"How much is a man worth?" "Four bucks an hour for the lucky ones." "How do you feed your family?" "Where do you find hope when your name isn't even worth writing down?" "There's a big fence separating the rich and the poor, bigger than the one dividing the land and much harder to climb." "Where does a man get his strength to survive?" "From his will to fight." "I come from a people of fighters, who fight because they have to." "How much is a man worth?" "It depends on which side of the fence you're on the day you were born." "From Mexico With Love" "Laredo, Texas 7 miles from Mexican border" "Tensions at the border continue to escalate as Congress decreed that a double reinforced steel and wire fence be built along portions as national Guard troops take positions along the border for an extended period of time." "This is the United States Border patrol." "You have illegally entered into U.S. territory." "halt!" "AItos!" "Hands up!" "Los manos arriba todos!" "Los manos arriba!" " Let's go." " Que se meten por adentro." "Inside everybody." "Por adentro, por adentro." "Look out, I gotcha there." " Tito!" " Hey, Pete." " Hey, you Iike this one?" " God, darn it!" "Man, that's a huge one!" " Ain't she beautiful?" " About the biggest one I've ever seen!" "She'II catch a good price." "There you go, baby." "How big you think that is?" "I don't know, about five, six pounds." "God dog." "Man." "You out here alone?" "Just me and the snakes, brother." "Hey, I got to check the back of your van." "Do what you got to do, brother." "AII right." "Nice!" "Looks like business has been good." "I can't complain." "I saw you got yourself a pretty good catch this afternoon." "Yeah, every day, 24/7." "well, you got your majaIos, I got my snakes, brother." "Business is good for us both." "Just stay out of trouble, Tito." "Hey, you know me." "The first thing I Iearned, how not to get bit." "Come on, man, you're late, late, late." "Come on, Iet's go!" "This is all you can find?" "I thought you put the word out." "I did put the word out, but everyone prefers the action at Red's." "AII right!" "Fight night at Giorgi's." "Here we go." "Ready to make some money?" "Let's go." "Better, better, better, bet, bet, bet!" "Come on, three to one odds." "Let's do it." "hold on, all right." "You got it." "Good!" "AII right!" "We'II get some money." "We get all of the money." "That's what we like." "Any more?" "Two to one?" "There you go." "Giorgi, I'II go for 25, man!" "He's betting on himself!" "Look out!" "Twenty-five, we got that." "Big guy!" "Big one, he looks tough." "Come on!" "Gracias." "Yo, Tito." " You're late." " I'm sorry." "Go." "Come on." "Get in there." " You got the medicine?" " Yeah." "AII right." " Hey." " What?" "You know them?" "I don't know." "They come in different shifts." "could be someone else." "What are you doing?" "We can't let them find them now, Tito." "Yeah, they'II find 'em for sure you start shooting." "Get out of here." "Come on, man!" "Step out." "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten!" "You okay?" "Yeah, we're looking for another one now." "Just looking for another one." "Come on." "Who wants to fight?" "You okay for another fight?" "Hey, okay, we need another fighter." "Looking for somebody." " Look at him." "He's tired." " Who wants to fight?" " He almost lost that one!" " I'm tired." "What the hell is going on?" "It's a garage, Tito." "No one thinks otherwise." "AII right, I'II get them out." " Vamanos, vamanos." " Look, Tito... we need the money, man." "What, from a bunch of drunks?" "I got enough shit happening on the border already, okay?" "I don't need this shit!" "Gente, servicios a Ia derecha, agua fresca a Ia izquierda." "Hey." "well, well, well." "still the same old Hector, fighting in the dirt." "Last time I saw you, you were fighting some little runt back in Asunc¡ön." "Things don't change much, do they?" "Yeah, it's funny." "Last time I saw you, you were a stuck-up little brat." "Maybe things don't change at all." "I remember this." "They were your dad's, right?" "Don't touch those, okay?" "Why did you come here?" "Why does anyone come here?" "Who's that?" "Nobody." "well, he's a loud nobody." "Yeah, they usually are." "Joven, medicina." "This is it?" "What?" "They're cheap, okay?" "It doesn't always mean they got them in stock." "plus, you owe me from last week." "Yeah, I was going to pay you back with what I won." "And if you lost?" "You didn't think of that?" "No." "You can take it out of my cut of the side bets." "Which would leave you just with the bruises, right?" "You're not using your head." "Come on, we've got to go now." "welcome home." "Okay, Maria." "Hector, show her to the room." "Everybody else come with me." "Sígame." "You'II share your beautiful suite with Lupe." "She mostly works up at the house, so you'II have the whole penthouse here to yourself." "This is the kitchen, toilet's down the hall, shower's around the corner." "We share them, so there's no time for pampering." "There's a very modern pay phone here right outside your door in case you get homesick, but it cuts people off, so make the tears quick, all right?" "What is your problem?" "I ain't got a problem." "Mamí." "Hijo." "Dönde fuiste?" "I don't like this medicine." "Ma, it will help you breathe." "This helps me to cough." "Yes, that's because you're not using it