Original subtitles

♪ ♪

Arliss (narrating): For most of us,

the dream of becoming a champion,

remains a fantasy,

But for a special few,

it is very much a reality.

We cheer them,

we live through them.

Athletes are our last warriors.

My job is to make their dreams come true.

(water splashes)

My name is Arliss Michaels,

I represent athletes,

these are my stories.

♪ Don't know what it is that makes me love you so ♪

♪ I only know I never wanna let you go ♪

♪ 'Cause you started something oh, can't you see ♪

♪ That ever since we met you had a hold on me ♪

♪ It happens to be true ♪

♪ I only wanna be with you ♪

♪ I just wanna be beside you everywhere ♪

♪ As long as we're together, honey, I don't care ♪

♪ 'Cause you started something oh, can't you see ♪

♪ That ever since we met you had a hold on me ♪

♪ No matter what you do ♪

♪ I only wanna be with you ♪

Arliss (narrating): The media constantly bombards us

with negative stories about athletes.

We don't hear enough about athletes

that lead normal, happy lives.

Photographer: Alright, Bianca snuggle up there with your husband.

Great.

You can see who wears the trunks in the family.

Yeah, don't you forget it.

You know, Ivory looks a little better with some overhead light

like he's in the ring, huh?

Can you work with me, sport? That'd be good.

Hey Kirb, when is Oscar gonna fight me, huh?

Don't worry, Arliss is working on it.

Oscar, when are you going to fight Ivory Ortega?

I'm not even thinking about Ivory Ortega.

Obocar's my next fight.

But this will be the biggest non-heavyweight fight ever.

Are you ducking this guy?

I never duck nobody.

I mean, it would be huge fight.

But my people and I are not thinking about it.

De la Hoya/Ortega?

The richest fight in welterweight history.

Okay, great, listen, we've got one more commitment with HBO.

Then we can set up "The Brawl in the Fall."

You got a deal, but if your boy loses, fight's off.

Lose? Lose? My boy's not gonna lose.

How do you know?

Because he's fighting Tomate DeCannes.

(speaking French)

The Ivory Ortega/Tomate DeCannes fight is a farce.

- (speaks French) - Al: Ortega will knock him out

Before they get finished playing "Le Marseilles."

Tomate DeCannes is not in the same league with Ivory Ortega.

Mickey Rourke fought him to a draw, for godsake.

Hey!

Ivory Ortega is a great fighter.

But it's a mismatch.

Oh, man, now, that'll be a big fight.

Arliss (narrating): We hear too many stories of glitz and glamor

and not enough homespun yarns

of real people from real places

with simple hopes and simple dreams.

♪ Fly me to the moon ♪

♪ Let me play among the stars ♪

♪ Let me see what... ♪

Arliss (narrating): Why are stories so negative?

Because the new journalism thrives on sensationalism

and titillation.

Reporters once hungered for honest copy.

I miss the inked-stained wretch.

Buddy Polk! Lord of the Underwood!

Look, it's all the cholesterol you can eat,

so don't hold back, Buddy, don't hold back.

Arliss, how do you get all these people to fork over money

to watch a train wreck?

Ortega's gonna kill Pepe Le Pew.

What are you talking about?

Tomate DeCannes' known as the toughest guy in France.

Sure, that's like saying the Cookie Monster

is the toughest Muppet!

- Good line. - I should steal that.

Arliss, I'm gonna hit the tables,

I'm feeling lucky tonight.

Yeah, yeah.

Hey, Arliss, can I write in my column

that you and Aarom have struck a deal with Ortega and De la Hoya

to fight here at Mandalay Bay?

No, no, you can't write that.

It's true, isn't it?

You didn't ask me if it's true.

You asked me if you could write it.

(both laugh)

Besides, I haven't closed Mandalay Bay's deal yet.

And you can't write that either.

No, no, seriously.

Arliss, I need a favor.

Sure.

Arliss!

My dear friend.

Tony Ferullo in the flesh.

How's the Casanova of casino owners?

You know Ringo.

(knuckles cracking)

Uh, sure, so, uh, tell me,

what brings the owner of Ferullo's Diamond Wheel Casino to Mandalay Bay?

To say hello to my old friend.

And to talk a little business.

Uh-huh.

Uh, Buddy, would you excuse us, please?

♪ Fly me to the moon ♪

♪ Let me play among the stars ♪

I love you, Frankie!

Well, hello, Rita.

