"In towns all across America, you see pictures just like this." "Young men taping their hands, lacing up gloves... sweating in solitary confinement... beating on bags that accept their punishment and never return fire." "Within their minds, they begin to hear the roar of the crowd... while daydreaming of the adulation, the respect, the riches, the glory... that come with being Champion of the World." "This is a harmless moment of make-believe... culminating with a shower and then a return to the local factory or mill... where another work shift awaits." "But for some, however, the dream is so strong, the allure so powerful... that a young man decides that this will become more than a workout." "And despite the odds, he decides to take that leap... and throw punches that for mostly are guaranteed to be returned." "Charlie Davis decided from an early age to take that leap." "And for lack of a better plan, or perhaps some crazy belief... that I was friends with a future champ, I decided to tag along." "Charlie had a knack for knocking guys out." "And I was there to help guide him through the minefields." "We were two kids from Beaver Falls, PA... scrambling to find our way out in a town where all roads pointed in." "By now, most of you that follow boxing... have heard about the legend of Charlie "Kid" Davis." "Around these parts he was known as "The Boy Who Would Become King."" "But that's not exactly the way it started out." "Don't laugh." "It was billed as the Western Pennsylvania Tough Guy Tournament." "Good prize money, a pay-per-view event in our hometown." "Charlie's folks had it on the screen over at their bar." "They weren't thrilled with this circus... but they didn't have nothing better to offer." "Besides, Charlie's dad, Gene, had big problems of his own." "Apparently, we didn't know just how serious those problems were." "Don't worry about nothing." "I think you're wearing him out." "It's been six weeks, Gene." "My guy wants to know how far do you test a friendship?" "I'll give him his cash, Willie." "Bit by bit." "I'll give him all that's not tied down." "I got to give him something, Gene." "You keep making promises, but they're starting to feel a bit empty." "I'll sign over the fucking lease." "He can have the joint." "He don't want it, Gene." "The beer's flat, the pipes leak, the toilets don't flush." "Burn it down." "The fucking cinders are worth more." "Looks like Charlie's got his hands full." "I told him not to do this." "He's fighting a fucking tent show freak!" "Who knows?" "Maybe Charlie wears him down." "Maybe the blimp can't go three rounds without a meal." "You got a lot of unknowns here." "Charlie's a boxer." "What has that got to do with this?" "What's it got to do with this?" "Let's make my night interesting, Geno." "I like the danger." "I like that intrigue." "How about I take Charlie, and you grab hold of the fallout from Hiroshima?" "What are you saying?" "You want me to bet against my kid?" "Against someone, in favor of someone else." "Let's not get personal." "It takes the wind out of your balls, you know what I mean?" "Separate yourself momentarily." "Think clearly for a change." "You win, Geno... it buys you two weeks with the old man off your back." "I win...." "And what?" "You must come with your loose change and hope the old man can't count." "All right." "You gonna take the pineapple?" "Yeah." "Life, man." "It never fails to amaze." "Just when you think a man's hit rock bottom... he finds another hole." "Ain't that right, Geno?" "I wouldn't let this go to the judges, Charlie." "You know what I'm saying?" "All right, here." "Hey, Charlie!" "When he falls, step the fuck out of the way!" "He's ready to go!" "Timber!" "Be careful!" "It's a tsunami!" "We love you, Beaver Falls, home of Charlie "Kid" Davis!" "Charlie!" "We caught a ride home with the big sumo." "He seemed like a real interesting guy, spoke five languages." "Unfortunately, none of them were English." "So we just smiled a lot." "Thanks a lot, pal." "He's a nice guy." "What?" "What's the matter?" "I got to make a move, Tiny." "I can't do this no more." "I don't know this?" "Eight years of Golden Gloves, of AAU to end up dancing with... the night watchman from Manila, and I got to hear this from you?" "I wanna be a champ." "But it ain't gonna happen here." "Look around." "Ain't nobody being crowned in this town." "Nevada, Charlie." "But not the obvious." "I'm thinking Reno." "It's wide open there now." "The casinos are promoting cards like crazy... and they got the money to back it up." "Reno is the place." "You go out there, make a name for yourself..." "Vegas comes calling." "Why not Vegas first?" "I can't breathe in the fucking desert." "They got fallout from every nuclear test known to mankind." "How can you train in that kind of atmosphere?" "Reno, Charlie." "You got opportunity with a nice morning chill." "You could be a champ in Vegas and need a part-time job parking cars." "Wherever I got to go, Tiny." "It don't matter at this point." "If I stay here, I'm gonna starve." "We'll make it our Emerald City, Charlie." "Someone will wave a magic wand and the dust will turn into gold." "I've done the homework." "They've got a belt waiting for you out there." "A belt worth more than this whole town combined." "Sounds like a plan, huh?" "Then let's go do it, come on." "When I saw the ambulance, my mind immediately thought suicide." "In this town, death by natural causes don't solicit that quick a response." "Charlie's dad was buried a few days later." "The gravediggers were on strike, so we shovelled the dirt ourselves." "Charlie told me if he'd been home that night... his father might still be alive." "I think Gene was dead long before he ever pulled the trigger." "In some sort of strange way, he freed Charlie that night." "What many people would call an act of cowardice... was the final impetus Charlie needed to head out and chase the dream." "And somewhere deep down in his tormented soul..." "I think his dad knew that, too." "You got enough sandwiches in here to feed a small country." "Make sure that Tiny knows they're for the both of you." "Okay, Ma." "Don't do no driving when you're tired." "It ain't a race to get there." "I know." "And call me when you get settled in." "Before that, too, if you get the urge." "I wanna share this with you, and I want Pop to see it happen, too." "You don't owe me anything, Charlie." "What you must do is answer the bell, 'cause it's ringing for you, Charlie." "You gonna be okay here?" "What choice do I have?" "It's not like they gave me a whole bunch of options." "I'm gonna make you proud, Ma." "Believe me when I tell you I'm gonna be a world champion." "Answer the bell, Charlie." "You're halfway there." "God gave you strength... and he gave you a heart." "Body and soul, Charlie." "That's a tough combination to beat." "I'll tell him you're on your way." "Okay." "What's the matter, Tiny?" "Can't wait to leave home?" "Just trying to get a jump on traffic." "I wouldn't worry about it." "After three blocks, the road's all yours." "I wasn't really worried about the traffic." "I wanted to get out of town before someone checked their driveway... and noticed the car was missing." "What's this?" "1965 Wildcat Convertible." "Where'd you get it?" "My uncle." "What uncle?" "My Uncle Leo." "What Uncle Leo?" "On my mother's side." "What do you care?" "He lent me the car." "Get in." "He knows we're going to Reno?" "Sure, whatever." "Don't worry about nothing, Ma." "I'm gonna take good care of him." "I know you will, Tiny." "You take care of yourself." "Okay, let's do it." "Here we go." "See you." "I talked a big game... but all I knew about Reno was that Johnny Ticotin trained fighters there." "Johnny was an old school guy." "He crossed paths with the great ones, and he wouldn't be easily impressed." "I figured if Charlie caught his eye, maybe we could be his last hurrah." "And if not, well, I guess I'd just move on to Plan "B."" "As soon as I thought of one." "We'd left Beaver Falls with a plan." "But it wasn't long before Charlie decided we needed company." "Like I wasn't company enough?" "Tiny, pull