right." "Listen..." "Mama, listen, don't go out to the fields tomorrow, all right?" "please." "No work, no pay." "I will take care of it." "Fighting?" "No, hijo, ya no." "You can't solve every problem with your fists." "Ya no." "Mama, please, I'II take care of it." "Don't worry about it, please." "Now you sound like your father." "Who's this?" "Ay, no." "Dios mío, Maria!" "hola, Señora villa." "So grown up." "How time flies." "How long has it been?" "Nine years." "Nine?" "Oh, my, you're so beautiful." "Verdad que esta linda, Hector?" "I didn't notice." "What do you mean, you didn't notice?" "Ay, me dices que tenemos azotes, tu tío." "tell me." "tell me about yourself, tell me about your family." "Mamí." "Mama, okay, take it easy." "Mama, take it easy now." "Lie down." "It's okay." "We can talk later, Señora villa." "We'II talk tomorrow." "Take it easy now." "Try to rest a little bit." " Don't go far." " No, I'II be here." "She doesn't look that bad." "Yeah, well, she is." "I'm sorry." "You should get some rest, too, because the first day in the fields takes it out of you." "What?" "Nothing, it's just... there's something different about you." "You mean I was not being a stuck-up little brat?" "Yeah, maybe." "Sorry, it's just different." "people change, Hector." "Life happens." "people grow up." "Here." "Oh, una mariquita!" "They say they're very good luck for farms because they eat a Iot of the pests." "Maybe I brought some good luck." "Maybe you brought the pests." "Oh, shut up." "Come on, Iet's go." "But I'm not done yet." "well, if I waited for you, we'd be here all day." "Mama, you okay?" "That's too heavy, hijo." "No, IIeves dos!" "Vas a Iastimar, Hector." "He's crazy." "I know." "Strong, but like his father, so pig-headed." "Don't hurt yourself." "Not a chance." "Thank you, Hector." "Bye!" "Hey, looks like you missed the truck." "I wanted to walk." "It's a Iong way in the heat." "I don't mind the heat." "Besides, you're driving a convertible." "still be hot." "Not if you go fast enough." "Why don't you take one of these?" "It's better than water on a day like today." "Are you going to drive by every day when it's hot?" "If you want me to." "My name's Robert." "You sure you don't want a ride?" "No, thanks." "Suit yourself." "What did he want?" "He just gave me a drink." "You want some?" "Nah, I Iike mine just fine." "It sure is pretty up here." "Yeah, if you're rich." "I wouldn't get too comfortable, you know." "Is that Robert?" "Yup, this is where he trains." "He's the local champ at Red's." "Take it easy, God damn it." "You're just working out... brat." "Is he any good?" "Yeah, he's very good." "It's just his balance sucks." "Time." "What the heck did you say?" "He didn't say anything." "So what, you got to hide behind your girlfriend?" "I said you got to work on your balance." " bullshit." " He's right." "That's why you're always off kilter after two punches." "really?" "Why don't you come up here if you know so much?" "I don't." "I think you do." "Maybe your girlfriend does." "What's your name, sweetie?" "I didn't get it earlier." "Maria." "Maria?" "What do you say you come on up here, and we show your boy here a thing or two about how I move?" "That's right, bring it on up, sally!" "You want to change your shirt?" "Hector, don't." "It's okay, Maria." "If he's any good, maybe I'II give him a new job." "You ever done this before?" "Yeah." "You got a mouthpiece for him?" "No." "How strong are your teeth, kid?" "There's another one around here somewhere." "You sure you know what you're doing?" "Yeah, I used to hear my dad's trainer scream a Iot." "Who was your father?" "AIfonso villa." "Watch his right." "AII right, square off." "No funny shit, you hear?" "No problem." "You got twenty pounds on this kid." "Just move around, work your jab, get some work in." "I said no problem." "Time." "Come on, come on." "Show me what you got." "What you gonna do?" "Throw cucumbers at me?" "Yeah, come on." "You're slow." "Nothing." "Come on." "There you go." "Bring it." "You're a picker, not a fighter!" "That's cute." "Da, Hector, aIIí, aIIí culo!" "Qué, qué, qué?" "Cut it out!" "Get these people out of here." "He's got something, though." "Come on." "You didn't actually hear us talking, did you?" "No, I just wanted your girlfriend's name." "You don't mind, do you?" "Break that shit up!" "God damn it!" "AII right, that's it!" "Take it easy!" "Cut it out!" "Hey!" "God damn it, that's enough!" "Get out of here!" "What's with the hockey game bullshit?" "That's the same crap you pulled in your last fight." "I won that fight, didn't I?" "Yeah, you won, but this ain't Red's, and you're just sparring." "I didn't want our boy to get too cocky here." "You did good." "Job's yours if you want it." "What's it pay?" "See, that's what I need, a sparring partner with some guts." "Hey!" "I say who fights and who don't." "Break this shit up!" "Vamanos, all of you!" "Daddy, I just gave him the job." "The job isn't yours to give." "billy, what are you doing, hosting amateur hour here?" "You know I want the boy in the ring with a professional sparring partner, not a goddamn picker." "But, jefe, Hector's good." "I mean, even billy said so." "I couId use him." "It ain't about him." "I want somebody down who's got a name, somebody who can help to mold this boy into a champion." "Name won't help." "Discussion is over." "Move