Hey, Rita, I want to thank you for putting together this party.

This is the first time he's taken me out

since he started training for the fight.

Oh, that's a low blow.

Deduct one point here!

Great band, huh?

The number one Rat Pack impersonators on the strip.

In fact, the Sammy impersonator is so authentic,

he even has a glass eye.

♪ Oh ♪

♪ Baby, kiss me ♪

(watch beeping)

- (groans) - No, please don't go yet, it's only 10:00.

Mi amor, you know the rules.

- Yeah, but we just started... - No, no buts, mami.

I'll see you tomorrow night after my win.

You just stay and enjoy yourself with Rita.

Okay?

- Bye, Rita. - Bye, Ivory.

I hate it when he fights.

Oh, I can understand.

The thought of having your husband beaten senseless.

No, the thought of having no sex.

That really happens?

I thought it was an old wives' tail.

No sex makes all wives old.

He hasn't touched me in three months.

Three months?

The night before the fight

he won't even sleep in the same room with me.

Three months?!

Mm-hmm.

No wonder he beats the shit out of everyone.

Girlfriend, you need a drink.

Oh yeah, bring it on.

I think I will have one with you.

Okay, for sure.

Arliss, we've done fights together for years.

- I know. - Why are you gonna have the De la Hoya/Ortega here

- And not at my casino? - Anthony, times have changed.

These big new hotels have deep pockets.

Arliss, I can pay you $10 million.

Yeah, but right here at the beautiful Mandalay Bay

they'll pay me $20 million.

I can't produce that kind of money, Arliss.

That's what I mean.

But, here's what we can do.

Kirby: Well, I got three of those.

- And two of those. - Man: Crap.

(indistinct grumbling)

(chuckles)

(taps table)

(cash register clanking)

Oh, it's one of those nights, Jamal.

I can feel it in my bones.

Listen, Kirby I don't even like gambling.

Let's go see Cirque du Soleil.

I didn't come to Las Vegas to go see Siegfried and Roy.

Okay, then let's go dancing.

We can do Jamal Anderson's dirty bird.

I don't think so.

No, I'm not budging, I'm on a roll.

Okay, who's the next victim?

Man: I will play.

(gong rings)

What's going on?

Why is everybody splitting?

Because that's the bettin' Tibetan.

(gong rings)

The bettin' Tibetan, huh?

Nobody beats the bettin' Tibetan.

Is that so? Hello, Dolly.

I understand you're known as the bettin' Tibetan.

What about it?

Well, I'm betting that the bettin' Tibetan is about to be beaten.

(gong rings)

Your bet.

Tony, $20 million is $20 million.

But I can get things done in this town, Arliss.

These other casinos, they're run by corporations.

Me, I know where the bodies are buried.

Hey, you need Hoover Dam shut down,

I can turn the faucet, Arliss.

Tony, I wish I could help.

I really, really do.

Let me make it up to you.

Be my guest for the fight tomorrow night, okay?

Arliss.

Buddy, would you excuse me one second? Not now.

Arliss, we have history.

Let's have a future.

One more time.

(men groaning)

Oops. (honks)

The bettin' Tibetan is going to bed.

Well, don't let the bedbugs bite.

♪ When you're alone and life is making you lonely ♪

♪ You can always go ♪

All: ♪ Downtown ♪

Arliss (narrating): Athletes are the embodiment of the American dream.

Every day someone's dream comes true.

♪ Downtown ♪

(phone rings)

Hold.

Relax, Al, it's gonna happen.

But Arliss, I'm working without a deal in place.

Trust me, Al Bernstein will be broadcasting boxing from ringside

well into the next millennium.

Hey, you saw what happened to Brent and Kurt,

sooner or later they throw you overboard.

Look, I'll have total control over the Ortega/De la Hoya fight,

that means on-air talent approval, so relax.

Hey, I just don't want to end up doing ping-pong from Da Nang.

Ah, trust me, you'll be ringside!

I'm counting on you.

(chuckling)

Hello there, Arliss.

Buddy.

How are you?

Look, I really got to talk to you.

One second.

Rita, where the hell's Kirby?

Will you lower your voice? Bianca is sleeping.

Still?

It's almost 6:00 PM.

Well, we had a few...

She had a late night last night.

Arliss, I need a favor.

You got it. Rita!

Call Kirby and have him escort Ivory to his dressing room now.

I need a pre-fight interview with Ivory.

An exclusive.

Today? Impossible.

