Original subtitles

♪♪

BOOM!

I'm telling you, five days a week in this place is a pain.

Hey, don't tell me, baby.

I've been in here a year.

One year.

You believe this?

Look.

Let me see.

Come on.

What are you going to do with a scale?

Well, come on.

Let's do it.

All right.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Look, Eddie, you cannot run away from the rain, Bobby.

Yeah, all right.

Let's go over there and have a couple beers till it stops.

All right, sounds good to me.

Why the flip you put in first street?

All right, well, you're on.

Then I'm going home.

That's good enough, Hanson.

Oh, what is it?

Tails, I'm sorry.

No, wait a minute.

What is it? Tails.

You don't believe me?

You don't believe me?

What?

Hey!

Have a couple beers down here.

Yo, two beers.

Let's get out of here.

No, man, I want a drink.

Hey, Mac, how about it?

Two beers, huh?

This, uh, gentleman has muscles in his hair, Bobby.

So what?

I want my beer.

Hey, Mac, you hear me?

Look, how many times do I have to say it?

We want two beers down here now!

Now.

Hey, how about us, huh?

Hey, you, look at me when I'm talking to you.

Peace.

Take it easy, boy.

Look, me and my friend, we've been waiting here a long time, okay?

Are you getting the I.D., pal?

Yeah, I got I.D. of this.

Hey, wit, this kid's a real wit.

Come on, let's get out of here.

There's a thousand bars around here.

Stay put.

I like this place.

I like the service and the friendly atmosphere around here.

You better split, pretty boy, while you're still breathing.

Come on, boy, I think you better leave.

Hey!

All right.

That's the way you want it. You'll get it.

Hey, hey, hey!

Now, you pick up that glass, and you take your jigaboo friend,

and the two of you get the hell out of here.

♪ The land that knows no power... ♪

All right, hold it! Hold it!

You look wonderful.

I feel terrific.

Yeah, I can tell.

You blew the job at the plant.

Oh, I gotta tell you, that's like blowing a ticket on to Indenburg.

Funny, real lit.

Yeah? That's what the cops said last night, too.

Exact same thing.

You're just like your father.

Oh, come on, Ma, no ghost stories.

I'm in the can here.

This ain't any too much...

Yeah, well, I know where you are.

Will you talk to him?

He says you'll probably do time.

Time?

Hitting a cop is a felony, Bobby.

I didn't hit a cop.

Oh, I don't remember.

Yeah, I know.

Well, the lawyer says,

see, that he'll...

Well, he'll try and get a friendly judge, you know?

Maybe they can knock it down to a misdemeanor,

maybe try and get a suspended sentence,

but he says that things are tough, you know?

I mean, there's an election coming up.

Nobody wants to look soft on punks.

I'm not a punk.

I'm just telling you what the lawyer said.

Well, if he says I'm a punk,

maybe we ought to get another lawyer, huh?

He didn't say that.

It's just what the newspapers might say.

That's all he's...

All right, I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to yell at you.

What are we doing here arguing about this, huh?

Miss, you're tying us up.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

Thanks for coming down here.

Thanks for getting that lawyer.

Listen.

We're gonna walk right out of that courtroom.

All right, move it out.

Let's go. Come on.

Come on.

Hey, Bobby.

Hey, man.

How you doing?

Lousy.

Yeah.

This is the life, huh?

Yeah.

It's a bunch of bozos in here, man.

It's rough.

You're giving me a hard time, Kirk.

I'm staying out of trouble.

I suggest you do the same.

Hey, man, I'm sorry about all of a sudden.

Yeah, you and me both.

How are your folks taking it?

My sister, she's pretty cool.

My grandmother broke her heart.

My ma's not taking it too well either.

I think she's going to miss me a lot.

Used to have some good times after my old man left.

Well, hold on to your memories, kid.

There's not going to be any good times in here.

Hey, man, take a look around here.

These guys ain't all that tough.

You'll learn.

You let me know if you're giving me a hard time, OK?

OK, kid.

I'm going to see you later.

I got to get back to work.

Hey, Bobby.

I see you.

You don't have to work here, you know.

I could get you something easier.

No, thanks.

You should wise up, boy.

Why?

Look here.

You are what is known as fresh white meat.

And fresh white meat don't do no easy time.

Not looking like you do anyhow.

Now, you can be a duke, a dip, a sweet boy,

or a jailhouse punk.

Or you can do your time in segregation.

Or you can eat here in a pine box, boy.

You don't have to be no dead white meat.

You can be a live white meat, right?

You're live white meat?

I never realized how soft a man was.

Then lost.

Don't be so dumb.

I never realized how soft a man's nose was, either of you!

Get away from her!

Come on.

What's your ID number?

785238.

Okay, you have a visit.

How you doing?

Great.

We're having a good time in here.

Funny.

You look okay. I mean, a little pale, maybe.

Yeah, yeah.

I'm always late for the beach trip, you know.

Funny again.

I'm a million laughs.

Well, uh, you're looking good, Kay.

Real good.

Everything all right at home?

Oh, it's, uh, same.

Almost.

Quit my job.

I was bored.

I'll get another one next week. You know, sales, a waitress thing or something.

You making out?

I'm having a wonderful time, you know.

Just like you.

I mean, I walk through the neighborhood, you know, and people ask where you've been, and I...

Since you went to California...

And I see the smiles, and it makes me feel just...

Terrific.

Why don't you tell them the truth? Tell them I'm in the joint. I don't care.

I care.

What do you want me to say?

Bobby's doing time, Bobby's doing his stretch?

I'm not in here, huh?

I want you out of here! I mean, do you understand?

I mean, it just...

It kills me to see you locked up.

I mean, it just tears me apart. It hurts, Bobby. Do you understand? It hurts.

I don't.

I mean, just acting like you don't care.

I do care! I hate it in here, and I want to get out!

Don't get into trouble.

I won't.

Damn it, Bobby!

Ma, I'm not gonna get in trouble.

I'm not.

Valent?

Yeah.

I hear you're the guy who kissed Big Mooney on the nose.

I also hear you belted out a couple of cops

before you got here.

You hear a lot, don't you?

Yeah, I do.

So I'd like to know if you're as smart as you think you are.

What are you getting at, Thompson?

I run the boxing program here.

Not that it does any good.

But it's a way of hitting someone without getting

tossed in the hole.

You want my man here to box?

You get the brass monkey, pal.

Just what's he got to do?

Fight, if he can.

if he can.

Why, this little pretty blue-eyed devil

here fights better than anyone in the joint.

It's got to be a little of the blood in him,

you know what I mean?

Does this cupcake speak for you?

This cupcake happens to be this young man's manager

and friend.

When he sleeps, I sleep.

When he works, I work.

Yeah, I understand the boy.

I know what makes him tick.

Is that how you both got locked up the same night?

Oh, hey, that was a severe misunderstanding

what happened that night.

It sure was.

Some poor sucker ended up in the hospital for a week.

You want to fight or not?

Well, what's in it for him?

Easy time.

Be at the gym tomorrow afternoon.

3 o'clock sharp.

Both of you.

Cupcake.

I just wanted to get you awake.

Yeah, I'm awake.

Yeah?

Yeah?

Woof, woof, woof.

You're going to do that to me.

Oh, ho, ho, ho, ho.

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, take it easy.

I'm not fighting this guy.

At least you better not be.

He's going to move it.

It's Woody Shaw.

21 pro fights, 19 knockouts.

And he shot up a saloon and killed four guys.

Means he's doing life four times,

and he don't have a smile.

What do you want me to do?

Just get in the wreck.

Here, think you can put that on?

Yeah, I'll figure it out.

I got the word that this guy's pretty rough.

You know him?

Man, nobody knows me.

Just stay out of his way, all right?

What are you doing, Kirk? I can't see a thing.

That's a new way of putting it on.

We like to do it the old way.

Open your mouth.

Tie the strap under his chin.

Don't make it too tight.

You look mean, man.

Time!

I told you it would be brutal.

I was just getting started.

You said you were finished.

Just move with him, Bobby.

Nice and easy, all right?

Nice and cool.

Yeah.

You might try holding your hands up too.

Just keep moving.

Don't worry about it.

Keep moving.

I'm going to nail him.

Just stay out of his way.

That's all.

All right.

Here.

Time.

Keep it right in the face.

Go ahead.

Get through.

That's right.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

Look.

Good, Andrew.

Come on, use the ring.

Take the ring.

All right.

Hey, come on.

All right.

Take it down.

What's the matter with you, Fallon? This ain't the street.

Hey, man, I'm sorry. I didn't know what happened. I just went crazy.

Forget it, man. Go back to your cell.

Well, I blew it.

He's got his mentor, right? I mean, he's got the instinct, don't he?

I mean, he's a banger, right?

Make sure he's back tomorrow.

I've been with Thompson.

He's talking about you, babe.

Yeah?

Gonna train you and everything.

We're gonna do easy time now, Bobby.

Yeah?

Hey, man, everybody is talking about it.

That's respect we got, Bobby, respect.

But, uh, listen, um...

You're gonna have to learn how to control yourself a little bit.

I mean, you don't want to kill anybody.

What's your angle?

The way I see it, you can box us right out of here.

I mean...

Out of here!

Oh no.

There. There.

There!

Yeah.

What time is it?

Why, you going someplace?

It's prison time, Bobby.

No time.

Just forget it.

Hey, you know, we've been in here eight months, 16 days,

and four hours.

I've been keeping track, Kirk.

You can be my personal calendar when we get out.

What do you plan to do when we get out, kid?

I don't know.

Lots of things.

Well, you better start thinking about something.

Thompson says the warden's going to start a boxing program.

That means he's going to be down here, him and all

the guys in the gray suits.

That's the parole board, man.

They see you up there banging away, all white and beautiful,

you know what they're going to start thinking?

What?

They're going to start thinking there

ain't no point in holding that boy to full bit.

No point in holding this pal either, right?

They like it when a guy comes off the joint

and makes a name for himself.

Shows what a good job they did.

Go to jail and learn a trade, huh?

That's it, babe.

That's just what you're doing.

And you like it too, don't you?

What?

Banging those guys, nailing them against the floor, sure.

You like it.

You like the way it feels.

I can see it, Bobby.

I can see it in your eyes.

Even like the smell of the gym, don't you?

The way it stinks?

Get out of here.

Think I'm crazy, huh, Bobby?

Nah, I'm not crazy, kid.

It's the way it's got to be.

Meant to be.