it, you heard the man!" "Hey, billy, when Tito brought you to me, you were just a busted-out drunk, running two-bit smoker fights from the gutter in Mexico, and look at you now." "You got yourself a steady paycheck, plus you got yourself a contender to train." "Just train him to win." "Here." "Take it." "It's your share of my boy's winnings last night." "Go on!" "This half I earned." "The rest came from these." "This ain't boxing." "Hey, billy, what the hell do you think people want?" "They want titans." "They want blood, they want action." "That's what puts asses in the seats." "Then you should have built a goddamn wrestling ring." "Wait, billy, you're quitting?" "You let him go!" "I'm tired to death of your oId-schooI bullshit!" "billy!" "Wow." "Never been in here before." "You have no reason to come here." "Yeah, but now that you're here, maybe you can fix the toilet and get the water pressure working in the showers." " Hector." " No." "Or maybe we can come up and use your pool." "He's only joking." "Hector, Robert has something for you." "What's this?" "Fifty bucks." "You earned it in the ring yesterday." "Isn't that great?" "Thanks, bro." "I don't need your charity." "Robert, I'm sorry." "He didn't mean it." "I'II give it to him." "No problem." "Thank you." "Thank you so much." "Why do you do that?" "He was just trying to help." "Why were you riding with him?" "I went back to get your mom's inhaler." "She dropped it in the fields." "He gave me a ride back." "It's no big deal!" "These people play games, Maria." "You know about games, don't you?" "Oh, you're an ass." "You'II fit right in." "Take it." "This is for your mom." "Hey, I just saw..." "I just saw Ro" "This farm's going to be in the red this keeps up." "The boss ain't gonna like it." "We got to crack the whip." "It's the third goddamn time this week." "How much we short?" "About sixteen buckets." "But it's very hot, señor." "I don't give a good goddamn how hot it is!" "The way you Pepes pick, the crops are gonna rot before you get to them." "Now we're only paying per bucket from now on." "We get paid by the day, sir." "That was your deal." "Not anymore, son." "Hey." "It's bullshit." "No te puedes, no te puedes." "Hey, whose sorry-ass work is this?" "It's mine." "I'm sorry." "My mom's sick." "well, then she shouldn't be in my goddamn fields!" "That's not even half day's work!" "She didn't make but half the load." "Listen, Chico, you keep this up," "I'II have your Mama shoveIing shit with you out in the field, 'cause it seems to be about all your family's worth!" "Damn!" "Damn it!" "Sorry, Tito." "Tito, sorry, man." "I'm sorry." "You didn't want to take my money, and now you've got nothing." "What, no smart comeback?" "Get this piece of shit out of here." "Hey, pinche mojado... you ever set foot on this property again," "I'II deport every one of your people." "You understand me?" "I'II deport every goddamn one of them." "would you control your animals?" "Come on, Iet me go!" "No!" "Get your hands off me!" "No!" "I'm not going in there!" "I'm not going in there!" "Let me go!" "Hey!" "Let me out!" "Let me out of here!" "God damn it!" "God damn it!" "Let me out of here!" "Hey!" "Let me out of here!" "What do you want?" "Some water." " Thanks." " That all?" "You trained my father." "Tito tell you that?" "I saw the spiders on your sign." "Your dad, he was a good guy." "Stubborn, bad temper, wouldn't listen, wouldn't train." "He went his way, I went mine." "I don't look back." "Hey, I want to Iearn to fight." "I don't teach anyone to fight." "What about the kids?" "They don't fight." "You smell bad." "Muchachos, nos vemos." "Hombre..." "Tito told me about what happened, ese." "He said it was some show you put on." "Hey, I need to get back." "well, it's, uh... $2,000 to cross the border, ese." "You're a little short." "I know." "It's all I got." "Don't insult me." "Keep your blue money." "You know what?" "You owe me $2,000." "Dos, tres, por adentro." "What?" "Look at me." "That Jake was right." "You're a real son of a bitch, you know that?" "And I Iike your mother, so you must get it from your father, who was a no-good son of a bitch himself." "I'm sorry." "Are you all right?" "Yeah." "How's your nose?" "My nose is fine, not broken." "How's my mom?" "She's not good." "Can you take me to her?" "You want to foul things up for me, too?" "Here." "That's all your crap." "I fished it out of the trash." "I can take you to another farm." "I'm sure you can find another Jake there to fight." "Hey, man, I got to take care of my mom." "Yeah, well, you should have thought about that before you started slugging." "I can't go to another farm." "That's not my problem!" "AII right, this is what I'II do." "I'II look in on your mom, okay?" "Make sure she's okay until you get settled." "Then I'II bring her to you." "Listen, think about this." "Maybe I can become a coyote with you and Chucho." "The farm's all I can offer, or else Chucho will take you back over the border right now." "Okay, I'II go back with Chucho." "I'II let you know where I end up." "The kid is crazy, dude." "Where's he going?" "He's all right." "There's some hope for him." "You know what, Tito?" "You're crazy, too." "Aguantense." "Hey." "You must be a pretty good fighter, huh?" "I ain't a fighter." "I'm a boxer." "Oh, yeah?" "What's the difference?" "Boxers think." "We're out of