C'mon, throw me a bone.

Arliss, who wrote all those puff pieces for you

when your boy was golden gloves, huh?

Oh, Buddy, that's not fair.

You're like all the others.

It's just about TV now.

An athlete won't even talk to you

unless you got the camera rolling.

Ah, Buddy, people love reading your column.

Yeah, well, my newspaper's cutting back.

And I am first in line for a buy-out.

Aw, Buddy, I'd love to help you. I...

Five minutes alone with Ivory.

I need an impact story.

Arliss, I'm begging you.

Rita.

Put Buddy Polk's name on the dressing room list.

Buddy.

Thanks.

(straining) Oh, uh, this just came for you.

It's from Anthony Ferullo.

"Good luck tonight at the Mandalay

"even better luck next time

at the Anthony Ferullo Diamond Wheel Casino."

Yeah, well, unless there's $20 million worth of chips in this,

the Diamond Wheel is shit out of luck.

(metallic rattling)

Okay, okay, shh!

Quiet, quiet.

Quietly.

Time for Tomate to go d-o-w-n!

Down, down, down!

You got it! Splat!

Splat!

Hey, Kirb, have you seen Bianca?

When I train we don't spend much time together.

And that sucks. I really...

You know what? Go see her right now.

Get a good luck kiss.

See Bianca on the day of a fight?

I don't know, Kirb. That's bad luck.

Bullshit, I mean, this is a fight,

it's not your wedding day.

I don't know, Kirby.

You're an 11 to one favorite, and you know what?

I am putting 100 large on you,

and you know why?

Because you got the goods.

- I got the goods. - You got the goods!

Yeah! Fuck tradition!

You want to see your wife, you go see your wife!

You're gonna kick his ass. Because?

I got the goods.

- Because you got the goods! - You got the goods!

- That's right! You the man! - I got the goods.

(yelling indistinctly)

You got the goods!

You can do it!

C'mon, you're Mandalay Bay.

You could figure out a way to make it $20 million.

Hell, you figured out a way to put a tidal wave in your lobby, didn't you?

Bianca. The undercard has started.

Oh.

(Kirby and Ivory talking)

Who's got the goods, huh? Who's got the goods?

- What the hell... What's going on? - Oh, shit.

What are you doing here?

I came by to see Bianca.

Uh, but Ivory, um, you're breaking tradition.

Kirby: Fuck tradition.

He's got the goods.

(knocking)

Bianca, your husband is here.

It's bad luck to see her, you could lose tonight.

Yeah, right.

He's fighting Marcel Marceau.

Will you let the man see his wife?

Yeah, let me see my wife.

Do you mind? No, not you, not you.

Say $20 million and we'll close.

Ivory's coming in right now.

Ivory, what a surprise.

Are you just getting up?

Arliss: And we'll have Bernstein...

What's up with you?

Nothing.

(chuckles) This is Las Vegas.

Who sleeps at night?

Yeah.

I had to see you.

Your heart is beating so fast.

I'm excited to see you.

I was drunk, let me explain...

- (exclaims) - (yelps)

- (Bianca gasps) - Oh my God.

- How can you betray me? How could you betray me? - Rita: Bianca!

Guys, I'll have to get back to you.

(indistinct yelling)

Get him out of here.

Who is he? I'll kill him.

Who the fuck is he?!

Who is he?

(indistinct shouting)

Arliss: Stay there!

- It's alright, it's alright, shh. It's okay. - (crying)

(shouting)

Hey, Arliss, your guy looks pretty good there.

- Buddy, we can't do this right now. - Arliss, you promised.

I know, I'll make it up to you, Buddy.

- Kirby, let's get Buddy something to eat. - I gotta place my bet!

Kirby, get him the hell out of here.

Let's go to the press buffet. Come on.

What the hell's going on in there?

Oh, man, what a mess.

I mean, you wouldn't believe what Ivory just did.

Why? What happened?

What happened?

Well, c'mon, Kirb, it's me.

If I find out who was with my wife, I'm gonna kill him, Arliss.

I'm gonna kill him with my bare hands.

I swear! (speaks Spanish)

Now, I'm not positive, but that Tomate DeCannes guy

was checking out Bianca at the weigh-in.

Oh, you know the French, they think every woman's theirs.

Yeah, well, that cabron is a dead man.

He's a dead man!

He's a dead man, you got the goods!

Guerrilla warfare! Guerrilla warfare!