Let's go.

And when you get out of here, what's the one thing

you want for yourself, babe?

I'm not talking about the broads or the bulls

or anything like that.

I mean the real thing.

I don't know.

Ah, come on.

This is Kirk you're talking to, Bobby.

Well, I guess I'd probably like to, you know,

buy a house for my mother, something like that.

It's going to take a ton of money, Bobby boy.

Yeah.

Come on, let's haul this stuff over to the block.

Nah, wait, wait.

Let's finish what we were talking about.

You know, about your old lady and the house and all that?

Look, I'm never going to be able to afford a house.

And you and I are going to be lucky if we can even get a job

when we get out of here.

You're dreaming.

No, Bobby, but money buys the dreams.

Don't you see that money makes the dreams come true?

What are you getting at, huh?

Hey, you're young.

You still got time to grow.

So what?

So what?

So what, you can buy the biggest dream of all, Bobby.

Here we go.

Hey, look at it.

You punch like a mule kicking downhill, right?

You're going to be a heavyweight.

You got the chin.

You got the guts.

But most of all, Bobby, most of all, my blue-eyed friend,

most of all, you're white.

You know what that means, do you, Bobby?

That means, like, you can be the next White Hope.

The White Hope of the Midwest.

White boy gets crowned back from all the jitterbug

niggas of the earth.

And that's the reality, Bobby.

And you got a shot at it.

Heavyweight champion of the world.

Heavyweight champion of the world.

Fallon!

Come here.

I want you to meet Gus Caputo.

Gus runs the Imperial Sporting Club.

This is Kirk, a trainer.

Hello, Kirk.

And this is Bobby Fallon.

How are you?

He's our 82-pounder.

No, you're the kid that's gonna fight my kid, Munoz.

I don't know. Suits me.

Who's that?

He's over there.

Munoz!

Let me see you.

Is that the same Munoz that fought in the gloves last year?

Yeah, I'm saving him for the Olympics.

He wants to be in the pros.

Oh, man.

You trying to psych me out?

I'm not trying to psych you out, kid.

Just answering his question.

What are you doing in here?

Time.

And so what? So do you.

You just go out there and you hit this Munoz with the steak and potatoes, huh?

Just give him the main course. He'll go.

You both know the rules.

Remember, no rabbit punching, no hitting below the belt.

Break when I tell you, and keep the break clean.

All right, shake hands and come out and fight.

Just bust him up, okay? Just bust him in half.

You gotta get off, Bobby. You gotta get off.

What are you trying to pull?

This is an exhibition, right? You know what an exhibition is?

It's the same kind of fight any other fighter.

You use combinations. One, two, one, two.

It's just what you thought.

You're letting him do his thing. Kid, here, want some?

But you got to get off, Bobby.

All right, all right. Just keep moving with him.

All right.

Look here.

Don't be paying no attention to all this child.

He ain't no Muhammad Ali, just a amateur.

Now, when he jab, you bend and hook him.

Hook him hard.

He ain't nothing but a amateur.

Okay?

I'm a little careless. Let me see your eyes.

Damn! What's the matter? What are you talking about?

I'm just getting warmed up, and he goes out like that.

Man, you know, you're some kind of bad.

You're crazy, but you're some kind of bad, Bobby.

That kid act like that all the time?

Yeah. All the time.

Come on!

Try to handle it with the cigarettes.

Okay, Bobby.

Don't be shaking too many hands.

Them hands is your tools.

Yeah. Okay, Woody.

Oh, Woody?

Thanks.

Hey, it's all right.

Did you see that?

It made him smile, Curt.

Did you see that?

Yeah.

Can I talk to you a minute?

Step outside.

Come here.

Yeah?

You fought a good fighter out there today.

Not as good as me.

Don't puff yourself up.

You're not that good, kid.

Oh, yeah?

Well, you tell me who knocked him out, huh?

He beat himself.

He was performing out there.

He wasn't fighting.

Look, when I hit him, he went down, didn't he?

You're mean, aren't you?

Yeah, sometimes.

What are you going to do when you get out of here?

I don't know.

There's a dozen women, 300 beers.

What's it to you?

You're stupid.

I thought you were going to be smarter than what you look.

Club fighters cost a dime.

You want to be a fighter when you get out of here?

Look me up.

You don't look like much of a human being,

but then who knows?

On my feet all day, carrying that slop around.

I'll tell you about me.

When I saw that kitchen,

I mean, I didn't care if the meals were for free.

I mean, I couldn't eat there.

So you just quit, huh?

Yeah.

Because the restaurant had lousy food?

Uh...

The boss, you know, was pretty fast with the hands, you know.

He thought all the waitresses were up for free grabs, so...

I let him have it good.

Yeah, I'll bet you he did.

What are you gonna do now?

I'll find something else.

Yeah. You seeing anybody?

What do you mean?

You going out with anyone?

Bobby. I mean, I can't stay home all the time. I go nuts.

Yeah.

Who are you going out with?

Just, uh...

I mean, guys, I mean, you know,

sometimes for dinner, for drinks. I mean, nothing special.

Who are they?

Nobody you know.

Well, what do they do?

They have, uh...

They have jobs. They work.

You know? I mean, I told you.

Nothing special.

Yeah?

What's the matter?

Nothing.

Well, what do you expect me to do?

I mean, it's no fun being alone.

Do whatever you want to do.

Hey, Bobby.

Listen, it might be a better idea

if you didn't come up here anymore.

You know, it might be a hell of a lot easier on me.

I'm gonna get you.

Hey, Bobby.

Bobby?

You sleep?

I got some news.

What? They making Kirk the warden?

Well, they're letting you out.

Both of you.

-$%&!

Good morning.

Want a ride?

Get in.

Listen, Mr. Caputo, I know why you bothered coming up here.

Listen, I didn't come up here for a negotiation.

I came up here to get you two bums back to Chicago

without an arrest.

You got questions, okay.

One, I'm not a cop.

Two, I'm not a queer.

Three, there ain't no three.

What are you then?

I'm a sucker for kids who can punch with the left hand.

♪♪

Is this it? This is where you live?

Yeah, my grandmother does.

I'm staying with her until I can get on my feet.

Uh-huh.

Well, thanks, Mr. Caputo.

That's okay.

♪

Well, I'll see you, kid.

Yeah.

Keep in touch, huh?

See you.

Hey, partner.

Pretty good fighters live around here.

Yeah?

Lulu Perez.

Lulu Perez? Who's that?

He was a pretty good little featherweight.

Came out of the amateurs in 56.

Classy boxer.

That's nice.

Every once in a while, he even knocked a guy out.

Well, here we are.

Thanks for the ride.

What are you gonna do now?

I'm gonna go to the beach.

Well, here we are. Thanks for the ride.

What are you gonna do now?

I don't know.

I guess I'll look for a job, you know?

There's work around if you look for it.

I thought you wanted me to be a fighter.

What I want doesn't matter. It's what you want.

Why'd you come up there to meet us? What's your angle?

I have no angle.

I'm, um, looking for potential.

What do you want from me? You want me to be a fighter?

I'm already a fighter. You understand?

You're not a fighter. You're a bum.

You're an Irish bum.

Guys who fight in saloons are bums.

You got saloon written all over your face.

Now, I think I could do something with you.

I think I could make a fighter out of you.

I don't know if you've got the character.

I don't know if you've got the heart.

I don't know if you'd get scared the first time you get hit.

Maybe you're too much of a bum and you can't change.

But if you could change,

I think I could make something out of you.

There are no guarantees.

I'll let you know. I still got that little card you gave me.

Just don't do me any favors.

Who the hell are you?

Who the hell are you?

Open the door, Tommy. That's my son.

Oh, oh, here, here.

Come on.

Bobby, you're home.

Come on in.

You're out. I mean, why didn't you let me know?

Well, it happened so fast, I didn't even know myself.

Sit.

Uh, Charlie, we'd like to talk.

Charlie's all right.

He tends bar at Harry Dillon's.

Doesn't bother anybody, including me.

What's his story, then?

He loves me.

That's his story.

He loves me for my teeth.

Says all his life, you know, he's always known these Irish

ladies with teeth like chalk.

So he takes one look at these Indian choppers,

and he falls in love.

I mean, I tell him, you know, I'm part Irish.

So probably the teeth will go sooner or later.

But he doesn't care.

You in love with him, too?

Are you kidding?

Uh, it's good to be home, Kate.

Really?

You look good, Bobby.

Yeah?

Oh, I worked out a lot down there.

Did some boxing.

Boxing?

Yeah.

Hey, Ma?

I didn't mean to hurt you when I told you not

to come and see me anymore.

I know.

Man, I know what you meant.

Yeah.

This is for you.

Huh? What's this?

Check came from the plant while you were away.

You know, for the time you were before the trouble.

Oh, yeah.

I cashed it for you.

143 and change, and I kept the change.

And he should have given this to the lawyer.

To the lawyer?

Oh, lucky I didn't give him a knuckle sandwich.

Well, I'll see you later.

Well, I'll see you later, Kate.

I got to go to work, you know.

Stay out of trouble, Charlie.

Pleased to meet you, Bobby.

I heard a lot about you.

Uh, yeah.

He sleeps on the couch.

Well, that's nice.

You're good at typing.

Yeah?

Uh-huh. Went back to night school, rushed up.

Might get all right while you were gone.

I wish you'd typed a few letters to me.

You told me not to write.

Yeah. I still wish you'd written though.

Don't you think about me?

What?

Yeah. What'd you think about?

You know, how you're getting on, how things were with you.

Neighborhood's not the same, Bobby, you know?

It's changing. It's changing fast.

Nothing's the same anymore.

Yeah, I know.

That's what the guy said who drove us down here today.

He drove?

Oh, yeah. He met us up there at the prison.

He wants me to be a fighter.

A professional?

Yeah, something like that.

Oh, Bobby.

Come on, Ma. The guy's a manager. He knows what he's talking about.

Well, who is he?

A guy named Gus Caputo. He runs the Imperial Gym on the south side.

I never heard of him.

Yeah, and I never heard of me either.

You know, I never said it.

What?

Welcome home.

Thanks.

Gonna be a boxer, huh?

Come on.

Your bath's served.

Hey, Ma.

Where am I gonna sleep?

Are you kidding?

Your first night home, you're gonna sleep in the bed.

Well, what about, uh...

Charlie sleeps on the couch.

Just do what I say. No arguments, huh?

Thanks.

I missed you.