water." "How do I get one of those trophies?" "Go down to the corner store, they're a buck apiece." "Is that how the kid got one?" "No, he earned it." "Okay, then I'd Iike a room." "well, you get a room the same way you get a trophy." "You buy it or you earn it." "What do I got to do?" "You play chess, kid?" "A little." "Okay, not much." "None, but I can box." "I mean, I want to box." "tell you what, I'II give you a choice." "You play me in chess, or you box EI AngeIito." "Okay, I'II box EI AngeIito." "Wait, who's EI AngeIito?" "AngeIito!" "Can you go another couple of rounds?" " With who?" " New kid." "Yeah, okay." "You got guts, kid." "I'II tell you that." "holy shit." "Wait, who are you?" "I work your corner." "Don't worry." "Hands up, chin down, got it?" "Got it." "Hands up, chin down!" "Whose side is she on?" "Stay focused." "Here you go." "Time!" "Go on." "So, how'd it go?" "You can have the back room." "Hey, where are you going?" "Hey, Robert." "Hey." "hola, Maria." "Cömo estas?" "Bien gracias." "Do you speak Spanish?" "Un poquito." "Y'aII, uh, quiere agua?" "Yeah, sure." "There you go." "Thanks." "This is beautiful." "You like it?" "Yeah, it's nice." "You haven't seen the property?" "Come on, Iet me show you around." "You see that tree right there?" "My great-granddaddy planted that." "That's how we tell if it's going to be a good season." "And how is that?" "well, peaches are really fickle to weather." "Every time this tree bears good fruit, we strike gold out in the fields." "The thing is, great-granddad never let a man pick from this tree." "always said that women had softer hands that wouldn't bruise the fruit." "I think that's a prize one right there." "Come on." "There you go." "Now, I think you should be the one to take the first bite this year." "Maria and I have to get groceries for dinner." "Then I'II give you a ride into town." "How about that?" " Okay." " AII right." "You know what?" "Give me a minute." "I'm going to go get changed, okay?" "Why did you say yes?" "I know what I'm doing." "Hey, you're supposed to be in the ring with ollie." "ollie's useless, Dad." "Thought you said you were going to get me a new trainer?" "I'm working on it." "Okay." "What's going on with that girl?" "Nothing." "Just having a little fun, okay?" "Trust me." "I know what I'm doing." "You listen to me, Robert, and listen good." "I don't intend to spend the rest of my Iife here, and unless you do, you better keep your eye on the prize." "Your grandfather saddled me with that pile of dirt out there." "Everything I got is tied up in it and you." "That's why I ride you so hard, you understand?" "I know, Dad." "AII right." "Let me teach you a little something about boxing." "You see, it's all in the combinations." "Jab, cross, uppercut, hook." "You do that right, the other guy will never know what hit him." "What if someone hits you first?" "well, the only ones who get close enough to hit me are usually just beautiful women." "They all fall for that crap, huh?" "Who's that?" "The other girls you've been with." "Yeah, pretty much." "Listen, we're having a party up at the house tonight." "You should come on up." "It'II be fun." "I want you to come." "I can't." "I have to make dinner." "After dinner." "We're not getting started till late." "Maria!" "Hey!" "Wear something nice!" "Man, I thought you were going to fix this, Giorgi!" "Hey, I did, and I guess I'II fix it again." "God damn!" "Just replace the damn thing!" "Tío Tito." "What are you doing?" "He helped us with the groceries." "well, Lupe's over here with her groceries, and you're over there?" "We were just talking." "Yeah, well, talk leads to other things." "Oh, come on." "Maria, one wrong word from that kid, and Stevens will shut me down." "He'II shut me down!" "That means all of us!" "You'II ruin everything!" "Why are you always worried about someone ruining everything?" "Don't you understand?" "I've got everything invested in this." "I'm not going to blow it." "Sorry, Tío Tito." "Your kids talk to you Iike that?" "You're still going?" "Yeah." "What about Tito?" "Tito's not my father." "Maria, you don't know these people like I do." "I work at that house." "I see what happens." "You're just jealous." "He didn't invite you." "Is that what you think?" "I'm not afraid to live my Iife, Lupe." "I don't want to end up like..." "Like what?" "Like Rosa?" "Like me?" "Like the rest of us?" "That's not what I meant, Lupe." "please." "Thanks." "That is a nice dress." "Oh, thanks." "I'm glad you came." "I'm glad you invited me." "Now that I got you here, can I get you on the dance floor?" "What's up, man?" "Hey, sweetie, how are you?" "Wow." "Come on." "I'II tell you something." "None of the girls I know dance like you do." "That was something." "Where are we?" "This little place is where I used to hide away when my dad would yell at me." "Aren't your friends going to miss you?" "My friends can have their fun without me." "Besides, unless you think there's a prettier girl" "I should be talking to... you're the only one I want to hang out with." "That's why I invited you." "What are you doing?" "It's what you wanted, isn't it?" "I mean, I thought..." "Are you drunk?" "Does this have something to do with Hector or something?" "Hector?" "You know, what happened to him was nothing but business." "He brought it on himself." "Hector has nothing to