(phone rings)

He's a dead man! You got the goods.

(phone rings)

Arliss Michaels.

Arliss, did you close the deal with Mandalay Bay?

I was just about to when an emergency came up.

But consider it done, Bob, $20 million.

We're getting $20 million.

That's great, but Ortega better win tonight.

Trust me, Tomate DeCannes is French toast, bye.

(chuckling)

(sobbing)

What is it? What's the matter?

(sobbing)

I struck her, my Bianca.

The woman I love more than anything.

It was in the heat of the moment, you were angry.

Remember that anger? Get that anger back!

Get it back!

I was wrong.

You never hit a woman.

What the hell did you do to my fighter?

Nothing, it was a game of Twister gone bad, that's all.

Get that anger back, get it back! (growls)

Hey, I took care of Buddy, don't worry, he's happy.

(sobbing)

What happened?

What? Cup too tight?

We're in big trouble. I gotta find a way to delay the fight.

Delay the fight? For how long?

I don't know, an hour, maybe a couple of weeks.

Well, why? Ivory is not gonna lose to Tomate.

(French music playing)

Tomate! Yeah! Good luck. Come on!

Zut alors!

(muttering in French)

I still think Ivory can take him.

(sobbing)

Sacre bleu!

We are up mad creek.

The fight... I'm gonna bet.

You know, I gotta go.

Kirby.

You just showed up?

Anthony Ferullo, I've been looking all over for you.

We need to talk.

Ladies, will you excuse me?

Woman #1: Sure, Anthony.

I got a problem.

I need you to prove to me that you're a man

who can get things done in this town.

Arliss, in Vegas there are no problems...

only solutions.

Solutions.

$50,000 on Tomate DeCannes at 11 to one.

Oh, I'm sorry, all wager's closed on the main event.

No!

No, Bettin'!

Ortega versus DeCannes.

I'll take the frog.

Straight up.

How much?

50 large.

Hello, again, I'm Jim Lampley.

We welcome you to the Mandalay Bay Hotel

for this boxing telecast.

I'm here along with my ringside partner, Al Bernstein.

And, Al, on paper, a mismatch.

Al: Well, the burden of proof here is definitely on DeCannes.

We know what Ortega can produce when he's at his best.

What about DeCannes? He's never been in this big fight atmosphere before.

We'll see what he has to offer.

Let's go to the ring announcer to set it up.

(bell dings)

Announcer: Please welcome,

a man who is one part Jake LaMotta,

one part Charles de Gaulle,

"The French connection,"

(French music playing)

Tomate DeCannes!

(crowd booing)

And now...

the pride of El Segundo,

the man of La Mancha,

the man of the moment,

the unbeaten, undisputed

- champion of the world... - (clicks tongue)

Smooth as Ivory Ortega!

- (Spanish music playing) - (crowd applauds)

Lampley: He seems strange here, Al.

Ortega doesn't look himself tonight.

You know, Jim, Tomate looks very focused.

I think we could have an upset.

Arliss (narrating): I'm personally tired of reading the negative stories.

We've become too cynical as a society for no reason.

We hear stories of those who look the other way.

But you don't hear enough stories

about the game within the game.

(bell rings)

Lampley: And round one is under way.

(lights clacking)

Whoa!

(electricity buzzes)

(crowd murmuring)

Al: Boy, I hope they don't throw any punches now.

Lampley: Well, they say it's the one you can't see that hurts you.

Arliss (narrating): In this tabloid age, maybe we don't hear more stories

about the good and decent people

because we've become drawn to the sensational.

I, however, cheer those who champion the truth.

Boo. Boo.

A malfunction has cut power to the grid and the backup generators.

And has shut down the whole strip.

Despite the very best efforts of the power company,

it won't be remedied until morning.

Therefore, the bout between Tomate DeCannes and Ivory Ortega

has been rescheduled for two weeks from tonight,

same time, same place, bye.

Hey, Arliss!

(reporters clamoring)

The fight was called off, so the bet's off.

No way.

Fight's still on, bet's still on.

The bet was for the fight tonight!

Got a problem, call the Nevada Gaming Commission.

(snickers)

(laughs)

Looking for a fight?

Looking for my wife.

Oh!

Hey! To Thomas Edison, who brought us light.

- To Anthony Ferullo, who took it away. - (both laugh)

And to the Ortega/De la Hoya championship fight

from the magnificent

Both: Ferullo's Diamond Wheel Casino!