Really missed you.

You're all I've got.

Morning.

You don't have to go.

You can stay.

I think it's better this way.

Suit yourself.

I mean, uh, I think it's better if I'm on my own, you know?

You better find yourself a job.

Yeah.

And the money's not gonna last forever.

I know.

Jobs aren't that easy to find.

Hey, kid.

I'm gonna look.

You better start now.

What are you doing today?

I'm busy.

Well, are you going or aren't you?

Yeah, I'm going, Ma.

I'm going.

♪♪

Looking good. Looking good. How's the neck?

All right?

What do you want?

I want to be a fighter.

Get out of here.

What?

You heard me. Beat it. I don't want you here.

Hey, you're the one who told me to come down here.

Yeah, I made you an offer, but you waited too long.

I had things to do.

I'll bet.

You look like a toilet. You stink worse.

Now get out of here.

I was looking for a job.

I'm sorry I didn't get in here day one.

Listen, Fallon, you're not sorry.

Don't give me that sorry stuff.

I made you an offer, you took a hike,

now take another hike and get out of here

before I have them throw you out.

Hey, Gus! Hey, Gus! I came here to be a fighter, and you're gonna let me be a fighter, or you're gonna have to throw me outta here!

All right, take them off.

I don't have any boxing suits.

You hear what I said?

Take your clothes off.

Freddy?

Yeah?

I've got to get this kid a clean setup.

Try 31.

It's open.

Got a job yet?

I told you, I was looking for one.

Try these on.

These are 50.

Thanks.

I've got a friend, George McDonald,

at the Chicago Hotel.

I'll ask him if he can get you a job.

Yeah?

Doing what?

Doing whatever he tells you to do.

Freddy, get some of those wrappers.

You know how to use these?

Sure.

Put them on.

You know how to wrap your hand, huh?

Don't say you can do something if you can't.

When you wrap your fingers, you gotta spread them.

If you keep them closed like that,

you won't be able to make a fist.

First good shot you take at somebody,

you're gonna break your hand.

If you don't know how to do something, just ask.

That's what we're here for.

What is this, school?

Yeah, that's right. You're in kindergarten.

Now, when you finish doing that,

I want you to do three rounds on the heavy bag.

I'd like to fight one of these guys.

You don't know how to fight.

Everything you do is wrong.

You do three rounds on the heavy bag, okay?

Okay.

Okay.

Oh, I'm sorry. Have I taken your stool?

No, that's okay. I'd rather stand.

I'm Michelle Gordon.

Bobby Fallon. How are you?

What do you do, Bobby?

What do I do?

I'm a fighter.

You know, a boxer.

Really?

Are you any good?

Yeah, I'm terrific.

Paul?

Paul.

He's a prize fighter.

Paul Stockwood, Bobby Fallon.

Bobby, how are you? Hi.

Fighter, huh? Yeah, yeah.

I haven't turned professional yet, though.

When are you going to?

I don't know. That's up to my manager, you know?

Who's that?

It's a guy named Gus Caputo.

Yeah, I know Gus.

He had a couple of good fighters years ago.

They always seem to get away from him, though.

Excuse me.

Say, are you Joel Wolf?

I've been wanting to do a piece on you for years.

My name is Paul Stockwood.

What are you guys, with a newspaper or something?

Oh, Channel 4 News.

Oh, TV, huh?

Yeah.

We're doing a story on the old bars.

The real ones.

That's...

That's nice.

Why don't you sit down, Bobby?

Thank you.

I've never met a fighter before.

In fact, I've never even seen a fight.

Well, maybe I'll take you sometime.

Why?

Why?

Well, I don't know.

Maybe you'd like it.

You might have some fun.

I don't think that's exactly my idea of fun.

How do you know until you try it?

I'll just take your word for it.

Michelle, I want you to talk to this man.

He's really interesting.

Coming.

Nice meeting you, Bobby Fallon.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Michelle.

Hey, uh, it's Imperial Gym.

I'm down here every day.

Maybe you'd like to come down.

It's really interesting.

Maybe.

Michelle, Gordon would like you to meet Joe Walton.

Hi.

It's a pleasure.

Very nice to meet you.

Is that too many of them?

No!

Freddy, you're gonna have to start from scratch.

First, we're gonna have to turn him around.

What do you mean?

You're a Southpaw.

Nobody wants to fight a Southpaw.

You can be the best fighter in the gym.

No one will give you a fight.

You gotta learn how to use your right hand properly.

What's this?

Your hands are like guns.

Gus is gonna give you two guns.

You're kind of silly with this, man.

OK, you forget your left hand.

And I want you using your right hand only.

From now on, I want you to do one-handed push-ups

with that hand.

I want you to take long walks and squeeze a handball

with that hand.

I want you to cut steak.

I want you to scratch yourself with that hand.

Turn around and face me.

Put your left foot forward.

Left, one step forward under it.

Bounce up and down on both your feet.

Make yourself comfortable.

All right?

OK, now take your right hand.

Put it up on the side of your head.

Don't make a fist.

Never make a fist unless you're punching.

You're tiring your muscles out, all right?

OK, now what you do is you take a swing.

All right, it's not a jab, see?

You're doing a bomb.

It's a punch.

Go ahead.

Swivel your hips.

Get your shoulder behind you.

Really swivel your hips.

Get into it.

Get behind it.

Snap it.

OK, that's good. That's good.

Come on, one more time.

OK, look, when you throw the punch,

really twist your hands just as you throw the punch,

so that the whole fist hits, right like that.

Go ahead.

Right, follow through.

Put some power behind it.

I'll be assisting you.

Come on, you're throwing bombs, not throwing jabs.

Come on.

Bomb.

Bomb.

Bomb.

I'll tell you why I did that.

When you throw the punch, dig your chin into your shoulders,

so no one can come around and hook on you, OK?

Throw the punch.

All right, OK, that's good.

So you cover it up.

Go, punch, straight.

Again, let's go.

These are bombs you're throwing.

Let's go.

Go.

10 seconds, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.

OK, fine.

Put your hand on your hip, walk around.

Take deep breaths.

You're doing fine.

You're doing good, kid.

Hey, Bobby. Hang in there. You'll be all right.

Thanks.

Come in.

I already said you wanted to see me.

Yeah, sit down.

I want you to start running.

Every morning at 6.30.

Yeah.

You run a mile, you walk a mile, you run a mile.

I'm gonna get some of that junk out of your lungs.

You gonna be there?

What do I have to be there for? I'm not the fighter, you are.

Hey, just don't give me that stuff, all right?

Don't snow me, all right?

No more drinking, that's it.

You live here?

Sometimes I do.

Sometimes I do.

This is not gonna be easy, you know?

You have a girlfriend?

No.

What about your family? You got a family?

My mother lives where you dropped me off.

What about your father?

He left when I was six.

Start working tomorrow.

Chicagoan Hotel.

It's about four blocks from here.

60 bucks a week, plus room, plus tips.

Do you read?

Of course I do.

What do you read?

I don't know, magazines.

You wanna read something good?

Yeah, read something good.

Robert E. Lee.

Hey, I don't go in for that kind of stuff.

It's about boxing.

Robert E. Lee?

Yeah, you'll find out that there are a lot of things in this world

that are about boxing.

What do you think the gym is?

Weapons and tactics, right?

You study this book, books like that,

to find out about strategy.

I'd rather knock guys out, this kind of stuff.

Fighting is a war.

I mean, you study, you study, you study, you study,

you study the guy's strengths, you study the guy's weaknesses.

Then you avoid his strengths, and you attack his weaknesses.

I mean, you study what that guy did,

so you can find out what he might do to you in the future.

And you always respect him.

You always respect him, see?

You read this. Stop reading junk.

Read about some fighters.

Oh, I forgot to tell you,

your friend Kirk from the candy,

he called here a couple of times.

Yeah? He leave a number?

No, he said he moved.

Didn't have a phone.

What did you tell him?

I told him you hadn't been around yet.

But to keep trying, you would be.

Oh, no.

How you doing, babe?

Where have you been, huh?

Hey, you remember Munoz.

Willie could kill you.

Que pasa?

Uh, right.

I don't believe it.

So I moved on down to Gary, where my sister lives.

You know, trying to get a job in the mills down there.

But nobody's hiring ex-cons now.

So I'm just trying to get a job.

And I'm not sure if I can do it.

You know, I'm not sure if I can do it.

But nobody's hiring ex-cons now.

Yeah, that's for sure.

I don't know.

Maybe after Christmas, things will pick up.

It's pretty thin now, Bobby.

What are you going to do?

I don't know, babe.

Just hang on, I guess.

Hey, Gus going to put you in the Golden Gloves?

I don't know.

He ain't said nothing yet.

You know, you ought to go into the gloves, Bobby,

and then turn pro right after.

Yeah, I think you're right.

Yeah, I know I'm right.

Hey, how's your mother, huh?

I bet she was glad to see you get out of the can.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, she was.

Oh, ho, ho, ho.

Come on, babe.

Come on.

Come on.

Let's go.

Again.

That's it.

That's it.

Get your weight behind you.

That's it. That's it.

A lot of punching. A lot of boxing.

That's it. Keep it there.

Hi.

I didn't figure you were gonna come down here.

So don't stop. I just wanted to watch.

Oh, uh...

This is Gus Caputo, my manager.

Michelle Gordon.

She's with TV.

How do you do, Mr. Caputo?

Bobby invited me to come down.

I hope you don't mind.

No.

Okay, uh...

Wanna walk around and...

see what you can see there?

Thanks.

Feel free.

All right, dig it in. Let's go.

Where'd you meet her?

The restaurant.

Yeah?

What's she doing up here?

She said she never met a fighter before.

Who said you're a fighter?

When I was a kid, that was a great place to live.

All kinds of movies.

In fact, there were seven movie houses

in the neighborhood at that time.

Kate used to take me to the kiddie shows on the matinees.

Hey, who's Kate?

That's my mom.

Your mother still live there?

Yeah.

She, uh, well, I guess she likes it home, you know what I mean?

Yeah, I know.

Oh, we lived other places.

We went out on the road traveling.

We saw some nice places, too.

But we always came back.

It's not the same now.

It's, uh, it's different.

It's smaller, kind of emptier.

All the movie houses closed down.

The stores are gone.

All the people we knew moved out.

Why'd you come back?

Well, I missed it.

She's, um, part Indian.

Shoshone.

Really?

Yeah.

That's her grandfather or something.