do with this." "Okay, all right." "I should probably get back to my guests." "Y'aII can start to have fun with the help." "AII right." "We'II stay." "No, no, no, you're not going anywhere now." " Fancy." " Robert!" "Where you going, baby?" " You can pick this cucumber right here." " Where are you going?" "Hey." "Hey, take it easy, honey." "What the hell's going on?" "What?" "They're just having fun." "Fun?" "You call that fun?" "They're my friends, and I tell you," "I sure have learned my lesson with your boy Hector about trying to help you people out." "hello?" "Hey, Berta, it's me, Hector." "Is my mom there?" "No, Hector, your mama, she's sleeping." "Oh, okay." "Is Tito there?" "Oh, sí." "hold on, okay?" "Come, teléfono." "Gracias, pues." "Hey, Tito." "How are you?" "Good." " How's my mom?" " Your mom's okay." "I checked in on her earlier." "cool." "I was calling you because," "listen, man, I need to borrow some money from you." "I knew this was coming." "Hey, Hector, you already owe me and Chucho." "Yeah, I know." "I swear to God, I'm going to pay you guys back, okay?" "It's just that I'm really worried about my mom, and I need to make sure she's getting her medicine, you know." "I just need the money, please, man." "Yeah, I'II see what I can do, Hector." "Thanks, bro." "really appreciate it, man." "Hey, guess what?" "I'm going to get billy to train me so I can fight Robert at Red's." "Wait a minute, you're fight..." "Are you stupid?" "I really got to go." "Thank you so much." "really appreciate it." "Take care, bye-bye." "This is you?" "A while back, yeah." "cool." "You fought Bob Foster?" "You know Bob Foster?" "well, yeah." "I got some of his old posters." "They were my dad's." "I mean, he was one on the greatest." "Nobody went the distance with him." "I did." "Fifteen rounds, fighting for the light heavyweight championship." "I lost the decision, but I went the distance." "How many fights you have?" "Fifty-eight." "I won the fifty." "Wow, what happened?" "I mean, after all that, how did you end up here?" "What's wrong with here?" "Nothing." "It's just not there." "only thing guaranteed in life is a hangover, kid." "Breakfast?" "Too far, too fast, dig you a deep hole in this game, and if you're not careful, that hole can right quick become your grave." "Your dad, Tito brought him to me." "He died on his own." "I'm not in the business of bar fights." "And Tito brings you other boxers?" "Tito's got a good eye." "He's got a way of doing things before anyone knows what hit them." "He would have made a good boxer." "The old guys, Joe Lewis, Jack Dempsey," "Ray Robinson, Rocky Marciano, Muhammad ali, you know what set those guys apart from the rest of the boxing world?" "Brains." "A chump don't become champ without them." "It's what you did wrong with EI AngeIito." "You let him get in your head, get you mad." "You get angry, you get frustrated, you can't think, and you're as good as dead." "Your father never understood that." "AII he wanted to do was hit people." "Any piece of meat can fight, kid." "Boxing is thinking." "You got to read the other guy like a chessboard, always think two, three moves ahead of him." "I'm not that good with the big words in english." "well, you can read the pictures, can't you?" "I'II tell you what." "I'II train you if you learn the words." "only two kinds of these in the world, kid." "Ones that get you into trouble and ones that get you out." "Which side are you on?" "Your side." "Good." "Fifty for the mitts and two hundred for first and last month's rent." "You got it." "That won't get you far." "well, I don't need to go that far, just up to Red's." "I want to take on Robert, and you can get me there, right?" "That's powerful ambitious right there." "That's just this side of stupid." "Listen, I know it's kind of crazy, but I need this fight, man." "I want to take care of my mom and get her out of the fields." "And I can do it, but I need your help." "Let's see what you do with the book first." "Here, you can work off what you owe." "I'm used to that." "Okay, watch this guy, now." "He's got heavy hands." "He can hurt you." "You don't want to trade with him." "elusive." "elusive." "I said eIusivo!" "My trainer's so hard on me" "well, my trainer's so hard on me" "His basket of rocks" "About to bust my jock" "My trainer is so hard on me" "What'd you do that for?" "Wasp." "This fighter has all the speed you're going to have to deal with with Robert." "I ain't fighting a girl." "Come on." "Yes, you are." "What, you want me to kiss her or something?" "I don't care what you do with her after you spar with her." "Time." "What the hell was that?" " The wasp again." " I didn't hear no wasp." "Do you want me to let him sting you, huh?" "What the fuck?" "Look, you got to think under pressure." "You got to Iearn to concentrate when you're getting clobbered from all sides." "You lose your cool in the ring, and it's all over." "You okay?" "Honor the ring, touch gloves." "My trainer is so hard on me" "billy Jenks is so mean on me" "Makes me haul him up and back" "In this rusty piece of crap" "My trainer is so mean on me" "Way behind on points, son." " It's not funny." " Offense, offense." "It's not working, son." "You've got to make him miss." "AII that stuff we talked about." " Time." " You okay?" " You sure?" " Yeah, I'm okay." "I'm sorry, okay?" "I'm sorry." "If