over." "What for?" "I'm getting us some company." "What?" "Picking up chicks on the interstate?" "Haven't you ever seen America's Most Wanted?" "We can end up on the side of the road with our balls in our mouth." "You should be so lucky." "Thanks a lot." "So, where you headed?" "Away from here." "Her name was Gina." "She had blue streaks in her hair, and dark skeletons in her closet." "The hair I could see, the bones I could just feel." "Believe me, she was not part of my master plan." "Gina had a frantic look in her eyes, and very few other possessions." "The scent that I picked up on was... that she had just tunneled out of some sort of miserable situation." "The daylight seemed foreign to her... like a hostage whose blindfold had just been removed." "Oh, boy." "I haven't taken a dump since Western Pennsylvania." "This long-distance driving can really throw off the system." "So, what puts a girl like you on the side of the road?" "I don't know, fresh air." "Sure." "Why not?" "Any time I wanna smell the roses, I just stroll along the interstate." "Okay, then." "So you understand." "Where's your family?" "At home." "Watching the news, doing the dishes, walking the dog... getting up in the morning and doing it all again." "Where's your family?" "My mom's back in Beaver Falls." "We're headed for Reno." "I'm turning pro." "You're gonna be a hooker?" "Fighter." "Prizefighter." "Are you any good?" "That's what I'm gonna find out." "And Costello, where does he fit in?" "Tiny." "Yeah, Tiny." "He's with me." "Is that a good thing?" "I'm new to all this so" "I'm new to all this, too." "She chip in there, Charlie?" "She had coffee." "What do you want me to do, charge her?" "Coffee today, steak tomorrow." "This kind of interference we do not require, Charlie." "We got a straight line here." "Already I feel you veering." "You're worried about breaking rules that ain't even been written yet." "All right." "As long as we got a forum here." "You know, open lines moving in both directions." "We'll go like this for a while." "We're fine, Tiny." "Believe me when I tell you this." "That's one hell of an option I got there." "Believe me when I tell you." "I thought we had made a mistake picking her up in the first place." "And yet, here we were about to do it again." "In my mind, the bottle of malt liquor in her hand was not a good sign." "For starters, it was 10:00 a.m. And beer without a bag?" "That's a misdemeanor in my book." "You don't even know this girl." "And it's not like we need any social detours now." "We got an agenda here." "What do you want me to do?" "Leave her on the side of the road?" "This is just a lack of focus." "I just want you to be aware of that." "Hey, Gina." "We're all looking to start over." "It's scary taking that leap." "No reason you should take it alone." "Tiny says you need to stay focused." "I think I am." "Come on, get in." "I never doubted she'd get back in the car." "Charlie thought it was his charm, but I knew better." "If Gina wanted a ride, she'd have to continue on with us." "My instincts told me we weren't in hitchhiker heaven." "We were on the road for another three days." "One night we splurged and shared a room in a fleabag motel." "Gina snored like a truck driver that night." "I wanted to kill her." "With her nostrils flared and her mouth half open... she reminded me of the great racehorse, Secretariat." "Once that image came to me, I decided to let her live." "I always loved that horse." "Reno!" "Yes!" "I surprised myself with the exuberance I exhibited when we rolled into Reno." "Later I found out it was an epileptic response to all the flashing lights." "Instead of looking for lodging... we headed straight for Johnny Ticotin's gym." "After all, we were here on business." "This is it, Charlie." "This is where it all starts." "Let's go say hello to Johnny." "Tiny, don't we get to find a bed?" "We just drove across the world to get here." "I ain't worth a shit to no one going in like this." "Make yourself worth something." "This is what we came here to do." "We ain't playing games no more." "Picking up chicks on the highway and pissing in the woods." "This is business." "Your father's dead in a barroom and we're one step away from joining him." "You wanna lay down and rest?" "Fuck that!" "We came here to fight!" "I'm gonna go scout some rooms, see what's available." "Why don't you go do that?" "We'll be one big, happy family... climbing the golden ladder together." "Why don't you just jump right on in and join us?" "No problem." "We've only been mapping this day... since fucking childhood." "You ain't got to talk to her that way." "Ain't nobody cutting you out." "I ain't cutting nobody in, either." "Is it that easy, Charlie?" "Is that how it works?" "Come on, not before we even get started." "That ain't rational thinking." "You wanna blow it up before we even get hit?" "This ain't no lark." "It's no high-school joy ride." "I know what I'm doing." "I'm doing the fighting." "Then give yourself the shot." "That's danger you're fooling with." "That's no stable influence." "You're acting like a blind man who's seen the sun for the first time." "Let's me and you go inside." "Once we're in there... that's the only number that counts." "All right." "You hear me?" "All right." "All right, come on." "Let's go." "Hey, Johnny." "Come on, I got a headache." "What?" "Sorry, but there's someone here I want you to meet." "Why?" "This is Charlie Davis..." "Golden Gloves, AAU champ of Western PA." "At $1.40, he hits like a mule." "He's got the heart of a warrior, Johnny." "You can't teach that." "If he's that good, why isn't he fighting for the championship?" "I need a trainer, Mr. Ticotin" "Johnny's sufficient." "I know what I can offer." "That's why we came out here." "Nobody can do it alone." "I don't know what to tell you." "I'm not a mechanic." "I don't know." "You come in here, you light up a fire." "Okay." "If I feel the heat and I feel something, maybe I can help." "I know one thing:" "Nobody can win without feeling something." "Nobody." "Maybe you watch Charlie work out, and something catches your eye." "You got your gear?" "Sure." "Yeah." "Then let's go." "Three rounds with Lenny Turco." "Who's he?" "Who are you?" "I'm Tiny O'Toole." "I'm Charlie's manager." "You in the racket?" "Sure." "What's your first name?" "Tiny." "Let me tell you about Lenny Turco, all right?" "This guy is a professional opponent." "He doesn't ask questions, he doesn't complain... he's low-maintenance, he's been around here forever... which is a lifetime longer than he should've been." "He looks like a light heavy." "He's an opponent." "That's all you should worry about." "Let me tell you something, all right?" "A good manager, you see, is like a good kid." "He's seen but he's not heard, you understand?" "They don't...." "Wait a minute, they don't pay to see us." "They pay to see the fighters, the people in the ring." "That's the show." "They pay to see them." "And when they're beaten senseless and bloody... they don't pay to see them anymore." "You got that?" "Yeah, sure." "Come here, Charlie, let me get that." "Here you go." "All right, go to work." "Just so you know, we just rolled into town." "I want you to take that into account in case Charlie isn't...." "You know...." "Whatever." "There you go, Charlie!" "Finish it!" "That's in the gym, kid." "Tell you what I saw." "The guy's young, fast... he hits hard... and the most important thing is, he's White." "That'll get him started in the fight game." "So you're gonna train him?" "Okay." "There's something else I wanna explain to you." "See, this whole game, this whole thing is a two-way street." "And sooner or later, it becomes congested." "I don't know what deal you have with him or he with you." "I don't wanna know, you understand?" "I want you to understand something, down the line, sooner or later... there are gonna be some people, you understand, people... who won't be so understanding." "We came to win, Johnny." "Nothing else matters." "Ain't nothing wrong with that." "Everybody wants to be a champion, for God's sake." "It's a dream, and it helps you get up in