You ought to see her.

What about your father?

Uh, I don't know.

Maybe he's dead.

It doesn't matter. Come on.

Come on. Come on.

Come on.

Right?

Yeah.

Thanks for dinner.

Oh, yeah.

You're welcome.

That's a real nice place.

I like that.

Thanks for inviting me down to the gym.

I really enjoyed seeing it.

Well, uh, maybe you'll come down again sometime, huh?

Maybe.

Listen.

I'd like to see you again.

Thursday after work or something, huh?

Work late Thursdays.

Put your coat on.

You'll catch cold.

Let me see the 5'6".

Let me see the 3'4".

Good.

Combinations. See, everything is combinations.

Hack a guy out with a punch he doesn't see.

Never make the same mistake twice.

Let the other guy make mistakes.

Take away his weapons.

Hey, what's he doing here?

Got him a job working nights on a freight elevator.

Yeah?

Thought you might want him around.

Oh, that's nice. Thanks.

Yeah?

Yeah.

He's got some good fighters.

They're having some matches on Saturday night.

They need a heavyweight.

Three rounds.

You want it?

What do you think?

I think you ought to fight some.

I think I want it.

Who do I fight?

They got some guy.

Cowboy!

Cowboy!

Cowboy!

Cowboy!

Cowboy!

Cowboy!

Cowboy!

Cowboy!

Cowboy!

Cowboy!

Cowboy!

Cowboy!

Cowboy!

The funniest fight I've ever seen.

The wind from your punch knocked him down.

This guy's the toughest kid on the block.

Nothing in the ring.

He came to fight, didn't he, Gus?

Come on, come on.

You kidding?

What do you think, Freddy?

The left hook, in combination,

the left hook was a little high.

I forgot to tell you.

What?

I closed the gym for three days during the holidays.

Yeah?

Yeah.

Hey, I did OK tonight, didn't I, Gus?

I mean, I did all right, huh?

You got a lot to learn.

What are you going to do now?

I guess I'll call my mom and tell her I won.

You didn't invite your mother to the fights.

Nah.

Why not?

I don't know.

It wasn't a real fight.

It was a real fight.

That guy could have knocked you down.

You could have lost.

I don't think so.

Sooner or later in this life, kid, everyone loses.

It's part of the deal.

Original sin or something.

Nobody's perfect.

You did fine tonight.

Thanks.

I'll see you.

Night, huh?

Yeah?

It's me.

Come on in, Gus.

Here, fill these up. I'm putting you in the gloves.

All right.

I had a hassle down there.

One guy told me ex-cons couldn't get in.

Yeah?

I found out that was baloney.

Sign your name when you're finished there.

And make sure all that stuff's accurate, or they'll get you for perjury.

You'll be back in the pen boxing burglars.

Okay.

There's a stamp on the envelope. Don't forget to mail it.

I'll mail it. I'll mail it.

We should have our first fight in a couple of weeks.

You ought to clean up this joint, or the hotel will get after me.

Oh, wait a minute, Gus. Wait.

This is for you. Merry Christmas.

For me?

Come on, open it up.

What in the world is it?

You'll see. Come on.

Rommel!

I hope you don't have it. I didn't see it over at the gym.

He was a general in World War II.

A great strategist and tactician. That's all I know about him.

Too bad he's on the wrong side, huh?

Yeah. Anyway, I hope you like it.

I will.

What are you gonna do for Christmas?

Uh, I'm going over to my mom's house.

Did you get her a present?

Oh, yeah.

That's good.

What are you doing for Christmas, Gus?

Oh, I got a few friends I gotta see.

Huh? Your family?

I don't have a family. I never had time to get married.

Living the way I do...

wouldn't be fair.

If you win the gloves, you got a good shot at the Olympics.

Yeah.

I gotta tell you something, though, Gus.

I'm really not too hot on the Olympics.

You're not too hot on the Olympics?

Well, you're the fighter, I'm the manager.

And I decide the way it's gonna be. That's our deal.

You understand?

Yeah, but at that rate, I'll be 22 or 23 by the time I turn pro.

That means I'll be 26 or 27 by the time I make any big money.

Every one of you kids wants to be a star.

I mean, you want to be a superstar, don't you?

That's not the way it's done.

Money, clothes, your name in the paper.

That's not the way it's done.

Being a fighter is like being a doctor, a lawyer, a writer, a general.

You gotta be a pro.

You gotta be a finished pro.

Anybody can be good.

Not just everybody can be perfect.

Man, thanks for the book.

Merry Christmas, Bobby.

Hey, Gus.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

I'll be.

Merry Christmas, Mom.

Merry Christmas, stranger. Come on in.

Well, two surprises in one day.

I hope you like it.

It's beautiful, Bobby.

Yeah? You like it?

Yeah. The plaid.

Love it.

Nice, huh?

Did you pick it out yourself, huh?

Yeah, sure I did.

Oh, it's terrific.

Yeah.

Good.

Sure you didn't have some little girl helping you?

No, I picked it out myself.

Wait a minute. Take your jacket off.

I wasn't sure you'd be here, but I got these anyway.

Oh, hey, thank you.

I'll get you a drink.

Oh, no, I better not, Ma.

It's Christmas.

I know, but Gus will kill me if he finds out.

Oh, what are you talking about?

A little eggnog won't hurt you.

Hey, this is a nice shirt, Mom.

Thanks.

Hey, these are great.

Oh, made in Ireland.

That's nice.

Oh, you want me to try these on?

Yeah.

Here, Seth.

Merry Christmas.

It's like a milkshake.

If this is going to be a party, I'm going to turn up the music.

How about a dance for your old mother, huh?

Ah, you ain't old. Don't give me that stuff.

Yeah.

Well, I ain't no spring chicken.

Come on. Dance with me.

Let me see some of that fancy footwork.

Very good. You're gonna let her in?

Yeah, Gus taught it to me.

You been dancing with Gus?

No, Kirk.

Charlie's gone.

Yeah?

Would you believe it?

He wanted to spend Christmas with his mother.

I mean, he's 51 years old. What does that make her? 82?

Or 79 or something?

He wouldn't take me with him because he said those Irish ladies from the old country,

they wouldn't understand.

You know what he did?

What?

I put all his clothes in a shopping bag

and I threw them out the window.

Oh, no, you didn't.

Yeah, I guess you would.

And on his way out he says to me,

Oh, Katie, you don't understand.

Katie, I love you. Katie, I want to marry you.

You know what I said?

What?

I said, keep going out the door, Buster.

Back to Mama.

Besides, I'm already married.

You're married?

Of course.

To your father.

Wait a minute. You never got divorced?

What for?

So I could make the same mistake all over again?

You know, you could probably have him declared legally dead if you wanted.

Jack Fallon's not dead.

It would take a lot of guns, knives, poisons, car crashes and snake bites

to kill Jack Fallon.

How's the boxing coming, Bobby?

Okay.

Well, I go into Golden Gloves next month.

You mean you're gonna fight?

In an arena in front of all those people?

Yeah.

Oh, Bobby, can I come?

Well, I don't know.

I gotta get started first, and then I'll see, okay?

Yeah.

You understand what I'm saying?

Yeah.

Hey, are you going out tonight?

Well, you know, Charlie's gone, and I wasn't sure about you,

so I thought I'd go out somewhere later.

Alone?

Heh.

I've done it that way most of my life.

There's no sense in changing that.

Yeah.

Well, you look beautiful.

I got myself a new dress.

Yeah, I noticed.

I gotta say, you look terrific in it.

What are you looking at me like that for?

I don't know. You look real good, that's all.

Well, you look pretty good yourself.

Oh, I can't help it.

I still like the old songs, you know?

New songs, I don't even understand the words.

I mean, they have no feeling, you know?

They have no tenderness.

It's just not for me.

What kind of music did he like?

Who?

Who, Jack?

Oh, he liked Crosby because he thought Crosby was Irish.

Because he sang all that tura-lura-lura stuff in Galway Bay, you know,

with Irish eyes, and smiling.

But then he started to like Sinatra.

I mean, not in the beginning, when the teenagers were going crazy over him.

But then, you know, things started to get bad.

His marriage broke up, and, uh...

Ava Gardner ditched him.

But then he came back.

I mean, he came back all the way, you know,

playing that soldier in that movie, From Here to Eternity,

and he won the Academy Award, and he made some good records.

And he liked him for that.

He respected him.

He said Sinatra was becoming a man.

He said that he was a guy who understood saloons...

and loneliness...

and losing people and things.

You know, you never told me that.

No?

Well...

Doesn't matter now, does it?

Yeah.

You got yourself a girl, Bobby?

You ever had a girl?

Yeah, I had a few.

Yeah?

Yeah.

Did you love them?

Oh, yeah?

I don't know.

I guess I did at the time, yeah.

Yeah.

You know?

Hey, Bobby, you know, you're really getting strong.

I'm doing 200 push-ups a day.

Hey, that's really something.

Yeah.

You know, a boxer don't really need to be muscular.

What does he need?

He needs, um, well, I don't know,

quickness, balance, fast hands, you know, and heart.

Most of all, he needs a lot of heart, Kate.

Yeah.

You remember those trains I got you once?

What?

Those trains.

Oh, yeah, sure.

Oh, you loved those trains.

Do you love me, Bobby?

Of course I do, Ma, you know that.

I don't feel love much anymore.

Oh, come on, Ma.

Why don't you say it, huh?

Why don't you just say it out loud?

I love you, Ma. Now, would you please not drink?

I don't like when you do that.

Oh, you hate me.

Oh, no, I don't.

Now, don't start that on Christmas.

It's Christmas, all right.

Well, the kids are playing with their toys,

and the mothers and fathers are sitting with their eggnog,

and everything is new and happy.

It's gonna be okay, Ma.

Don't call me Ma.

Hey, what do you want me to call you?

Call me Kathy.

Kathy?

Yeah.

What do you mean, Kathy?

Let's play a game.

I'll be Kathy and you'll be Joe.

I don't know.

When did you get into town here, Kathy?

Well, I just got off of this here bus.

I came all the way from Memphis, Chickaloo, and you come and see.

How you doing, babe?

Pleased to meet you, Joe.

Yeah.

You sure are a good looking fella.

Hope you're not already taken, because I'd be jealous as all get out.

Well, I'll tell you, Kathy, I just think we found the right gal yet, you know?

Listen, boy.

What you got that shirt on for, huh?

Too warm in here for that.

There. That's better, huh?