it was a guy, would you apologize?" "No." "Then don't apologize to her." "It's insulting." "Okay, I'm sorry." "What did I just say?" "I'm just saying sorry for insulting her!" "Don't say sorry at all!" "I was just being polite!" "If I wanted polite, I'd be training baIIerinas!" " Sorry." " Damn it." "Y'aII, I'II tell you" "My trainer, he's so hard on me" " His basket of rocks" " Time!" "About to bust my jock" "My trainer is so hard on me" "Makes me haul him up and back" " In his busted cadillac." " Come on, big fella." "My trainer is so hard on me" "Got a little one." "I want you to take him all over this ring." "You'II wear him out." "Get him breathing out of his mouth without hitting him once, okay?" "What's up, man?" "Mamí." "Hijo." "You've been fighting?" "I'm learning to play chess." "I got my own place now, okay?" "So I'm going to take you there and take care of you." "How's that?" "I got something for you." "Yeah?" "Mamí... don't go." "Mama?" "I Iove you." "He's been up there for a while." "Leave him." "He'II come down when he's ready." "Take him something to eat, mija." "Hermanita, qué buena eres." "What the hell happened to this place?" "I don't remember it this bad." "I don't remember the Iast time you came back." "It's people like you who help make it this way, my brother." "I Iike to think I help people, not chase them away." "If all the people who left had the money to come back," "do you think they would come back here?" "I would." "And how much money would it take?" "How much is enough?" "I'm so sorry." "It's okay." "You were right." "About what?" "Robert and everything." "Wait." "Sit down." "What did he do?" "Nothing." "Maria, hey... did he hurt you?" "No, just..." "You were right." "We're just a game for them." "I don't want you to fight him." "How can you say that?" "It's not worth it." "Yes, every bit of it." "What would it prove?" "That we're not just some freakin' Pepes in the mud." "Root maggots, sir." "God damn!" "I hate this farm." "How bad is it?" "It's the whole goddamn field." "Just this field?" "So far." "What about pesticides?" "It's too late for that." "We gotta keep it from spreading." "Burn it." "Burn the whole damn field." "Hey, billy." "No breaks, Hector." "You won't get any breaks on fight night." "Here." "What's this?" "That's the other side of the money." "That's the other half from Robert's winnings the day you quit." "This belongs to you." "I want you to spend it on Hector." "I want you to take him on fuII-time." "Get him ready for Robert." "I can make this happen." "How?" "That's my business." "I work with snakes, right?" "When?" "You tell me." "How fast can you get him ready?" "Fast and ready don't go good together, not in this game." "Come on." "You trained Robert, right?" "That gives us the edge, doesn't it?" "You are some kind of a snake oil salesman." "Straight, straight, straight right." "That's it." "Turn it over." "AII right, but I need time, at Ieast a month." " More is better." " A month?" "Robert's had a Iot of fights." "He's twenty pounds heavier." "He's a schooled fighter." "I ought to know, I schooled him." "Hector's ready now." "You know that." "I watch him fight, okay?" "You know he can win." "You got Hector's best interest in mind here, or your own?" "I got all our best interests in mind." "There's a Iot of money to be made here, billy." "AII right, one month minimum." "Can you arrange it or not?" "Yeah, I mean..." "I don't know what I can arrange." " I haven't talked to the old man yet..." " Oh, great." " but you just get him ready." " That's just great." "You get him ready, I'II take care of the rest." "That doesn't set too well." "well, try a little tequila, wash it down, then it'II sit fine, my friend." "Keep it up." "Finish hard." "Knock the shit out of it!" "Time." "Damages would affect mortgage payments for the house and farm, employee payroll, property tax, undisclosed monies for the pickers." "Screw the pickers." "unsolicited monies for the pickers ain't real high on my priority list right now." "You understand?" "A ranch like this would collapse without them." "Hey, you know how to knock?" "I got no time for you now, Tito." "Come back later." "No, but I got a way for you to cover your loss." "What loss is that?" "well, the fields." "I mean, I've been to the fields." "You want to give me five minutes?" "Sure." "well, jefe, I got you a fight for Robert against the most popular fighter come out of Mexico in a Iong time." "And who would that be?" "Hector villa." "Didn't I just clean that boy's clock?" "Oh, yeah, you did, but not for money." "Oh, man, you're dreaming." "Odds would be 15, 20 to 1 for Robert." "It's going to cost me twenty dollars to make a dollar, man." "Not if I can fill the rafters with every migrant, every Mexicano putting his little peso down for their boy." "What's your point?" "If I can guarantee there's going to be heat on this fight, maybe I can even make a little percentage on the head count." "I don't share the house with anybody." "Hey, what's a little percentage, you know, compared to what you stand to make?" "Easy money, Pop." "Easy money, my ass." "Why in hell would I even consider this?" "well, I couId blow the whistle on you, on your hiring illegals to pick your fields." "It's against the Iaw, boss." "Now, why would you do that, Tito?" "You'd be deporting your own people." "Yeah, but I