the morning." "What's up, Tiny?" "We're in luck." "Johnny will help us out." "Great." "When do we start?" "I'll tell you what." "Come around tomorrow morning... when you're settled in." "There's another thing I want to get clear here." "Most guys, they bring their fighters along slow, you follow me?" "They don't wanna rush to the top." "Not me." "You see, I show them what I got... and if they like what they got, I double the stakes." "I double the stakes right then and there, you follow me?" "If a thing opens up a good opportunity, I get a shot, I grab it." "Understand?" "There's no ifs, ands, buts, whys, or because with Johnny." "I like the sound of that." "You save all your energy for the ring, follow me?" "Don't waste any of it on the outside world." "You put your heart, you put your soul, you put your dreams... you put everything right here in the ring." "You got that?" "Yeah." "We got up early and started to run." "Charlie by the river, me, to a phone." "We were short on cash, so I called Uncle Leo... and offered to sell him back his car." "He offered to break my legs." "I respectfully declined." "I was talking to Johnny." "He's thinking about the undercard over at the Eldo." "Four rounds, a good intro, meal and rent money, and a leg in the door." "I'm telling you, we stay on track, we could be fighting every month." "Be like a fucking freight train." "Ain't nobody gonna get in the way." "I didn't see Gina this morning." "She say anything?" "Hello." "Goodbye." "What's she gonna say?" "Come on, Charlie." "Drop the fucking curtain." "Let this girl go." "She don't know nothing about you, about us, about herself." "We're all doing our own little hustle, but this girl can't keep time." "What's scaring you, Tiny?" "She ain't no threat here." "Ain't nobody pushing you for the exit." "Ain't nobody helping me open the fucking doors, either." "This ain't about how few limitations we got here." "It's more like, "What are you doing to help?"" "So, what's she doing, Charlie?" "She needed a ride, a place to stay." "So we don't need to discuss this further." "We don't need to discuss nothing." "Why can't you feel good and let it be?" "Hey, look at me." "Who's to say I don't feel good?" "Gina found a job serving drinks at a local casino bar." "I thought she'd have been better off doing some exotic dancing." "Good money, and a good sweat, too." "Dumas was the town's big fight promoter." "He smelled Charlie's potential early on." "And he paid us a visit." "What do you think of our guy, Mr. Dumas?" "Tiny O'Toole." "A pleasure to know you." "I knew it would be a matter of time." "You knew that?" "That's some gift you got there, kid." "Tiny, he works with Charlie." "He kind of handles things." "Whatever needs doing." "I'm just here to help push the cart along." "Yeah, that's great." "I got to tell you something." "This kid does nothing but come straight forward, straight ahead." "And I ain't got nobody in this gym that's gonna turn him around." "We'll put him in that four-rounder." "For now, it's a favor 'cause he's filling a void." "After next week, when we see how he does, we'll talk again." "You're the guy to promote Charlie's fights, Mr. Dumas." "We want to do business with you." "Of course you do." "In this town, you ain't got no choice." "I knew we'd hit it off, and I couldn't wait to tell Charlie." "What drives you?" "I mean, what is it that makes you know exactly what you want?" "Fear." "I'm scared to death of standing still." "That's why I fight." "And the noise I hear blocks out the silence." "I can't face that, either." "I'm fighting elements, Gina, not people." "You know what scares me?" "Coming here a stranger... with a stranger." "Just floating through everything." "Not being able to see through the fog." "I mean, none of this seems real." "And why don't I care?" "I care, Gina." "Enough for both of us." "Stay long enough for the fog to clear." "And I'll guarantee you you'll start to care, too." "I promise you." "How can you be so sure?" "Because I don't have a choice." "That night Gina and Charlie had a romantic evening alone." "Me, I was out negotiating tooth and nail to ensure..." "Charlie had proper dressing room accommodations for his pro debut." "I always look out for my guy." "You're using too much grease, for Christ's sake." "I know my guy." "Ain't nothing you could tell me about Charlie Davis." "I done everything but deliver this kid." "Relax, Tiny." "Charlie, you cut easily above the eye." "Nothing wrong with being safe." "You listen to me, kid, all right?" "You go in, you go out, and you don't fool around." "Just another day at the gym." "There's nobody out there we're trying to impress." "Half of them are still getting drunk at happy hour." "You're in, and you're out." "Okay." "How you feeling?" "You asked me that five minutes ago." "Will you leave him alone?" "We got a fight to do." "This is what we came for, Charlie." "Stay focused." "Let's go." "I never saw Charlie's debut." "It was over before I could turn around." "Ladies and gentlemen, three seconds in the first round." "A winner by TKO:" "Charlie "Kid" Davis." "Dumas was impressed." "We were on our way." "Charlie started to fight on a regular basis." "The crowds loved his boyish looks and his all-out fury." "And soon he became a welcome visitor at Dumas Productions." "He's expecting me." "Enter!" "Mr." "Dumas, Charlie Davis to see you." "Yeah, okay, send him in." "Yeah, that's good." "Hey." "Charlie Davis." "Grab yourself a seat." "Can't complain, can you, Charlie?" "Life right now is palookas sticking out their chins, so you play knock-knock." "They haven't all been pushovers." "No, that's right." "It's a figure of speech." "They've all been Grade "A," pure beef." "It's time to move up." "Time to start fighting for real money and get you out of that rooming house." "It's served its purpose." "Sure it has." "You, the broad, Lou Costello there." "It's a regular sitcom." "Thanks, babe." "Johnny says if I want a title shot, I gotta do business with you." "I don't want this to come as a shock to you... but you can't take a leak in this town without doing business with me." "I own the porcelain, pipes, the paper they use to wipe their ass." "So let's forget about you having any options." "You want a shot at the title, I'm holding the belt." "It's a one-horse town, Charlie, and I own the reins." "So what gets done differently?" "Nothing gets done different." "I get all your future fights, and a share from promoting and managing." "I have a manager." "Oh, no, you don't." "You got a dufus from your hometown... that you let sniff your mouthpiece and wash out your jock." "He can continue two jobs, as long as he don't interfere with the battle plan." "And the percentages?" "30% to promote, 30% to manage." "Plus expenses." "So after it's all said and done, who am I fighting for?" "For the glory, Charlie." "Charlie continued to fight for the glory." "And Dumas continued to make money off him." "Gina was still a part of Charlie's life... although from my perspective... the combo platter of casino air and Reno life... seemed to be pushing her back towards a freeway ramp... with an extended thumb." "What's going on, Gina?" "This whole situation is like a furnace, Charlie." "I mean, I thought maybe if I just gave you some room to breathe..." "maybe we could see things clearer." "What are you talking about?" "You know this place is just temporary." "I'm moving out soon." "You, too." "This is a rental town." "I feel like the floor lamp nobody really needs." "I mean, you're looking for the fully furnished." "That's not me." "Look what's happening to Tiny." "What are you talking about?" "He's getting squeezed right and left." "I mean, he's a blank face in a neutral corner." "He's lost." "And you're just getting started." "I mean, what happens when the ship comes in?" "You'll be holding up your belt, waving it in the dark." "You'll turn, look at me and say, "What's she doing here?"" "Listen to me, Gina." "You're talking out of exhaustion." "Give up the bar gig." "I can take care of things here." "Give you a chance to sort things out." "That's why you found me in the first