What do you need that for?

But I swear you got the smoothest skin.

Ma, don't do that.

Hush now, Joe.

You're my fella, you hear?

It's all right.

Everything is all right.

Now and forever.

I heard it.

Knock it off then.

Just knock it off.

What's the matter with you?

What are you doing?

Nothing.

All right, you had enough for today.

Go take a shower.

I'm not finished.

When I say you're finished, you're finished.

Hey, hey, what's eating you?

What's going on?

I don't know, he's just been like that.

Go talk to him.

Slow him down.

What do you want me to say to him?

You're his friend.

I don't want him fighting out of control.

Bobby?

Yeah.

What's he to you, kid?

Nothing.

Me and you, we've been through too much together.

I've seen you up, I've seen you down, Bobby.

Come on, you can level with me.

Just get off my back, Kirk, all right?

Just get off my back, huh?

Thank you.

Thanks.

Oh, come on, Kate.

I can't help it.

You want to leave?

No, not yet.

What are you crying about?

Just this place.

It reminds me.

Reminds you of what?

Another place.

A long time ago, it was called the cat in hell.

It's just a place like this.

Was it a place you used to go with him?

It was the place where I met him.

He was 30.

I was just 16.

I was sitting with a bunch of girls and...

he walked in.

And I thought to myself...

that is the most beautiful man I've ever seen.

And I thought to myself,

I've got to have him.

I didn't know how to meet him.

I mean, in those days, you know,

a girl didn't ask guys to dance.

I just looked at him.

Then I went up to the, uh, to the jukebox,

and I put a quarter in, and I played a couple songs.

And I asked him if he wanted to play a few.

He looked at me, and he laughed.

And he said, how old are you, kid?

And I said, 20.

And he laughed again.

So I said, what's so funny?

And he said, kid, 16 will get you 30.

Then he walked away to the bar for another drink.

I thought to myself, I can't let him get away that easy.

So I went up to him, and I grabbed his hand,

and I pulled him on the dance floor.

Kept his glass in his hand behind my back.

And he danced.

Like nobody ever knew.

And one thing led to another, and he took me home.

And that was the beginning.

Why are you telling me this?

I don't know.

Just this place, I guess.

Started me remembering.

Hey, Shell.

What are you doing here?

I thought you were going to call.

Yeah, I was, but I'd.

But you didn't.

Gus has been keeping me real busy.

Yeah, I'm sure he has.

Hey, I'm in the semifinals now.

I know.

Will it bother you if I come?

No.

Not as long as you stay out of the ring.

Afraid of me?

Yeah, he might say that.

Uh, listen, I gotta go.

Gus don't like it when I'm late.

All right.

Michelle, I'll call you.

Really?

Yeah.

You want something, babe?

No. Maybe you ought to move around a little bit.

I'm okay, Freddy.

Fallon!

Yeah?

You're fighting Raymond North, ready?

Yeah.

Bobby?

Uh, this is a robe.

And that's for doing good work.

Fallon, come on.

Thanks.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Wendy's City Charities would like to remind you

that if you're driving, please drive carefully.

And now, the heavyweight open semifinal,

introducing in the blue corner,

employed as a hotel worker,

with a tournament record of three knockouts,

from the Imperial SC, Bobby Feller!

employed as a warehouse worker

with a tournament record of one knockout and two decisions

from the Westside Sporting Club, Raymond Noah!

I'm gonna whip you, sucker!

What? I'm gonna slice you!

I'm gonna hit you so hard! Oh, yeah?

Gentlemen, listen to me.

No, you can take the point.

Listen to me, both of you.

You're both cutthroats.

You can stop the point right here.

You're gonna get the point.

I love you so much.

Thank you, sucker.

Gonna slice you open.

That guy's talking to him.

And he ain't hit nothing.

Slice here

You know what's happening out there?

Oh, she quit dancing and starts fighting.

You know what's happening out there?

That his corner told him that you have a hot temper,

and therefore you're not going to think.

Every time he gets in a clinch with you,

he's making you look bad.

I'm going to kill him.

You don't do it that way.

You go in and box him, and you'll knock him out.

You always hit the guy with a punch he

doesn't see to knock him out.

You won't hit him any other way.

He's clever.

He's got experience.

You just go in there and keep on swing

with those combinations.

It's your turn.

You can't see anything, you can't hear anything.

You understand?

Yeah.

All right, get dressed.

And forget the shower.

Bobby Fallon?

Yeah?

I have the distinct pleasure of informing you

that you've been banned from amateur boxing for life.

Hey, we didn't have a hearing yet.

Forget about that.

Get lost.

No, wait, you still walk.

Bobby, Bobby, Bobby.

I thought you had more brains than that.

Put your clothes on.

Come on.

That was a good punch.

Yeah.

That's the best thing that happened all night.

I thought it was a little high.

What are we going to do now, huh?

What else can we do?

I'm turning you pro.

I'll work it, man.

All right?

Oh, uh, why don't you guys go on without me, OK?

Sure, sure.

You don't have to run tomorrow.

Hey, Gus, I'll be there tomorrow.

I didn't know you were here.

I tried to get back to the dressing room.

I couldn't get through.

Yeah, I guess it was pretty wild, huh?

What happened?

I don't know, Michelle.

I guess I lost my temper.

I bet you were going to kill him.

That's what I was trying to do.

Why?

It scares me.

Oh, come on, Michelle.

It's just a sport.

Bobby, when I watch you up there fighting,

when I watch you up there hitting somebody.

Hey, that's what it's all about, you know?

Come on, let's go somewhere.

Where do you want to go?

I was thinking about my place.

This place is nice, like in a magazine or something.

You live here alone?

During the week.

Weekends I go out to Lake Forest.

Oh, with your folks, huh?

Thought you'd drink your juice?

Oh, yeah.

Make yourself comfortable.

Put on some music if you'd like.

Bobby?

Bobby?

Bobby?

You're in such a hurry to turn pro, right?

Yeah.

Well, here it is.

What is it?

License by the Ohio Athletic Commission.

Oh, yeah?

All right.

Yes, sir.

When do I fight?

Saturday night in Newark.

You're boxing a kid named Sammy Holmes

in a four-round prelim.

Good.

I've never been to Jersey.

Yeah, we can shoot over to New York, have a little fun.

You know?

Hey, you.

Not Newark, New Jersey.

It's Newark, Ohio.

Hi.

Are you all right?

Yeah, I'm fine.

I'm fine.

When I saw that in the paper, I've been calling your hotel.

Didn't you get the messages?

Oh, yeah, I got them.

I was afraid you'd been arrested.

What'd they do to you?

Nothing, they didn't do nothing to me.

It's crazy, Bobby.

Hey, Ma, I'm turning pro.

Pro?

Yeah.

I got my first fight in Ohio on Saturday,

and I got a call from the police.

Yeah, I got my first fight in Ohio on Saturday,

and Gus is lining up some other fights in the east for me.

Yeah?

When are you going to be back?

Well, I don't know.

Not for a while, I guess.

Thanks for telling me.

Oh, hey, it's more than he did.

What does that mean?

Just what the hell does that mean?

Hey, look, I came over here to say goodbye,

but you're acting like you're hurting me.

Like what, like I'm hurt?

Yeah.

You're damn right I'm hurt.

I mean, first you get yourself in jail,

now you're going away.

What am I supposed to do, shout hooray?

You'll be okay, Ma.

How do you know?

Look, I didn't come over here to fight with you, Ma.

Don't call me Ma.

Well, what do you want me to call you?

Look, you came over here to say goodbye, didn't you?

So why don't you just say goodbye?

Goodbye, have a swell trip.

I'm not running out on you.

I'm coming back.

I ain't like him.

The hell you're not.

I ain't him or me.

🎵

When you're out of town, you're out of town.

That's about all over again.

There's not gonna be a case in this town.

You must be Mr. Caputo.

Arnold Harding.

That's me. Nice to meet you.

The other fighters have already weighed in,

but we held your opponent until you got here.

For the pictures.

Yeah.

You want to follow me?

Now this is what you call the boondocks.

Come on, pal, we're waiting on you.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Allen, 181 and a half.

All right, soldier.

What's this banana doing here?

Well, I'm sorry, Mr. Caputo, but...

We're supposed to be fighting Sammy Holmes.

Sammy Holmes got sick, and they sent me Soldier Bartlett.

Bartlett, 193 and a quarter.

Well, what's your problem?

He's a main event fighter.

This is supposed to be a four-round prelim, right?

It's a lot more than that, Mr. Caputo.

Joe, hand me the paper.

You've seen that.

Get your clothes on and we'll have some dinner.

We'll see you later.

This guy looks like he can fight.

If he could fight, he wouldn't look like that.

All right, boys, you box to the rules of the Ohio

and let her commission, and all I want is a clean bout.

There'll be no punching back in the kidneys

and no punching back in the neck,

and please watch your low blow, because low blows

mean you lose the round.

Shake hands out and come out fighting.

Find a soft spot to fall, pretty boy.

I'm going home early.

Nice and easy.

This guy's been going 10 rounds.

Not tonight again.

Nice and easy, try not to knock out the ref.

Come on.

Hey, take it easy.

Kill the bird.

Come on.

Come on.

Come on.

Come on.

Come on.

Get him back.

Get him back.

Pick it up tomorrow. Good work.

That was terrific.

Except you kept your chin up too high on that second hook.

You're right.

When's the next fight, Gus?

We fight next week in Potsdam, then Harrisburg,

then Steubenville.

Fighting every week, huh?

Yeah, more than that.

That's what you want, isn't it?

Yeah, that's what I want.

Yeah.

Coming.

You were terrific.

Thanks. I didn't see you there.

You weren't looking.

No, I guess I was.

Can I come in?

Kirk's gonna be back in a few minutes.

No, he won't.

Come on in.

What are you grinning about?

I guess.

You're just lying there thinking you're pretty good, aren't you?

I don't know.

What's it like when you hit someone?

What's it like?

What does it feel like?

I don't know.

I guess it feels good.

Yeah, it feels good, like when I decked that guy tonight.

I got to admit, it felt good right down to my toes.

Yeah, I felt that too.

Yeah?

Yeah.

Does everyone beat the champion?

What, Newark, Ohio?

Come on.

The world.

Yeah.

I guess I think about it sometimes, but yeah.

Bobby?

Never lie to me.

Michelle, I never have lied to you.

I did lie to you once.

About what?

Remember you asked me if I'd ever seen my own man after he split?