can get them back here in a week, and, you know, who's going to pick your fields in the meantime?" "I couId make your life miserable." "I don't want to do that." "Hey, and who knows?" "Maybe I couId double my money when I bet on Robert." "You'd bet against your own man?" "well, I may look stupid, but I'm not going to throw away hard-earned cash on, you know." "You're a real snake, aren't you?" "You've given me something to think about." "well, don't think too long because billy's getting our boy ready, and, you know, he's going to be training the boy." "billy's behind him?" "billy's behind him a hundred percent." "Twenty percent." "Twenty-five." "I'II set it up at Red's for this weekend." "Oh, no, give me a month, because I've got to create a buzz, man." "I want to bring every Mexicano down here, more piggies in the bank for you and for Tito." "A month." "Shit." "I couId take that boy right now." "I hope that's true, 'cause I'm betting the farm on you." "Come on, Maria." "Where are you going, bro?" "I don't want to miss the show, amigo." "Besides, the kid already owes me two grand." " Oh, come on, Chucho." " That's four grand with this trip and six counting Maria." "You'II get your money, okay?" "Just making sure." "well, get on." "Come on." "Hey, Pete." "PatroIman Pete and his twin." "What's up, Mr. presley?" "Hey, Tito, how's business?" "Never better, man." "I got some good ones back here, up in the front here for you." "You'II see, I got some live ones." "That's fine." "I just want to check out the van." "Yeah, what for?" "I got only the old dry skins back there, man." "That's fine." "I just want to see for myself, that's all." "Yeah, okay." " What the" " Shut up." "You never told him about how I saved your life, did you?" "He's full of shit." "You never heard that story, did you?" "Nah, I didn't tell him." "Aw, man." "You know what?" "I caught this guy on the side of the road with a rattler bite, and he'd fallen over running from the snake." "Remember that, right?" "And he had sat on some cactus, right?" "And I had to sit there by the side of the road." "It's a good thing nobody was watching, because I was sucking the poison out of his leg, and pulling the thorns out of your butt, right?" "well, anyway, I did you a big favor." "I found that son of a bitch, and I killed him, and I saved him for you as a souvenir." "'Cause, you know, the old folks say it wards away evil spirits, Pete." "I got the skin if you want it." "No." "No?" "That means..." "Look, the national Guard's going to be here soon." "You can't hunt snakes out here anymore, Tito." "That's okay, man, I can go elsewhere." "It's a big desert." "No, you don't understand, Tito." "You got to leave the state if I see you out here again." "If I do, you'II be hunting snakes on the other side of the fence." "That's no problem, Pete." "I mean, after tonight, I probably won't need to come back here at all." "I won't even need to come back here." "God bless you." "Take care." "Pete." "It's good seeing ya." "Hey, Tito, you really sucked the poison out of his ass?" "Shut up." "Hector, you're late, man." " I know." " It's my fault." "What?" "Is everything covered?" "Yeah, I got it all." "Not to worry." "Where the hell are you going?" "I'm protecting my investment." "I'm working the kid's corner." "What the hell you know about working a corner?" "I hold the bucket and he spits, nothing to it." " Get out of here!" " No, he's good." "He knows what he's doing." "I can help you." "I mean, you need help." "I couId get somebody from out at Stevens' to help you." "No." "Just hold the bucket, do exactly what I say, nothing else." "No problem, señor." "Chucho's really good, and he's a loyal worker." "He really is." "Get off me." "Come on, Maria." " That son of a bitch." " Come on, man." "Just be a minute." "Maria?" "This is bullshit, billy." "Hey, you wanted the job, right?" "Protecting your investment?" "Chucho, how do you think I feel with you touching me." "Man, this is freaking gross, okay?" "Yeah." "How's the action?" "Not good." "Kick it to 1 3 to 1." "Let's see if any of these fish bite." "Sure, all right." "AII right, boys, change of plans." "Thirteen to one." "Not tonight, ollie." "Hey, come on, hurry this shit along." "I need you out there, slick." "Come on." "I'm not taking the needle tonight." "The hell you ain't." "Come on, drop your drawers, you take it like a man." "I don't need it, not for no damn picker." "well, that ain't the point, now, is it, Robert?" "Picker or not, I need you to be my one sure thing tonight." "I can take him on my own." "And what if you can't?" "I just need everything you got tonight, son." "I've always given you everything I got." "Come on." "Lace him up." "What the hell am I paying you for?" "You ready?" "Yeah." "You know what those spiders mean?" "My dad said spiders fight up close." "Get in tight, and then take him out with your sting." "No, God damn it!" "He never listened to a thing I told him!" "Spiders build a web, wait for their prey, draw them in for the kill." "If you do it right, your opponent does most of the work." "The way your father had it, you'd be doing all the work." "You'd burn yourself out." "I know, I was only kidding." "My dad told it to me just like you said." "I just like to see you getting all worked up." "Oh, you do?" "You know, they used to call your father "Boom-Boom,"" "'cause