place." "I'm no good at sorting things out." "Don't run no more, Gina." "Please." "I can make things good, for all of us." "I gotta make things good for myself." "Otherwise, what is the point?" "You got trouble in paradise, Charlie?" "You looked drained, Charlie." "Undefeated, and you look like a beaten man." "Things are getting complicated, no?" "That's what happens when you share your dreams with a stranger." "So I ask you... what the fuck happened to simplicity in such a short period of time?" "She ain't the problem." "What, you want me to argue with you?" "Okay." "I'll take your lead." "She's a thumb-waver, drops in from outer space." "I could put a blindfold over your eyes, you could take a whiff... you wouldn't know if it was feast or famine." "Who the fuck you kidding?" "She don't interfere with nothing." "She don't interfere, but she don't help, either." "Either you're helping push the boat... or you're an anchor, holding us back to the fucking dock." "Who needs it, Charlie?" "What do you want me to do?" "I got Johnny, Dumas, you" "Don't you even start with a list, and add me to it... like I'm a fucking piece of produce." "I dragged you here, Charlie." "All you had were a couple of dreams without the dick to go chase them." "I been pushing you since forever." "Without me, you're back in Beaver Falls, fighting in alleys." "We're just getting so close, I'm starting to get scared." "Look what's happening here." "It's almost time to step up." "Let's not give that moment away." "I gotta find her, Tiny." "You ain't gotta understand it." "Charlie, this has all been planned, for Christ's sake!" "This has all been planned." "I went straight to the bar and disappeared for a week." "You're gonna be on the fight card." "They're gonna list you as a special added attraction." "You seen Tiny?" "No, I haven't seen Tiny." "You all right?" "You don't look great." "I'm all right." "Tap water?" "It's bottles in my contract." "We'll have a case for you." "I don't drink no tap water." "We don't expect any special surprises from Estrada." "What we expect is that Estrada will be introduced..." "Estrada will bow to the assembled... and then Estrada will get knocked out." "I don't need to say anything else." "Calm him down, will you?" "How about that?" "Let's hear it for Mr. Mustafa." "Nice suit you got there." "We're gonna check the drapes in the show lounge later, you know?" "Let's get some of our esteemed guests up here before we go any further." "Come on right up here, fellas." "What I want to do for those of you kind enough to stick around... and eat at my catered affair here... is to introduce you to a wonderful, young fighter... who you're all gonna get to know before very long." "He hails from...." "What is that place?" "Beaver Falls." "Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania." "He fights in the welterweight division... but he has the heart of a heavyweight." "Let's give it up for Mr. Charlie Davis." "Charlie Davis, okay." "And not only will Charlie be fighting on that card... but hopefully, in the very near future... this man will be competing for the championship belt." "Yes, sir, that's for sure, okay." "Any questions here?" "Who's the kid gonna be fighting?" "Dietrich, what do you care?" "You're about 10 minutes away from being Rip Taylor's rubdown boy." "Okay, that's right." "The jokes don't get better than that." "Okay, no." "In all honesty, though..." "Charlie's gonna be fighting a very quality opponent." "The veteran..." "Jorge Mendoza." "Wanna translate that name for them over here?" "These mooks don't understand it." "That means that man is a contender." "Where is Mendoza?" "Why isn't he here right now?" "That's because he's back in his hotel room smoking crack." "Guy's a stone-cold junkie." "You don't know that, huh?" "There we go." "How about that." "A little entertainment for all." "Thank you." "That's all." "Get out of here, you fat bastard." "Who are you?" "Me?" "I ain't nobody." "Don't worry." "Right." "He's certainly nobody." "Guy escaped from the lounge, a little comedy thing we got going on there." "Thank you." "That's okay." "The exit's here." "They're looking for you." "Don't kill yourself." "I'm nobody." "I'm providing entertainment for you." "Hey!" "I'm not anybody's entertainment!" "I'm Tiny O'Toole from Beaver Falls." "Don't nobody here ever forget that!" "Play me for a motherfucking fool, I'll kill somebody!" "Fuck that!" "He's gonna kill somebody." "We got a vicious killer beaver!" "We don't want him killing nobody, do we?" "Come on, let's all settle down." "Get your hands off me." "Stop it!" "A free preview." "Charlie Davis." "There's more where that came from." "Let's see that Spanky gets on the bus, okay?" "We got any more questions here?" "You got a death wish, for Christ's sake?" "I've seen fighters go after another fighter..." "I've seen fighters go after their ex-wives... but I've never seen a fighter who went after a promoter... who was trying to do something for him!" "And what do you do if somebody makes a disparaging comment?" "I can't let them beat on Tiny." "Come on, you would've done something different?" "You done the right thing." "I'm proud of you." "Shut the fuck up, Tiny!" "Worst mistake I ever made was coming out here." "Who needs this circus?" "Okay." "Let's break this down and look at the game tape, shall we?" "Now, on one hand...." "Oh, you." "I don't even wanna talk to you, you dumb drunken bastard." "What the hell were you yelling about?" "I got a question for you, Dumas." "What are you doing giving out free liquor at 11:00 in the morning for?" "I come from a long line of alcoholics." "You gotta be sensitive to this issue." "I think I got you guys playing in the wrong room." "I should book you at the Nugget." "We can open for Wayne Newton." "Listen, hope this little incident sells us a lot of tickets... because otherwise I can't justify you knocking out my employees." "I think you broke that guy's nose." "What's with Mendoza?" "Bringing him from the clinic?" "No!" "He's been dry for four months." "What do you care?" "What are you, Will Rogers all of a sudden?" "Just get in the ring and fight the guy." "I don't need to beat up junkies, Mr. Dumas." "You don't qualify for a title by rocking a graveyard." "Hey, you qualify when I tell you." "That's the way it works." "This isn't a union apprenticeship." "This be show business." "That's enough of the freebies, okay?" "You wanna do any fighting, save it for the ring." "What he's doing ain't right." "You can't cut up a pie 12 ways and give yourself nine pieces." "It ain't legal." "Plus, you get fat!" "What is that?" "He's got both players on the card, plus the building is his?" "That's the way they do things here, you understand, for Christ's sake?" "What are you gonna do?" "You're gonna come off a Greyhound bus... come in here, and straighten everything out?" "There are light bulbs brighter than you!" "You don't need to insult me, Johnny." "I brought you gold." "You can stand there and try to pretend you're handing out favors here... but until Charlie showed up..." "Old Mother Hubbard's cupboard was bone-dry... and you and your big rep were one step away from a fucking valet gig!" "Take it easy, Johnny." "I'll see you in the gym." "Here's the bottom line, Tiny." "Get on the fucking Prozac." "'Cause I can't take much more." "Charlie, we got the goods, man." "Ain't nobody gonna want to rob you unless you got something to grab." "Dumas knows that." "So does Johnny." "Everybody knows that Mendoza's on the pipe." "Come on." "And who are you telling to get on Prozac?" "You're the one chasing that fucking nut job around." "She is the poster child for mental illness." "Enough with her, all right?" "I learned my lesson." "Look, I ain't never gonna pick up a fucking hitchhiker again." "I learned my lesson." "I ain't even gonna stop at a red light no more." "We didn't mention Gina after that." "Charlie, because it was a moot point." "And me, because I didn't want to jinx our newfound period of peace." "The echoes of silence must've intrigued her, 'cause she reappeared." "I'm sorry about the other day." "Sometimes I say