I did, sort of.

What do you mean, sort of?

I was about 11.

And mommy, we'd been traveling again.

And we came back to the neighborhood.

And then one night, she got all dressed up to go out,

but she wouldn't tell me where she was going.

And so I followed her.

I don't know why.

I just did.

She got on a train to go down to the loop.

And I got in the car next to her so she wouldn't see me.

We went all the way downtown, and she got out

and walked a couple of blocks to this restaurant called, uh,

Caden Inn.

And, uh...

She went in, and I waited.

She came out with him.

It was your father?

Yeah.

Jack Fallon.

I wanted to run across the street, but I couldn't move.

Why?

I don't know. I guess I was scared.

Maybe they were going to get back together again.

Ma came home at four in the morning,

and I asked her where she'd been.

She told me she went to the movies.

So she poured herself a drink and went in the bedroom,

and she began to cry.

Did you ever tell her that you saw her?

No.

Ma wouldn't, she wouldn't have liked that, you know?

She, she just isn't that way.

Never saw your father again?

No.

Oh, honey.

I'll see you tonight, huh?

Hey, did you get the money, Gus?

Yeah.

It's a little disappointing, though.

How much?

$136.44.

$136.44.

After taxes.

Well, we're rich, Kirk.

We can retire now.

Don't worry, the purse isn't going to get bigger.

Yeah, much bigger?

Forget about the money.

The money will come.

I hope so.

Yeah, otherwise we're going to starve to death before we

get back to Chicago.

Bobby, the money's important.

But you just don't do it for the money.

What do you do it for, then, Gus?

The beauty.

You do it for the beauty.

Good coverage. Just terrific.

I thought the narration would pick up with Bobby Fallon

after the riot at the Golden Gloves.

There's some terrific stills on that.

And then we go on to nine fights in eight weeks

and nine knockouts.

And a ring magazine just named him prospect of the month.

They're calling him the new White Hope.

And several people I interviewed said

they may be bringing him to the garden.

Listen, get this together as fast as you can, huh?

Hey!

He must have threw some punch.

Who's that?

Walker Lewis in the garden last night.

Flattened Jerry Pinchot in 47 seconds of the first round.

Knocked out all his front teeth.

Oh, yeah?

Says here he might be the next champ.

Who's this?

I want you to relax.

No, no, what's this guy's name?

Walker Lewis.

Never heard of him.

He's been around, but never a contender before.

He's an animal.

Used to break heads for the union here in St. Louis.

He gets a fight in the garden?

Gee.

Must have found a goomba.

A what?

A sponsor, a protector.

You know, someone with connections,

someone could push him along real fast.

Say, Gus, you know the matchmaker in the garden,

don't you?

Joe Jorgensen.

I've known him for years.

Why don't you give him a call, then?

Too soon.

He's not ready yet.

I'm ready for anybody.

Thank you.

Hi, Charlie.

My home?

No, she's gone.

Gone for a couple of months now.

Where'd she go?

Headed south, Florida someplace.

Who'd she go with?

She didn't say.

You know how she is, just ups and leaves.

You want to come in for some coffee, Bobby?

Oh, no, no.

No thanks, Charlie.

No.

If I hear from her, I'll tell her.

I'm gonna get you, white boy.

I'm gonna get you real good, you understand?

Hey, I'm ready for you, Walker.

No, not now.

I'm gonna make you wait because I wanna see you suffer.

I want you to think about the weapon I'm gonna give you.

You are dead meat, man.

Dead meat.

Hey, why don't you go get your gloves on right now, Walker?

Come on, get in here!

Back it up, huh?

You got a big mouth, you know that? A big mouth!

You'll never hit a ref count, T.M.

T.M.!

T.M.!

T.M.!

T.M.!

T.M.!

Sure, I'll fight Walker Lewis.

You go out there and get him, I'll fight him right now.

I re-heard that all your chartered productions

have closed circuit people who often put you on a double-header with Lewis.

Hey, Tim, I'm not a double-header.

Hey, hey, I guess I got here too late.

You guys always beat me to it, huh?

Hey, Joe, what's going on here? What do you mean, double-header?

Bobby fights Gene Bosto.

Walker Lewis goes against Joe Norman.

Now, everybody agrees they're the top four contenders.

The winners, to fight each other for the title.

Hey, take it, Gus.

Let's talk about this, Bobby.

I don't know what he's talking about.

Come on, come on, come on, let's take it.

I haven't heard a thing about it.

I don't know what he's talking about.

I haven't heard a firm offer yet about any double-header.

The price is gonna be right, Gus.

Six big figures.

Oh, come on, Gus, we gotta take it.

Go on, you heard what he said. Everybody heard it.

Where?

Las Vegas.

When is this championship fight gonna take place?

Six months, next year, whenever you want.

Joe, you put it in writing.

You got it. What do you say?

Yeah, okay.

Fine, you heard it, boys.

Make sure you get it right.

Joe Jorgensen presents the double bill of the century.

Are you sure you know what you're doing?

You really put Gus on the spot.

Yeah, I think I'll find out.

Why?

Did you see Walker Lewis tonight, when he walked up to the ring?

Yeah.

Bobby, though, it's just for publicity. You know that.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure.

I gotta tell you something, Michelle.

When he walked up there and waved that big fist in my face,

I was scared.

Yeah.

I was scared.

Bobby?

Somebody out there to see you, babe.

Be right back.

Bobby.

Oh, Bobby.

You were terrific.

Oh, we're so proud of you. You almost busted a gut.

Mom, where have you been?

Miami, can't you tell?

Yeah, you got a nice tan.

Oh, I want you to meet a friend of mine.

This is Michelle Gordon.

Michelle, this is my mom.

Nice to meet you, Mrs. Fallon.

Kate.

Call me Kate.

Hey, how about buying me a drink, huh?

Yeah, sure.

Finish dressing here and I'll be right with you.

I'll wait outside.

You're looking wild.

I gotta tell you, when Anderson slipped that hook in off the jab,

I thought I saw the yellow light.

He really did.

What do you say, Fallon?

My name's Corrigan.

Hi.

You can tell me you fought a fine fight.

Yeah.

I'd like to ask you something.

Oh, no, you never arrested me.

It's nothing like that. Something else.

Well, go ahead and ask.

Would you by any chance be related to a Jack Fallon?

Yeah, he's my old man.

Well, I'll be.

When I heard you from the south side of Chicago,

I thought maybe you might be related.

Did you know him?

Did I know Jack Fallon?

We were kids together.

We were all the boys at St. Stanislaus Church.

Did I know Jack Fallon?

I loved Jack Fallon.

He was the toughest fish I ever met.

Did you know him, too?

I married him.

When's the last time you saw him?

I'm ashamed to say it was about 25 years ago.

It was a going-away party when I went to the Navy.

Jack, he was there with three girls.

No offense intended, ma'am, but Jack was a good-looking fellow.

All the girls thought so.

Yeah.

Well, what do you hear from old Jack now?

He's dead.

He's dead?

That's right.

Oh, am I sorry to hear that.

Jack had so much heart.

He had more heart than anybody I ever met.

Well...

Well, I'd better get outside and see what the boys are doing.

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that about Jack.

He was...

He was my friend.

It was nice to meet you.

Good night, Mrs. Hoffman.

Well, he must be dead by now.

He's dead to me anyway.

Come on, let's get out of here.

What are you gonna do now?

Uh, they're supposed to have this big double header

in Vegas next month, and they want me

and Walker Lewis to fight two other guys.

Las Vegas?

Yeah, you ever been there?

No.

It's going to be very exciting.

That's right.

And you see, the two winners of that fight

will get a shot at the title later on.

Oh, that's you and the guy we saw tonight, right?

The one in the white with all the gold?

Yeah, yeah, Walker Lewis, right.

Bobby, he's bigger than you are.

Most of them are, right, Michelle?

Yeah.

Well, this is it.

Hey, maybe we can go and have a nightcap or something, huh?

Bobby, it's getting awfully late.

Yeah, I guess so.

Well, it was a terrific fight.

Thanks, Ed.

Thanks for coming and seeing me.

Look, I'll give you a call in the morning or something,

all right?

Good night.

You and your mother are very much alike.

What?

We're watching the two of you just now.

You know, she didn't say a word to me all evening.

Oh, Michelle, you didn't exactly talk to her either.

Well, Bobby, under the circumstances.

What circumstances?

It felt like I wasn't even there.

Oh, Michelle, don't be silly.

Bobby.

Let's go.

Go where, Ma?

To Las Vegas.

Yeah, I mean, let's just rent a car

and drive clear cross country.

I don't have any money.

Gus has got all the money.

I got to get a hold of him.

How long will that take?

Two, three days, what?

No, I don't care.

Let's just do it.

OK, all right.

Sure.

I'll come by, pick you up sometime between 8 and 9

in the morning, OK?

Great.

OK.

See you tomorrow.

OK, bye.

You're going with your mother?

Yeah.

Just like that?

Just like what?

She wants to go with me.

Sounds more like you're going with her.

Same thing, isn't it?

What about me?

What about you?

Am I invited?

Yeah, sure you are.

I'll see you out in Vegas.

Come on.

No.

Oh, come on.

No, no, you won't.

I won't be there, Bobby.

I mean it.

I'm not going to be there.

Why not?

I'm not that big a fool.

What are you talking about?

Your mother.

That's what I'm talking about.

Your precious Kate.

The minute she's with you, Bobby,

you forget about everything else, including me.

Look, you can't have it both ways.

What are you asking me to do, choose?

That's right.

I want you to choose.

If you go with her, Bobby, that's all there is.

That's the end.

Hey, Michelle, she's my mother.

Well, that's not how you act.

You don't know what you're talking about.

Oh, yes, I do.

I never want to see you again.

Listen, Fallon, go to hell.

Oh, boy.

Pretty fancy, huh?

I'll say.

Oh, here you go.

Why don't you put my mom's bags in that room over there?

Yes, sir, Mr. Fallon.

I'm sure you're going to find this comfortable.

Yeah.

You hear that, Mr. Fallon?

Well, uh, want to go downstairs and gamble?

Or do something?

Hey, Ma, could you get that? It's probably Gus.

I heard you just got in town, so I figured I'd come down to see how you're doing.

Hey, Freddy.

From the looks of things, you're doing okay.

Not bad, not bad.

Where's Gus?

He just went down to the casino to get Kirk.

Oh, yeah? Why?

Well, when I left him, he was down 2,000.

