Yeah?

You're fired.

No, you don't. No, I quit.

-I fired you first. -I quit. No, no, no, son of a bitch.

-I fired him first! -You get that?

No, I'm not fired, I quit. I quit.

Now listen, this is going to be good for you.

We're gonna get through this.

I'm gonna be there for you.

So, it's 45 days in.

And the evaluation?

Make sure you take in my son.

All right, this place comes highly recommended.

It's been very tough for him.

All right? I love you.

That's right, get your pack.

[live music playing]

It's a revival of Happy Hunting,

and I am playing the role of Beth, the daughter.

The whole thing has been incredible.

I am learning so much. The cast is amazing.

It's all been just dreamy.

-[woman] Five minutes to places. -Thank you, five!

[interviewer] So, have you talked to Willie?

No.

But...

I want the best for him.

I really do.

Hey, could you...

Please tell him that I said that, okay?

Thank you.

-Wish me luck. -[interviewer] Break a leg.

[audience applauding]

[poignant music playing]

[music stops]

[interviewer] Thanks for sitting down with us again.

Hey.

-It's my pleasure. -How you been doing?

Been a lot better than when you were here last.

Um, you know, that was...

I hit rock bottom at the funeral, and...

My family had to see that, and...

Yeah, but I've been clean now for four months.

And I feel so much better. I was so sick.

Have you been talking to your father at all?

Yeah, here and there. I mean, you know, um...

He's pretty busy, and I don't want to bother him.

But he'll call, like, once a month maybe, just check in.

Yeah, it sounds like he's doing well in Florida.

Yeah, I might even go visit him at some point, you know.

We've talked about it, so...

[Sexteto Habanero's "Cómo está Miguel" playing]

[group singing in Spanish]

[man] Willie, where have you been?

I've been around, just trying to make a living.

You know, get through the day.

It's a far cry from being champ,

but I guess that's life, right?

I've had 231 professional fights.

Two hundred and thirty-one professional fights.

That's a lot of fights.

But I'm okay. I'm all right.

Until I hear a bell.

Don't ring any bells. [chuckles]

But really, how you feeling, champ?

I feel good. I feel real good. Actually, I feel great.

[Lee] Willie will be the first boxer ever to fight

after being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Willie Pep was the greatest.

He's a once-in-a-lifetime.

It isn't hard to understand the man.

He's simple in the best way.

That's why he had so much success.

He's a fighter.

Period.

[chanting] Willie Pep! Willie Pep!

[man] Sound speeds. Mark.

[Gore] Well, I advised against it.

I didn't want him to fight again, but...

His decision.

I want the best for Willie. Always did, I always will.

'Cause that kid, he worked his ass off

for everything he ever got.

He's earned everything he ever got.

You gotta respect that, right?

Here.

[chuckles]

Happy days, huh?

Yep.

I'm fighting this guy named McKeever. You ever hear of him?

He's a little green, right?

Impressive record.

[Willie] Yeah? What's his record?

-Two and seven. -[Willie] Oh, wow.

Impressive.

That's an impressive record.

I'm gonna enjoy it for what it is.

It's another fight, it's another payday.

Right?

The 232nd payday of Willie Pep.

How's that for your title?

It's got a nice ring to it.

Get it? "Ring"? He got it.

-Did you get it, Chickee? -I got it.

The 232nd payday of Willie Pep.

I like that.

Look.

Pop had this stashed in the basement.

[interviewer] So, how do you wanna be remembered?

Get a good shot of it.

I'd like to be remembered

as the fighter

who left a legacy bigger than himself.

Willlie Pep.

I think I pulled it off.

[man] Showtime, boys.

Let's walk.

Ain't it beautiful?

-All right, let's go. -Go get him, champ.

[crowd chanting] Willie Pep! Willie Pep! Willie Pep!

Willie Pep! Willie Pep! Willie Pep! Willie Pep!

Go get him.

Willie Pep! Willie Pep!

Willie Pep! Willie Pep! Willie Pep!

Willie Pep! Willie Pep! Willie Pep!

Willie Pep! Willie Pep! Willie Pep! Willie Pep!

Willie Pep!

[cheering]

Willie Pep! Willie Pep!

Willie Pep! Willie Pep! Willie Pep!

Willie Pep! Willie Pep!

[boxing bell rings]

[Lou Reed's "Heroin" playing]

♪ I know just ♪

♪ Where I'm going ♪

♪ I'm gonna try ♪

♪ For the kingdom, if I can ♪

♪ 'Cause it makes me feel That I'm a man ♪

♪ When I put the spike Into my vein ♪

♪ Then you know Things aren't quite the same ♪

♪ When I'm rushing From my run ♪

♪ And I feel Just like Jesus' son ♪

♪ And I guess That I just don't know ♪

♪ And I guess That I just don't know ♪

♪ I have made The big decision ♪

♪ I'm gonna nullify my life ♪

♪ 'Cause when the blood Begins to flow ♪

♪ When it squirts up The dropper's neck ♪

♪ And the smack Goes and hits my blood ♪

♪ When I'm closing in On death ♪

♪ And my head begins to grow ♪

♪ You can't help me Not you girls ♪

♪ Or you guys With all your talk ♪

♪ You can all go take a walk ♪

♪ And I guess That I just don't know ♪

♪ And I guess That I just don't know ♪

[inaudible dialogue]

♪ I wish that ♪

♪ I lived a hundred years ago ♪

[cheering]

♪ I wish that I'd sailed The darkened seas ♪

♪ On a great Big clipper ship ♪

♪ From this land here to that ♪

♪ In a sailing suit and cap ♪

♪ Away from the big city ♪

♪ Where a man cannot be free ♪

♪ From all the evils Of this town ♪

♪ Himself and those around ♪

♪ I wish I traveled All around ♪

♪ And I guess That I just don't know ♪

♪ And I guess I just don't know ♪

♪ Heroin ♪

♪ Is gonna be the death of me ♪

♪ Heroin ♪

♪ Is my wife and it's my life ♪

♪ 'Cause I main it Through my vein ♪

♪ Leads to a center In my head ♪

♪ Then I'm better off Than dead ♪

♪ When that smack bud's Starting to flow ♪

♪ Then I really Don't care no more ♪

♪ About those Jim-Jims In this town ♪

♪ And the animals Making sounds ♪

♪ People selling people Pound by pound ♪

♪ And the politicians And the clowns ♪

♪ And the do-gooders With their frowns ♪

♪ Dead bodies piling down ♪

♪ While that heroin Is in my blood ♪

♪ And that blood is in my head ♪

♪ And thank God I'm as good as dead ♪

♪ And thank God I'm not aware ♪

♪ And thank God That I don't care ♪

♪ And I guess That I just don't know ♪

♪ And I guess That I just don't know ♪

[song ends]

[pop ballad playing]

♪ Cold wind Stay away from me ♪

♪ Cold wind Stay away from my heart ♪

♪ There was a time ♪

♪ When I didn't mind ♪

♪ A time when everyone Seemed kind ♪

♪ There was a time When my love was blind ♪

[vocalizing]

♪ Cold wind ♪

♪ Stay away from me ♪

♪ Cold wind ♪

♪ Stay away from me ♪

[vocalizing]

[song ends]

[interviewer] All right. Say "Good night, champ."

[Willie] Good night, champ.