things I'm not sure I mean." "I found a place to stay." "Yeah?" "Yeah." "Nothing special." "Just a pit stop that gives me time to kick things around." "Gina, I'm offering you the chance to try something." "That's all." "And I thought that if you weren't otherwise inclined... this could be something that might intrigue you." "But for this to happen, you gotta stand still." "Just for a moment or two." "But you gotta stand still." "Well, I am so inclined, Charlie Davis." "And I wanna try something with you." "And the idea does intrigue me." "And I will try to stand still." "You sure it's not gonna get in the way of your fighting?" "I don't think so." "If it does, I'll let you go." "You'll let me go?" "I meant I'll let you know." "That's not what you said." "That's what I meant." "Look, Gina, I get hit in the head a lot." "At times my thoughts get scrambled." "Yeah, well, I know all about that." "Listen, before we get too far... maybe you ought to tell me about the kids." "What kids?" "Those you got tattooed on your back." "Unless, you know, you're renting out billboard space." "In high school, I was involved for a while... with an older woman, 25, 26." "She had kids from a previous marriage." "Perhaps my devotion was a little extreme." "They are little angels, aren't they?" "Yeah." "You can't lose with angels, can you?" "That's what I hear." "Dumas turned the rooming house into history." "His kindness came with a price." "You got your basic setup, nice refrigerator... microwave, dishwasher... beautiful closet space." "Rug was just shampooed." "How much?" "Mr." "Dumas is handling everything." "I don't think we can afford to have Mr. Dumas handle it." "What can I say?" "I'm sorry about the other day." "Got a little carried away." "Broke my nose, you know." "Sorry." "I was just doing my job." "Do you think I enjoy this type of work?" "I'm trying to make a living." "Years ago I was considering joining the priesthood." "Got central air in this joint?" "Box is on the wall." "Thanks." "I guess we're all set here." "I'll be leaving now." "Thanks." "You need anything else, you shouldn't hesitate to call." "Mr." "Dumas has got big plans for you." "I'll remember that." "Toilet's got a nice flush." "It's a beautiful thing, Charlie." "Charlie continued to work hard." "He'd run and train in what appeared to be a calming sort of solitude." "Alone with his thoughts, it was a part of the day he seemed to cherish." "But Dumas' watchful gaze was never very far away." "Hey, kid!" "Don't leave it all on the highway." "This ain't the fight that's going into the archives." "They're all the same, Mr. Dumas." "I don't change the routine." "Don't be so formal." "You ain't got to call me Mr. Dumas." "After all, we're in business together." "Nobody knows your first name." "Doesn't give us many options." "Hell of a way to get respect." "Don't give them a fucking choice." "Let that be a lesson to you." "So what do I call you?" "I don't know." "We'll come up with something." "I don't think Mr. Dumas ever introduced us." "Charlie Davis." "Felice Gillen." "I'm a big fight fan." "Oh, yeah." "She's a real aficionado." "Charlie already has a girlfriend, Felice." "I peg him as the loyal type." "Besides, he's in training." "You don't need this as a distraction, Charlie." "She's highly intoxicating." "I wouldn't be able to pull you off of her." "Ain't that right, sweetheart?" "I'm gonna head back to the gym." "Yeah, you go ahead and do that." "That Mendoza, he's a tough cookie!" "Keep your punches up in front of you." "Good luck to you both." "Referee Toby Gibson, giving them their final instructions." "Juan Mendoza, veteran in the blue trunks." "Charlie "Young Kid" Davis in the red trunks." "Here we go." "Round one." "Davis likes to press the attack." "Told us he'd gonna go after the veteran, try to get him in the body." "And he's starting off like a house afire." "Davis moving in." "Mendoza's been through many fights." "He dislikes getting against the ropes." "He knows what kind of damage the Kid's fists could inflict." "Charlie Davis relentless in his attack." "The Kid...." "Mendoza could've been de La Hoya, for all the good it would've done him." "Charlie's body shots crippled the guy." "You could hear his ribs crack up in the second mezzanine." "That's it, folks." "The crafty veteran is shot with the body shots." "Oh, my." "Stay down." "Do yourself a favor." "Charlie Davis is now in the neutral corner... as Referee Toby Gibson begins the count." "I don't think Mendoza's gonna get up." "Devastating triple left hook to the body... and that punishment is more than Mendoza can stand." "That's it, Charlie!" "Charlie Davis' first fight." "He's a local hero, folks." "With a knockout, at 30 seconds into the first round... the winner, Charlie "Kid" Davis!" "Mendoza had little to offer while standing." "However, while on the stool... he cautioned Charlie to protect himself outside the ring as well." "Some of life's hardest combos... are apparently not always the ones you see coming at you." "Man, I feel bad for this guy, Mendoza." "The human body isn't prepared to take that kind of punishment." "Tremendous body shots, Charlie, tremendous!" "He said something to me." "He said that inside the ring I'd be safe." "But outside, the pain was much worse." "What'd he mean by that?" "Nothing." "The guy was beaten to a pulp." "He was delirious." "He wasn't even a fighter anymore!" "He should go find a coffee shop and spout Shakespeare." "Sellers wins tonight, he's next." "Prick's been a charade for years now." "It's about time somebody threw him a beating." "He's still the champion." "You gotta remember and respect it." "The man has something we want." "Johnny, he's just renting the belt." "He knows that." "He's just another tough guy who's played one too many lounge acts." "That won't happen to Charlie." "We'll take care of business." "We'll clear out of town." "Got all the answers, don't you?" "What, I ain't supposed to?" "I don't need any shit from you." "What you should do is go out and roll an old wino... so you have the price for another drink." "I'm working here." "Believe me, we'll try to find something to keep you busy." "Enough here." "You wanna have this guy hang around, fine!" "I got tolerance." "But sooner or later, people are not gonna think he's so funny anymore." "Fuck you, Johnny." "Hey, come on." "I got a champion here." "Who brought him to you?" "Me." "Without Charlie, you're just another errand boy for Siegfried  Roy." "You son of a bitch, don't you talk like that to me." "Know what I'm gonna do?" "I'm gonna slap your nuts like a speed bag!" "You don't talk that way to me!" "Nobody talks that way to Johnny T." "Johnny, the tiger's hungry." "Go out on The Strip and find some bones." "I don't need any shit from him." "Bring me my stuff later." "I'll break your head some day." "We'll call it" "Enough!" "Why don't you get the fuck out of here?" "Swear to God, you're exhausting me." "Glad to see everybody's still getting along." "Charlie, we need you ringside." "Why don't you go grab a seat and pretend you're part of the glitterati?" "You can watch Sellers slap this cockroach around... and then we'll announce the plans for your future." "Title fight between you and Sellers." "You gonna promote that fight, too, Mr. Dumas?" "What are you getting into, you filthy fuck?" "You got both fighters, promotional deals, and managerial setups." "Who you rooting for?" "I'm rooting for you to step in front of a bus." "You got some kind of an annoying habit of opening up your mouth." "See you outside, Charlie." "Try to understand me." "60% plus expenses, and the guy don't even break a sweat." "He says we fight Sellers." "For how much and when?" "All of a sudden Charlie baby's got a face people turn for." "Is Dumas the only game in town?" "Sure." "For now." "But the world is always changing, Charlie." "We're getting a title shot." "I know that." "But that's because it makes sense to Dumas." "That's the only reason." "All I'm saying is it should make sense to us, too." "Come on." "Robin, Rico Estrada coming in here into Reno... big crowd, big national television, he's