Check out Mr. Grumpy Face.

Hey, what's up with you?

Nothing.

I just bumped into the bettin' Tibetan.

And I made a bad bet.

Oh, snap out of it, you're blowing my high.

Be happy, he's happy.

(laughing)

I'm happy.

They're happy.

So cheer up, come on, I'll take you out to dinner.

Hey, why don't you guys come over to my place?

No, it's alright.

Buddy's treating me to "Nudes on Ice".

Buddy is?

A reporter? Parting with money?

Call Ripley. (laughing)

I helped him with his story.

What story?

What story did you tell him?

What'd you tell him, Kirby?

What did you tell him?

(humming)

"All the power didn't go out in Vegas last night.

"At least not the power in Ivory Ortega's backhand.

"If you don't believe me, ask his wife.

"Was the power outage coincidental?

And what happened to the backup generator?"

You can't write this.

Why not? It's all true, isn't it?

You can't write about something you didn't see.

I have a reliable source.

I hope you don't mean Kirby Carlisle.

He's about as reliable as an NFL official.

The game has changed, Arliss.

It used to be, get it right

and if you happen to get it first, then, that's a good day.

Now it's get it first

and if you happen to be right then that's a good day.

But this is tabloid stuff.

Your readers demand a higher standard from you.

My readers are all dead or in Boca Raton.

Newspapers are a lot like the railroad, Arliss.

Everybody loves to talk about

how swell it is to take the train.

But no one rides one.

So what are you doing?

I'm gonna keep my column.

This story is gonna put me back on the map.

- Buddy... - What the hell are you so worried about?

It ain't gonna interfere with your boy's fight with De la Hoya.

You'll get your big payday.

I don't give a shit about a payday,

I care about two happily married people.

Think about what you're doing here.

Did he hit her?

They both made a mistake.

Hell, they've already made up, it is over.

But if you run this story

he will forever be labeled a wife beater

and she will forever be labeled the cheating wife.

What good is that gonna do anyone?

Buddy, there are people who deserve to have mud slung at 'em.

These two people don't.

Buddy, I'm begging you.

Alright, Arliss.

But you give me something else.

And after a two-week delay

Round One is again underway.

Ivory Ortega in the black trunks

and DeCannes goes down!

Yes!

Tomate DeCannes is being de-counted out.

- There's no get-up in Tomate. - Yes, yes!

And this fight is going to be over.

- Yeah! - (bell ringing)

- Lampley: That's it. - (cheering)

(both cheering, laughing)

Arliss (narrating): Stories about real heroes enlighten us,

bring us together, make us stronger.

Ha!

I will continue to champion the ideals and aspirations

of the noble athlete,

and make sure their stories are told.

And with that, we turn our attention to my new ringside partner,

Mr. Buddy Polk.

Buddy, what do you make of that?

In just 17 seconds,

Ivory Ortega knocks out the toughest man in France.

Yeah, well, that's like saying the Cookie Monster

- is the toughest Muppet. - (laughs)

Good line, Buddy.

Anyway, baby, listen, I'm doing a couple shows tomorrow night,

and I want you to come down...

Excuse me, I believe this is yours.

♪ Fly me to the moon ♪

♪ And let me play among the stars ♪

Arliss (narrating): I refuse to join the course of those who seek

to exploit rather than to illuminate.

I'm reminded of what the great 19th century poet John Keats wrote,

"Beauty is truth, truth, beauty.

"That is all ye know on Earth.

And all ye need to know."

♪ Ooh, baby, kiss me ♪

Jack!

My name is Arliss Michaels.

I represent athletes.

These are my stories.

♪ You are all I long for ♪

♪ All I worship and adore ♪

Hi everybody, I'm Al Bernstein.

Happy to welcome you to beautiful downtown Da Nang.

Where today we bring you

- the Sapporo Masters Ping-Pong Tournament. - (helicopter flying overhead)

The question, which one of these players

will take home the coveted Green Komono?

The excitement here is unbelievable.

Reminiscent to me of the Hagler/Leonard fight

or perhaps the great Muhammad Ali fights

when Tommy Hearns was at his peak.

This folks, is exciting sports action.

♪ ♪

♪ Fill my heart with song ♪

♪ And let me sing forever more ♪

♪ You are all I long for ♪

♪ All I worship and adore ♪

♪ In other words ♪

♪ Please be true ♪

♪ In other words ♪

♪ In other words ♪

♪ I love you ♪