that's all you heard." "If somebody hit him, boom, he hit the floor, boom." "He was getting to be a joke, and I..." "I just don't want you to become the punch line." "He was no joke." "What?" "He did the best he knew how, okay?" "And so am I." "You're right." "Your father was the best I'd seen in a Iong time." "He was a good friend." "He was good to your mother." "He could have been a great boxer, better than me maybe, and I was good." "When I see you now, it could be him sitting there," "looking at me the same way you are now." "And I'd say to him exactly what I'm going to tell to you now." "What's that?" "Cut the mush and let's get out there in that ring, boy!" "AII righty." "You good?" " Yeah." " Let's go, champ." "Hurt him, boy." "Hurt him!" " Just wait." " Why?" " villa!" "villa!" " Okay." " villa!" "villa!" "villa!" "Hey, old school, gonna get a whipping tonight." "You shouldn't have showed up, boy." "Don't worry about that." "He's just bullshitting." "Let him run his mouth." "Can't hurt you with his mouth." "He's not so big." "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the main event, ten rounds of boxing." "In the red corner, weighing in at 182 pounds, from StevensviIIe, Texas," "28 and 0, 24 by way of knockout, our own champ, Mr. Robert "slick" Stevens." "And in the blue corner, weighing in at 159 pounds, from Mexico with love, first time fighting in the U.S.A.," "Hector "Boom-Boom" villa." "Yeah!" "Come on!" "And the referee tonight from hollywood, california," "Judo Gene LeBeII." "Okay, fighters, in the middle." "Nice of your picker friends to come." "Too bad your mama couldn't make it." "You guys know the rules." "This is a non-sanctioned fight, but I want you to stick to the rules." "If the guy falls down, don't lay the boots to him, don't step on him, and no thumbing in the eyes." "Now, if you feel like it, shake hands and come out fighting." "What the hell are those supposed to be?" "He's just shit-taIking to get in your head." "Just stick with what I taught you, and you'II be fine." "Stay loose, son." "This guy's a chump." "Do the job, we go home early." "One more thing." "Knock that shit-eating grin off that bastard's face." "I banged Maria while you were gone." "She was begging for more." "Two, three, four, five..." "Fight!" "That a boy, that a boy." "Pick it up!" "Two, three..." "Take the rest." "...four, five, six, seven..." "Okay, fight." "Come on, ref!" "Didn't you hear the bell?" "Get back to your corner." "What the hell are you doing, son?" "He's good." "Yeah, he's good." "You're kicking his ass." "Keep it clean, all right?" "You cannot stand toe to toe with this guy." "He's too strong." "You got to work on all the stuff we talked about." "Keep pressuring him, all right?" "Keep working the jab." "Don't let him get you mad." "Boxing is thinking." "He's always dropping his lead hand, but don't get complacent." " He's good." " Yeah, he's good." "Two, three, four, five..." "You okay?" "Fight!" "One, two, three..." "Va, Hector." "five, six..." "Go, come on." "Break." "God damn it!" "Stop it!" "Come on, man, come here!" "That's it, son, that's it." "I think I hurt him." "Yeah, you did." "Take a look." "Look at that guy." "You cut him." "That's the way to move." "Move in one line, move out the other line." "Change those angles going in." "Go in one way, come out another way." "He doesn't know where you are." "You know what else?" "You're faster than he is." "Stay away from that right." "He's getting in with that right hand." "Do not stand in front of this man." "If you stand still, he can think." "As soon as you move, he freezes." "A deer in the headlights, the second you move, all right?" "Push away!" "I need you to make this man miss." "You see him breathing through his mouth?" "You get him working." "You look like shit, bro." "would you shut the hell up?" "He's blowing air." "You see him breathing through his mouth?" "He's sucking air." "I need you to make him miss." "If you make him miss, you'II wear him out." "Keep moving." "Don't stand in front of him." "It's all working." "He's going to give you that liver, and I want you to bury your hand in it up to the wrist." "You got me?" "Right it into his back!" "Get in there!" "Go on!" "God damn it, boy!" "Get in there and finish him, boy!" "You hear me?" "Yeah, Hector, get in there!" "That a boy, that a boy!" "Vamos, Hector!" "Stay away from that right." "Get up, Hector!" "Five, six, seven," "eight..." "Fight." "That's right." "dale, Hector." "That's right!" "You can count to 105!" "He's ain't getting up!" "You won, kid!" "You won!" "You're out." "Ladies and gentlemen, referee Gene LebeII has called this bout!" "Come here, kid." "That's my boy." "Two minutes and ten seconds of the sixth round." " I Iove you." " I Iove you, too." "And the winner by a knockout, from Mexico with love..." "You did it." "Hector "Boom-Boom" villa!" "Hey, Tito, give me a light." "You bet on the picker, didn't you?" "Yeah." "I bet all I had on the picker, and everything my friends had." "What you gonna do with all that money?" "We're going home, jefe." "We're going home." "How much is a man worth?" "wealth is not measured by money alone, but by the kind of love he has around him at the end of the day." "Because it's that love that gives him the will to fight, to fight for something better than what he had the day he was born."