fighting "The Thrill"..." "does he have a shot?" "You bet." "Fight fans here are gonna end up being very surprised." "Charlie took a seat ringside per Dumas' request... and I'm pretty sure my words of advice were still ringing in his ears." "But the crafty Dumas counterpunched, and played another card:" "the lady in red." "How does it feel to be the next champ?" "Given the alternatives, I'd say it's pretty good." "I think it's you, Charlie." "Sellers gets by Estrada... gives us time to drum up some bad feelings between the two of you." "He didn't beat Estrada yet." "Sellers likes to press the action, but he's not getting a chance." "Estrada's coming with rights and lefts to the body." "He's pressed the action against Sellers... but the veteran should be used to this." "Good left job by Estrada rocks Sellers." "Sellers against the ropes, Estrada counters body shots." "This guy, he didn't come here to lose." "Nobody comes here to lose." "How do you think all the new buildings keep going up?" "He'll have to kill Sellers first." "And even if he does, best it's gonna get him is a draw." "You can't stop progress, Charlie." "Our deal's already in place." "You don't think I plan for problems like this?" "Final seconds of Round 1." "Sellers trying to hold on." "Why don't you join us for the party?" "Bring your little blue-haired friend also." "Sellers trying to get through." "Final moments here of Round 1." "Is he gonna make it?" "Yes, he does." "Why don't we just meet up later?" "What?" "Back at my place around midnight." "You leaving?" "Is that bad?" "Are people gonna whisper that Charlie Davis can't hold on to a woman?" "They're ready to go with Round 3." "So far, this has been all Estrada." "Can Phil "The Thrill" Sellers muster it up?" "Can he come back here?" "He's in danger of losing his world championship." "Here comes Estrada again." "Good right, good lefts." "Sellers in trouble." "The championship may go." "Sellers didn't stand a chance that night." "But Dumas apparently wasn't concerned." "He knew the outcome was never in doubt." "The head butt stopped the fight... and left the decision in the hands of Dumas'judges." "The cards were unanimous, and Sellers was still champ." "Estrada, he had the championship away from Sellers." "Ladies and gentlemen, the referee, on the advice of the ringside doctor... has stopped this fight at two minutes 13 seconds of the second round." "Your winner, and still the Welterweight Champion of the World:" "Phil "The Thrill" Sellers." "It's not my kind of party, okay?" "I'll see you at the gym." "No drinking." "Okay." "Johnny should've put his morals aside for a second." "A hundred bare-chested women were no danger... compared to one woman in a red dress." "I would've bet you'd pass on this extravaganza." "Why is that?" "You don't look like the type to hang out with strangers... pretending to be happy." "Just doing my job." "You wanna buy me a drink?" "Is that part of my job?" "That's your call." "How do you like those bubbles, girls?" "As much as we like you." "Wanna come in?" "Champagne." "Whatever's locked away." "Water." "Whatever's open." "You asked me to buy you a drink, not take out a small loan." "Aren't we the thrifty small-town boy." "Relax, Charlie." "It's on the house." "How come I'm not surprised?" "What's your situation with the girl?" "We're trying to find out." "What's the situation with you and Dumas?" "He's still trying to figure it out." "Shouldn't you and he get things more clearly defined?" "Would that make you feel comfortable?" "You've danger lights flashing around you." "Shouldn't I see them?" "Opportunity knocks, Charlie." "If I were you, I'd open the door and take a peek." "And the mouse said, "Don't blame me, I just got here."" "Hey, hold that thought." "I'll be back in minute." "All right, can I have your attention, please?" "Unfortunately, Phil Sellers couldn't be here for this announcement... as he's celebrating his victory in the hospital." "But I want our great fans to be the first to hear... that we're very close to a June 13, title bout... between Phil and this town's newest sensation..." "Mr. Charlie Davis." "Let's hear it for Charlie." "We anticipate a tremendous match... as this may very well be Phil's final rumble." "Then again, maybe not." "He's got the casinos, the federation, the judges." "To get a shot, you gotta play ball with him." "But to control your own destiny, you knock people out." "What becomes the controversy then?" "There is none." "You don't let nothing go to the judges." "Time!" "Look, everybody knows that Sellers is at the end of the line." "He cuts, he swells, he bleeds like a fucking virgin." "But Sellers don't go down." "Now, Dumas can control a situation like that." "As long as Sellers is still standing, Dumas is still pulling strings." "Would you stop filling his head with shit?" "We're trying to get ready for a fight." "Put a punctuation point on it... against Sellers, Mendoza, Estrada, Mr. Magoo." "Leave them on the mat." "Yeah, that's good theory, but it's easier said than done." "Everyone in town saw what happened to Estrada." "They boo, tomorrow they forget." "Dumas knows his clientele." "They can't believe what they just paid to watch." "So, just to make sure, they're gonna do it again." "We got a job to do." "Let the business take care of itself." "Johnny, I'm not here to argue with you, no matter what you might feel." "Tiny, there ain't no issue here." "Judges, referees, ringside physicians... they can be friends of the family, members of the board." "Sellers' time has come and gone." "Just find someone who can count to 1 0." "Yeah, all right." "I'll go ask around." "You look like you could use a ride." "I gotta admire your persistence." "Kind of wears on you, doesn't it?" "This situation made the whole thing with Gina... seem like a nursery-school incident." "This chick Felice, I guarantee you, had never hitchhiked a day in her life." "Charlie was sucked in by the stench of her snake oil charm... and was ready to follow her into the sunset." "Somewhere in the distance, I could see Dumas yanking on the strings." "Hey, kid!" "How you doing?" "That robe fits you nice." "I didn't know this was your place, Mr. Dumas." "Well, it's all mine, Charlie." "The whole town." "I guess you didn't take me literally." "I better get going." "No." "Where you going?" "Stick around, sit down." "Finish your meal." "You're in training, for God's sake." "That Felice." "She throws a nice spread, don't she?" "Yeah." "She's terrific." "So, Charlie, what's happening?" "She sort of invited me over." "No, I'm not talking about that." "Do I look like the jealous type to you?" "We're in business together." "Look, let's make a rule of thumb from now on." "What's mine is yours, and what's yours, well, that's still yours." "And if the mood strikes you, once in a while, you share with me." "Anything in particular?" "I'll let you know." "Come on!" "Three, three!" "It's a nine." "Sorry, it's out." "I need a little credit here." "New bets, everyone, new bets." "A little credit, another seven and seven, and a little fucking respect!" "Tiny O'Toole in the house, motherfuckers!" "What?" "How about we take a little walk, pal?" "How about you get your teeth cleaned?" "You fucking stink!" "Hey!" "Fuck you, man!" "Get off me!" "You're out of here!" "Come on." "Let's go!" "He took care of fat boy." "I'm surprised Tiny isn't here." "He said he'd meet us." "What can I tell you?" "He has his own agenda." "While Charlie waited for his pre-fight physical..." "I waited in the emergency room, thanks to Dumas' henchmen." "Sellers had just bluffed his way through an eye exam... and stopped to exchange pleasantries." "What do you got for me, Johnny?" "A real thing?" "Or just another pretender rolling through town?" "Why don't we keep that a surprise?" "Yeah, why not?" "I never liked that guy." "I'm sure the feeling was mutual." "Okay, champ, let's go." "Training continued while I went off to lick my wounds, drown my sorrows." "I needed to rethink our relationship, our goals, our dreams." "I wasn't sure we shared them anymore." "Meanwhile, by process of elimination..." "Gina suddenly found herself cast in the role of the nice girl next door." "That's 'cause Felice had already chosen her part." "Who is it?" "Hi." "Hi." "You just caught me on my way to work." "Come on in." "Come in." "I'll be fighting Sellers for the title." "Yeah, I know." "Next to the early-bird special, it's the hottest ticket in town." "I'm nervous, Gina." "Everything I thought was taking so long is suddenly moving so fast." "It kind of alters your breathing patterns." "You afraid of getting hurt?" "Not in the ring." "I'll let you get going to work." "Yeah." "Back in the beginning, you said something to me." "I'm not sure you meant it." "What'd I say?" "You said you wanted me to ride with you for a while... 