Kirk? Where'd he get that kind of money?

Beats me, kid. He's got some Spanish broad with him.

She sings in some bust-out joint downtown, but I don't know where he picked her up.

All right, all right, all right. I'll try to talk to him.

I'll get ahold of you later, okay?

Come on, let's try it again.

Excuse me, excuse me.

Hey, are you...

Hey, how you doing, babe?

All right, all right.

All right.

Oh, I want you to say hello to Yolanda Chacon here.

Hi, Yolanda.

Excuse me.

Okay, we're talking about a 10 now.

Sixes, fours, and sevens and threes.

Oh, wow.

Lose is seven, lose is 10, wise.

Lose enough.

I'll get it back, I'll get it back.

All right.

Look, uh, why don't you take your friend

and go get a bite to eat?

I'm not hungry.

Hey, Kirk, go get something to eat.

Hey, look, uh, you're making me miss my point, all right?

You and Gus, son?

Just get off my case, all right?

All right, what do we got here?

One, two...

I never get away with that anyway.

Oh, my!

No, she just...

Yeah, thanks. How much do I owe you, doc?

Don't worry about it. It's been taken care of.

You just lie there and rest, Mrs. Feldman. You'll be feeling fine.

I'll find my own way out.

Did you know he was here?

No, I didn't know.

I've never been sure about him.

What about me?

Were you sure about me?

You?

Yeah.

About you, I've always been sure.

You're my flesh and blood.

You son of a bitch.

Go to hell.

I'm sorry about me.

Sorry isn't good enough.

Well, right now, that's all I got.

Why'd you have to show up here?

I don't want you.

Why don't you just die, huh?

You live out here?

Sometimes.

Shit.

You were seeing her all those years, weren't you?

No.

But you kept in touch.

I sent her some money from time to time.

She always knew how to leave a message that could find me.

Simple as that, huh?

What about me?

You didn't care about me, did you?

You know, when I was little, I used to go to the ball games

or movies or something, and I'd pretend you were there with me.

What a joke, huh?

What do you want me to say?

Don't say nothing.

You ran out on Kate, and you ran out on me.

I can't help that now, can I?

What do you want from her?

Look, she didn't know I was here,

and I didn't know she was coming.

What do you want?

I just want you to be reasonable.

You know, I ought to beat the hell out of you.

That wouldn't be very smart.

What do you say, kid? When did you get in?

Last night.

I heard you drove all the way, huh?

That's right.

I always wanted to do that myself, ride cross-country.

Didn't you, Arthur?

Not really. Hi, Bobby. I'm Arthur Young.

Arthur's with the fight.

This is Lou Stevens from the closed circuit.

Hi.

I guess you heard the news, huh?

What news?

About Joe Norman.

It broke a hand. The fight's off with Walker Lewis.

I hope something better happens.

Oh, you mean, uh,

like a five-fight Walker Lewis, right?

Huh? Could be the fight of the century.

Look, we got about 10 million

tied up in this doubleheader already,

but we already know that nobody's gonna fill the theaters

to watch Norman or the other guy.

Gene Barstow's his name, and he's a pretty good fighter

and a number-four contender. Yeah, yeah, Barstow.

Yeah, that's right. Well, anyway,

we figure we can move Barstow out of the way without too much grief,

still keep the dates, print new tickets,

and make you with Lewis.

We'll make you $20 million worldwide.

Hey, where's my manager Gus Caputo, huh?

Well, that's one of the problems, Bobby.

The problem is

Gus doesn't want you to fight Lewis.

Well, then I don't want to fight him either.

Hey, Bobby, how you doing?

Pull up a chair, have a drink, you know.

Delanda here, man.

What are you doing here?

Oh, drinking a little bit, a little food.

Pool over there.

Yeah, I can see that.

What else?

That's about it.

Are you still down 2,000 at the casino?

Excuse me.

Yeah, something like that.

Oh, you mean a s'more?

Tell me something.

Those guys in there, they told you

they'd cancel the debt at the casino

if you'd deliver me before the Walker-Lewis fight.

That's it, isn't it?

Yeah, that's it, Bobby.

The money, cash, the Guitars.

Yeah, I'm down.

Ever since I did that bit in the can on account of you.

Every place we went, I got the small stakes, babe.

I'm the guy who washes the tapes, who cleans the robes,

who rubs your back, who keeps you laughing, huh?

And beats the fans off you.

And what do I get out of this, huh, Bobby?

$100 here, $50 there, a thank you, maybe.

And why, huh?

Because Gus wants it his way.

He wants you fighting in those tank towns against them stiffs

for no money.

And when we get to the garden and we really score

and it looks like we're on our way,

he starts looking the duck, his chicken.

Gus don't want this fight.

He don't want this Walker Lewis.

He wants you back out there on the road fighting against nuns

and sheriffs and stiffs.

And this Walker Lewis is going to make all the money

left in America.

Yeah.

It's funny, huh?

Yeah, well, I want this fight, Bobby.

You bet your sweetness I want this fight.

Come on in, kid.

All I want is those things we talked about in jail.

Granted, I want the money.

I want the clothes.

I want the women.

You make this fight, Bobby, and we got all of that.

Hey, we deserve it, man.

We worked for it.

You know, you know, now you owe it to me, Bobby.

Yeah, that's right.

What?

You owe it to me.

Don't say that, kid.

You do. You owe it to me.

Don't say that.

You owe it to me.

Don't say that.

Don't say that, Kirk.

You just calm down and relax, you hear?

Why don't you take this Yolanda here,

get in one of the cars and go back to the hotel.

I'll talk to these guys.

You don't need to hang around here.

Yeah, I do.

Your old man told me to hang around till you were finished.

My old man tell you to take care of that little problem

of yours at the casino too?

Yeah, he said he'd help.

I see.

Bobby!

Your guy Gus is here.

I ain't in their car.

Hi, Gus.

Hiya, Bobby.

Have a good trip?

Yeah, it was okay.

Well, what's going on here?

Joe Norman's out of the fight.

He broke his hand.

We got a doctor's letter and everything.

So at that kind of gate,

we figured to make Bobby here with Lewis.

30 million easy.

What do you think?

What do I think?

I think we should go home.

What?

Hey, wait a minute, come on, calm down, gentlemen, please.

I think we should explain the deal to Mr. Caputo

with all its implications,

and then I think we should let him sleep on it.

And who are you?

I'm Bobby's father.

You never mentioned your father was gonna be out here.

There was nothing to mention.

I didn't know he was here either.

I think we should cut through all this garbage.

I know you don't have a contract with my son.

What's more, I know that in most states,

an unwritten contract, even an oral contract, isn't binding.

In other words, I know that Bobby Fallon

can talk for himself, make up his own mind.

You don't talk for me, you do.

You're the manager.

That's what I thought when I got out here.

That's what I just said.

Do they know that?

Do these bananas know that?

What do you mean, implications?

Explain me that.

Very simple.

The Walker-Lewis people want you to know

that if you don't take this fight right now,

Bobby Fallon will never get a shot at the title

as long as Lewis holds it.

And believe me, if Bobby doesn't fight him,

the title will belong to Lewis.

And just who are the Walker-Lewis people?

We are.

Well, that has nothing to do with us.

We're fighting Barstow.

All right, Gus. Come on in.

Barstow's out.

He's strained a back muscle.

He's in the hospital in L.A.

I just got a call from Joe Jorgensen

to tell me how sorry he was.

Yeah? And what does that mean?

What does it mean? It means it's a set-up.

They want you to fight Walker Lewis.

And what do you want to do?

What do I want to do?

I want to relax, walk around.

I want to relax, walk around, and go home.

Get up!

Get up!

Can I come in?

No.

I want to talk to you, Bobby.

Why?

They cut you off down at the casino?

Look, uh...

There's some heavy rumors going around.

Some bad talk.

Unless you take this fight.

Unless I take this fight what?

My old man tell you to come up here and tell me that?

I'm telling you, Bobby. I'm just telling you.

Well, thanks.

I spent last night at your old man's place.

Oh, yeah?

Your mother was there.

You want to come in?

Is he here?

Of course he's here. It's his house.

I don't want to see him.

Don't be ridiculous.

He's your father.

You knew he was here all the time, didn't you?

No.

I told you that. I told you. I wasn't sure.

What happens now?

You gonna fight?

Uh, Gus says no.

Yeah, but the papers, everybody says you can't.

I don't care what the papers say. I don't have to fight anybody!

Oh, shh!

What do you think I ought to do?

In case you had to fight him.

Why?

For the money.

I mean, there isn't any other reason, is there?

Yeah, there's another reason.

Yeah, what other reason?

Beauty.

I do it for the beauty.

For the beauty.

Yeah, that's right, it ain't just the money.

I see.

I'm sorry I laughed.

I didn't mean to hurt you.

You always hurt me.

But, you know, you're always leaving me.

You know, you saw him and you left me just like that.

He's my husband.

What am I?

Kate, you belong to me.

You know what I want?

He just want us to go home.

You talk to Gus?

Yeah, we're going back to Chicago.

Is that what you want?

That's what Gus wants.

Where's my mother?

I don't know. She was gone when I left the house.

Where'd she go?

Shopping, I guess. She just went.

Like you, huh?

Don't talk like a punk.

Hey, you ran, I didn't.

Punks run.

Mommy, mommy, mommy.

Look, um...

I'd like to make a deal with you.

What deal?

Take the fight.

If you take the fight,

I'll get out of Kate's life and I'll stay out of yours.

For good.

That's what you want, isn't it?

Look, I'll just disappear.

You're pretty good at disappearing, aren't you?

It's my main act.

Look, I mean it, Bobby.

I'll be gone for good.

Well?

All right.

I'll tell Gus I'm taking the flight.

Now you're acting smart.

But when this is over, I don't ever want to see you again.

You understand?

Sure.

Oh, one other thing.

Yeah?

This.

So long, Dad.

Say, I've been giving some thought

to this Walker Lewis deal.

You're kidding me.

I don't believe what I'm hearing.

I think I'm gonna take the fight, Gus.

You're not gonna take the fight.

I'm the manager and you're the fighter.

I don't want you to take the fight, that's our deal.

I've thought it all out and I'm gonna take the fight.

You'll have to take it without me.

Aw, come on, Gus, you're my manager.

Don't be giving me that.

I don't want it this way, kid.

Look, I'm asking you, just this one time,

I'm asking you as a favor.

Not this fight.