'cause together you thought we might add up to something nice." "You still believe that, Charlie?" "I don't know what I believe anymore, Gina." "Ladies and gentlemen..." "Dumas Productions in association with the Eldorado Hotel...." "All right, you guys, get ready." "Let's go." "That night was the first time that Charlie entered a ring without me." "I knew I should've been with him, but I couldn't bring myself to take the stroll." "I snuck in after the opening bell, like a thief going through a store window." "That prize being offered that night was partially mine... and yet I couldn't allow myself to collect." "Introducing first the challenger, out of the blue corner... he hails from Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania." "145 pounds... a perfect 21 wins, no losses... a record including 20 knockouts... please welcome Charlie "Kid" Davis!" "And out of the red corner, the Champion of the World." "He weighs in at 1 46 pounds." "A record of 45 and seven, 21 knockouts... from the Brownsville section of Brooklyn...." "Where's Tiny?" "Never mind where Tiny is!" "Keep your goddamn focus in the ring!" "Where is O'Toole?" "This has to be on his mind as he gets ready for the biggest fight of his life." "Final instructions." "Here we go." "Round one." "Phil Sellers, the World Champ, 45 wins, 7 losses, 21 knockouts..." ""Kid" Davis, the big crowd favorite." "They love him here in Reno." "He's still looking around, as we start the first round... for Tiny O'Toole." "Here we go." "Charlie Davis usually likes to press the action, come in... and we're seeing a bit of that, but I don't see the aggressiveness... we usually see from Charlie Davis." "Good left-right combination right there." "Phil Sellers, though, not one to give up." "He comes right back with a good left upper cut." "Good combination by Sellers." "Davis now backing up." "He's got Davis into the ropes." "First time in his career that Charlie Davis has been against the ropes." "Tiny!" "What happened?" "Can't get a good steak in this town." "Tried to send it back, feathers got ruffled." "Again, Sellers pressing the attack." "And a good shot!" "But back comes Davis." "What a great round." "These two guys are going to war, folks." "Forty-two shots, one after another, back and forth." "Great first round action." "And there's the bell." "A great round between Sellers and Davis." "The crowd is into this thing." "And look at this, he's finally spotted his old mate." "What happened to Tiny?" "He pissed off a lot of people, Charlie." "Someone must've taught him a lesson." "He's getting squeezed right and left." "He's lost." "And you're just getting started." "You got a dufus from your hometown... you let sniff your mouthpiece and wash out your jock." "This has all been planned, for Christ's sake!" "Answer the bell, 'cause it's ringing for you." "Your father's dead and we're one step away from joining him." "This whole situation is like a furnace." "I dragged you here, Charlie." "All you had were a couple of dreams without the dick to go chase them." "Answer the bell, Charlie." "God gave you strength... and he gave you a heart." "Body and soul, Charlie." "And here's the second round." "The first round was a real rugged...." "Look at this." "Davis comes flying off his chair!" "It is the old Charlie Davis!" "The challenger presses the champion." "Sellers in trouble against the ropes..." "Davis going to the body, back up to the head." "A left to the body, right to the body, pressing him." "The crowd on their feet." "They're going crazy here." "Sellers is in trouble." "Right hook by Davis." "Sellers barely able to stand on his feet, and down he goes." "Down goes the champion." "It's hard work to beat up a blind man." "Champion of the World." "Charlie had become a champ... and yet I felt that I had taken the more severe body shots." "Part of me wanted to cry, and another part of me wanted to laugh." "For some reason, I couldn't do either." "Congratulations, champ." "Gina?" "Sorry to disappoint you." "You're not disappointing me." "I just thought you were someone else." "She left right after the fight." "Looks like a Sellers fan to me." "Yeah, well, I think the whole thing was a little overwhelming for her." "You know what they say:" ""It takes a man's woman to deal with a man's game."" "Is that what they say?" "So, what do you want to do, champ?" "Good evening." "Nice to see you." "Hi, how are you?" "Hi." "Congratulations." "Great fight." "Felice and Charlie hit the town that night." "Their first stop was the Roxy Bistro." "They didn't need a reservation." "A table was already waiting." "Hey, Charlie." "Sit down." "I never got a chance to lift in your honor." "What's with Sellers?" "That's very simple." "First he had the belt, and now you got it." "I'm leasing you a shot at life, Charlie." "From this moment on, everything you get is a fucking loaner." "To your health." "What about Felice?" "Well, Felice, she's a grown woman." "I think she knows the score." "So what's the score, Felice?" "Don't say anything stupid, and leave well enough alone." "You want me to put her on the tab?" "I got no problem with that." "Look, it's all right." "Just play the game, walk a straight line, and good things will come." "She's a smart girl, Charlie." "You could learn something from her." "Well, you got a defense in six weeks." "Don't drink nothing tonight you can't piss out tomorrow." "Who am I fighting?" "Not to worry." "I'll find you another cripple." "Champion of the World!" "I gotta stop." "Where you going?" "I'll be right back." "What are you doing, Tiny?" "Having a fucking drink." "What's the problem?" "Let me know what's going on." "I got mugged waiting for a bus." "Do you want me to name names?" "I think we all know where it came from." "What can I tell you?" "It's a personality conflict." "Not everybody's gonna love me." "I love you, man." "I want you to come back." "Stay with me, work the corner." "You ain't got no openings." "Everything's full." "I could suck your dick, but I think that slot's already taken." "Besides, I can barely move my neck." "Let's stop with the funny for a second." "What, are you kidding me?" "That's what I do." "Fucking mouth's got a life of its own." "That's why we ended up here in the first place." "I wouldn't let up, remember?" "So what do you wanna do next?" "I'm gonna go grab a cup and a cane, go out on the corner." "Look, Charlie, I ain't no charity case." "You don't gotta worry about nothing." "Tiny, I didn't say that." "Where you going?" "Tiny!" "Did you find him?" "Yeah." "What did he say?" "Only good things." "Charlie moved into a penthouse suite, and I took a room down at the "Y."" "He made several lackluster title defenses... as the fast lane competed for his services." "I was miserable, and Johnny wasn't thrilled, either." "Come here." "What the hell was that you were doing?" "I'm working." "You were training?" "Yeah." "You better put your heart in it, or you're gonna lose your championship." "No more the Champ of the World!" "Wake up." "Charlie became a casino fixture, and was oblivious to all that watched." "Despite lousy training habits, he was able to keep winning fights... thanks to Dumas' handpicked judges." "At the tables, he gambled like a blind man... smiling, as the money slipped back into Dumas' casino vaults." "How much longer will the alphabets let you avoid this kid?" "He's 28 and 0, all KO's." "He's got a following of