Gus, listen, you know what's coming down here?

No, you listen to me.

I don't want you to fight this fight.

Go back to the hotel, pack your clothes,

go to the airport and meet me in the gym tomorrow.

In Chicago.

This fight isn't for you.

You understand?

Not now.

All the commissions say it's for the title, Gus.

In a year from now, it'll still be for the title.

I want you to fight some guys.

I want you to put on some muscle, get some weight on you.

And you're gonna take on this bum,

and for a lot of money, and for the title,

and you'll beat him.

But not now.

I'm sorry, I'm gonna take the fight.

Why?

I got reasons.

You got reasons?

Where does it say you can have reasons?

It doesn't say it anywhere, but I got reasons, okay?

All right.

I'm sorry, kid.

I think you're making a mistake.

Hey!

Someplace, huh?

Really?

Think we'll fill it?

It's sold out.

Well, you don't sound very happy about it, Freddy.

I want Gus to come back.

Why?

Something's wrong here, Bobby, and I don't know what it is.

But something's off.

Gus ain't going to come back.

You know how he feels.

If I called him, he'd come.

I don't think you need Gus anymore, Bobby.

What's that supposed to mean?

I just don't think he needs Gus anymore.

You get out of here, and I'll flatten you.

Oh, man, I don't know about you two.

He may be a friend of yours, Bobby,

but he don't know nothing about boxing.

Just maybe how to carry a pail.

Well, you want me to call Gus or not?

Okay, I just thought I'd ask you.

Yeah.

♪♪

Big crowd in Las Vegas waiting for this heavyweight fight

between Walker Lewis and Bobby Fallon.

Second episode of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Here we have them.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Las Vegas Nevada.

He's gonna give you the glare, so I don't want you to look at him, okay?

Okay.

What's he doing now?

Just standing there.

How?

Like he's waiting for the bus.

of the evening.

In the red corner, weighing 218 pounds,

in the red trunks with the black stripes,

from East St. Louis, Illinois, the number one contender

in the world, Walker Lewis.

Lewis!

Lewis!

And in the blue corner, weighing 183 and 1 quarter

pounds, he's wearing green trunks with a white stripe.

From Chicago, Illinois, Irish Bobby Fallon.

Fallon!

Referee's instruction.

I'm both you men have received instructions

from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Let's have a good, clean fight,

and I want you to listen to me at all times.

When I tell you to break out of a clinch,

I want you both to take one step back.

If you get knocked down, you must take an eight count.

The man showing you knockdown will go to the farthest corner

and stay there until I tell you to come out.

Watch your little punches, your tinny punches,

your rabbit punches.

Any questions?

Shake hands now, and good luck to both of you.

Just take it slow, no deterrence.

Just take and move and stay out of his reach.

When you get an opening to hit him, hit him.

Just a few seconds before the start of the fight

here in Las Vegas, this is a battle of two very strong heavyweights.

Lewis, the number one contender.

Here we go, round one, heavyweight fight here in Las Vegas.

Dr. Lewis, Bobby Fallon in the green.

Dr. Lewis, Bobby Fallon in the red.

Dr. Lewis, Bobby Fallon in the green.

Dr. Lewis, Bobby Fallon in the green.

Dr. Lewis, Bobby Fallon in the red.

Fallon backing off.

Lewis coming hard.

He's got Fallon in the corner.

Lewis is catching Fallon.

Lewis is the aggressor here.

Lewis is the aggressor here.

Lewis in the red.

Lewis is firing in the middle of the ring.

Lewis goes with a right to the head.

Stunned Fallon.

Fallon comes back hard with a left and a right.

Fallon scores with a left.

Left by Fallon.

Another left by Fallon.

Fallon driving Lewis back.

Lewis coming in now.

Lewis scores with a right.

And he scores with a left.

Yes, Bobby, so good!

The fight is round.

Wesley Stanley Burt drives Lewis away.

It's a mandatory eighth pound here.

Lewis in the corner, ready to come back to Fallon.

Can't tell whether Fallon is dazed or not.

Lewis coming in for the kill now.

Lewis is pouring in on him.

Lefts and rights.

Fallon protecting himself.

Coming in now.

Fallon.

Lewis hits Fallon in the low.

Fallon protecting himself.

Nothing Fallon can do.

Lewis is going in there.

There's a cut over Fallon's wide eye.

Referee has warned Lewis for butting with his head.

Fallon is badly cut.

Lewis is coming back for a hard shot.

Lewis is savage.

Fallon left, left, left.

Fallon protecting himself.

Lewis is trying to finish him off.

Lewis is giving him everything he has.

All right. The referee's situation.

He's gone on long.

He's right back to count two.

He's wanted me.

He's already wanted me.

Oh, God.

You gotta protect yourself, Bobby. You gotta protect yourself.

You stick and move, you hear me? Stick and move.

Keep your right hand up. Lips.

It's Bobby Fallon and Walker.

Fallon is coming on strong with hard lefts to the face.

Fallon was almost gone in that first round.

Lewis scores with a right to the head.

Lewis coming in now.

And they're mixing it up in the middle.

Fallon coming on hard now.

Fallon backing Lewis up against the rope.

Lewis continues to throw.

Fallon, we don't know where he's going.

He was almost down and out in the first round.

Referee Stanford separates the two fighters.

Fallon stalks Lewis.

Up, down, Lewis scores.

Fallon is down for the second time in a row.

This is the third against each other.

Fallon is down again.

It looks like there's another cut.

He has another cut on his left eye now.

His left eye is bleeding.

The cut on his right eye has opened up.

Fallon is bleeding from both eyes now.

Walker, Lewis is coming.

He scores.

He scores again.

He's down for the second time in a row.

Lewis scores.

Third for you.

Fallon is not coming in this fight.

We're only in the second round.

He's not coming in this fight.

Fallon is coming to his feet.

I think this one's almost over, folks.

What's your name?

Fallon. Where you at?

Vegas. Keep your hands up. Let's go.

Fallon is bleeding from both eyes.

I don't think you can see.

This fight might have to be stopped.

You can't let them put you on the ropes, you hear me?

You okay, Bobby?

Don't let them get you on the ropes.

Take your move.

Take a breath.

Two lefts.

Lewis is hit.

Oh, and Fallon hits Lewis.

Fallon hits Lewis.

A left and a right.

Lewis and Fallon has come back.

This is the second time Lewis has been down in the fight.

Referee Stanberg is holding him back.

It's a mandatory eight count.

Lewis is angry.

It'll be a mandatory eight count.

All right, here comes Lewis back.

Fallon has begun to swing.

Going on hard now.

And there goes Lewis against the rope.

Lewis is down again.

This is a mark of a combat by Fallon.

He's almost done it.

Lewis has gotten up.

Lewis has been down twice in this round.

Each fighter has been down three times.

This is one heck of a fight in Las Vegas.

Lewis is trying to get up now.

And they're mixing it up in the middle.

Lewis, a left to the side.

He's knocked Fallon into the ropes.

A right, a left.

Lewis and Fallon have fallen in that rope.

Fallon is finished.

Tom Trump, Fallon is taking the punishment here.

Five.

Fallon's in.

Fallon's not in.

He's in the ropes.

How you feeling, kid?

Well?

Here.

One.

Louis won.

How bad was it, Freddy?

You fought him, kid. You really fought him.

Coming from the arena, sportswriters were saying they never saw anything like it.

I don't know about that.

You put him down, don't you remember? And you put him down good.

How many times was I down?

Four times.

They count me out?

No. They stopped at kind of the cuts.

Why?

I'm still here.

Did you see it?

There's really something, Bobby.

I'm sorry.

You don't have anything to be sorry for.

They're saying you have heart, Bobby.

You have more heart than anybody I know.

Hey, Freddy?

Yeah?

Thanks for sticking with me.

Don't thank me for that.

I'm sticking with you is my job.

Bobby, you feel okay to deal with this?

Yeah, it's okay, Freddy. Let him in.

Great fight, Bobby. Great fight.

Listen, the doctor said he took 12 stitches.

You think it was from a butt?

I don't know. Maybe neck.

Well, what did you feel like when you knocked Lewis down and then when he got up?

Guys, I tell you, I don't remember him going down and I don't remember him getting up.

You think you gave away too much weight?

Maybe.

You think he should have waited another year?

Yeah, maybe.

It was the greatest heavyweight fight I ever saw.

You broke Lewis's jaw, you know that?

Yeah.

I don't get it, buddy. I lost.

Hey, kid, we're in Vegas.

They're all losers, too, remember?

Hey, buddy!

Hey, buddy!

Hey, buddy!

Hey, buddy!

Keep going.

Taking care of business.

So how you doing, baby?

I'm OK.

Look, I called over to the go-

I'm going to go put the bags in the car.

Yeah, all right.

Thanks, Freddy.

Hey, babe, I called the hotel, right?

I got food coming up to the suite.

It's all laid out, everything.

You got your money, right?

I don't know you nothing.

Hey, Bobby, what are you-

Hey, you and me are even.

You understand?

Now you get out of my life.

No, a Greek.

It doesn't feel so hot either here.

That was a hell of a fight.

You made a deal.

I know, I'm keeping it.

What deal?

What deal?

He's going away, Ma.

Not without me.

I made a deal, she didn't.

I'm going away, the rest is up to her.

Ma, he's gonna leave you again,

you know that, don't you?

Where do you think he's gonna take you, to Cayton Inn?

I don't know.

Maybe.

You're gonna leave with him?

Where was he all those years, huh?

He wasn't there, it was me, I was the one who was there.

He never showed up unless he wanted something,

like now, here.

You made money, a lot of it.

Hey, that's not why I took the fight, you know that.

What are you gonna do?

I love you, Bobby.

I've always loved you.

Ever since you were little.

I love you too, Kate.

I ain't little anymore.

Give me a beer.

How you doing?

What are you doing here?

I just got in today. Freddie told me you were over here.

Yeah? So what do you want?

Well, uh...

You were right, I was wrong, I wasn't ready.

That's all I wanted to say.

You were right.

You just have to have some more experience.

You've got to fight a few more guys to find out what you're doing.

That's my opinion, anyway.

Gus...

They want a rematch.

Yeah?

Yeah.

What are you going to do about it?

Well, uh...

They're talking about sometime this summer, like July or August, you know?

And, uh...

I thought I'd work on a few of those mistakes I made.

And, uh...

Gain a little weight, like you wanted me to do.

Come on, Gus.

Let's do this one for the beauty.