cockroaches... willing to shovel under the border... just to see him fight." "We gotta grab him." "How to pronounce his name again?" "Casilios." "Rueben "El Raton" Casilios." "El Raton?" "Yeah." "The Rat." "Fucker's got the right nickname, don't he?" "With a belt, he's as handsome as the next guy." "What happens if Davis beats him?" "He'll have to kill him first." "I don't see El Raton going down easy, do you?" "He finishes the fight on his feet, we're okay." "Here's what we do." "We bring The Rat into town." "We give him a mattress, teach him how to use a knife and a fork... he'll think he died and went to heaven." "After that, everything we do nice for him, we'll own him for life." "Charlie isn't filling up the pit." "He's doing okay." "He's got a following." "Yeah." "But 20,000 of these half-breed Incas... will bring in more than 9,000 Homer Simpsons." "And even if they drop just $0.50 in the slots, it's all gonna add up." "Yeah?" "Sure, send him in." "It's Charlie Davis." "How're you doing, champ?" "I wanna make some changes." "Yeah, who doesn't?" "You get to promote one more fight, after that, I'm a free agent." "That's a mouthful, Charlie." "Better let me digest that." "I think what Charlie's trying to say" "I know what he's trying to say." "You wanna test the waters." "Don't get me wrong." "I appreciate what you've given me." "Sure you do, Charlie." "Now, you wanna hear a shocker?" "I agree with you." "I think we should cut the cord before it strangles us both." "What do you say, fellows?" "You give me one more defense, and you can take your title and go." "Then, if you want me to promote any of your future ventures, we'll reconvene." "What do you say?" "Why are you making this so simple?" "Let's just cut to the chase, okay?" "If you're not happy, no one's happy." "It's the trickledown theory, misery loves company." "But I ain't in the mood to take in any guests at this time, you understand?" "Let's just end and leave with the memories, shall we?" "Some good, some questionable... but memories nonetheless." "Who do you want me to fight?" "Sit down, Charlie." ""El Raton" Casilios." "I don't know much about this guy." "Well, I gotta be honest with you, Charlie." "This Rat can take a shot." "All we want you to do is slap him around for 12." "We're not looking for a performance clause, just another day at the office." "After Casilios I can walk?" "Hey, you could run." "I gotta talk to Johnny about this." "Be my guest, Charlie." "But the Kid who became champion, he could've cared less." "When you fell off that bus, you'd have fought Tyson." "In the joint." "Let me give you a piece of advice, Charlie." "Don't get cautious, 'cause the step after that is fear... and the step after that is defeat." "What's it gonna be today?" "You gonna work or what?" "I'm working, Johnny." "You run this morning?" "Some." "Some is shit!" "What about Casilios?" "What about him?" "He's got a pretty record and an ugly face." "He never fought anybody north of the border, for Christ's sake." "So what's that mean?" "It means if you train for real, for Christ's sake, you can stop him." "If you don't, and keep parading around like a lounge lizard, my friend... you're gonna wind up with it going to the cards." "Meanwhile, your fans will be fast asleep." "Is that clear?" "Well, it's up to you." "It's always up to Charlie lately." "You're the one that makes the decisions." "What's it gonna be, Charlie baby?" "Where you going, big shot?" "I hear that Dumas wants everything but the family jewels on Casilios." "What, they're changing the guard?" "Charlie's had his run." "Everything moves on, no?" "And besides, this new kid comes cheap." "Charlie's done all right." "If he puts something away, he can open up a fucking café." "This other kid, Casilios, he got a simple mission." "Find the fucking arena, and end on his feet." "Moe, Larry, Curly do the rest." "Fucking judges." "They're worse than cops." "You got the opening odds for the Davis fight yet?" "Ten-to-one, Davis." "You playing?" "Maybe." "When I looked in that girl's eyes, all I could see was Charlie's dad." "Meanwhile, being the fitness buff that she was, Felice continued to work out." "It was important that she stay in shape." "And then one night, Charlie found out she had other sparring partners also." "He started to train again, but not with any real purpose." "El Raton was waiting with guns blazing." "I had a feeling this wasn't gonna be a very pretty sight." "What are you doing here?" "That's some greeting." "I just wasn't expecting you." "Can I buy you dinner, Gina?" "I don't think that's a very good idea." "A girl's gotta eat." "We missed the boat on this one, Charlie." "I mean, the timing was never right." "You know, just different needs at different moments." "It doesn't make for the smoothest of journeys." "Where's your girlfriend?" "I don't know." "Where's Tiny?" "I don't know, Gina." "Well, shouldn't you go find them?" "You've got a lot of unanswered agendas floating around." "Why don't you go deal with them?" "I want to do that." "I'm just starting here, okay?" "Sometimes fortune is looking down on you... but you don't realize it for the trouble it's about to become." "I'm trying to make things right." "All I'm asking for is you to listen." "I'm willing to listen, but that doesn't mean I wanna watch as well." "I'm not gonna be here much longer." "I mean, this town doesn't encourage you to establish roots." "Where you running to now?" "I'm not running anymore." "I mean, it's still points unknown, but this time... it's gonna be without lights flashing behind me." "Sounds like what we're all looking for." "In one way or another." "Do we have any questions out there?" "Yeah." "How do you respond to claims you've not been training as hard as usual?" "I don't respond to those claims." "Who's your next defense gonna be, Charlie?" "Each fight is a tough fight." "I take them one at a time." "What'd he say?" "Ruben is furious that Davis looks past him." "This is an insult to him and to his family." "Let it be known that after this fight, Ruben will be the champion... and Charlie Davis will be disgraced." "I hope that clears it up for everyone." "You didn't tell me the circus was in town." "Whoa!" "Hey!" "Just trying to sell tickets." "Go ahead." "Maybe now you'll train." "This guy's an animal, for Christ's sake." "What'd you tell him?" "Exactly what you said." "That Davis called him a "son of a whore."" "A little language misunderstanding." "We got that cleared up." "Charlie had his wakeup call." "The only question was whether it was too late." "He started to prepare for war." "The last big rumble was on the horizon, and Charlie knew it." "El Raton was hungry, nasty, and desperate." "Charlie was holding the belt, and it was like gold cheese to Casilios." "He was willing to kill to get it." "You don't look like you got much to offer tonight, Kid." "I messed up, Johnny." "Ain't nobody else to blame." "No way I dance a full card tonight." "Then what do you want me to do?" "Go to the crowd and say it's over... it's been called off, like it rained on a picnic?" "This guy could make me look bad." "And I ain't got the legs to hunt him down." "Listen to me." "You're gonna have to take three for one, you understand that?" "You go there and you hit him with everything you've got." "You forget anything I ever taught you, anybody else ever taught you... and you're in his face, always, straight ahead." "Every time he looks up, he gets hit." "You understand that?" "'Cause if this goes the distance, you don't have a chance." "He wants the belt, let him come and get it." "Let's get him." "Robin, there's some question about the champion." "He's a little soft." "That's the word in the training camp." "We've heard that rumor here, and I doubt that and I'll tell you why." "We saw one of the strangest things I've ever seen in a fight camp." "We saw the champ getting in an elevator, he pulled up his shirt... and showed us a very rippled midsection, and said:" ""Does this look like I haven't done enough sit-ups?"" "I don't know, there's some body-punching." "You've got thunderous punching." "And there was the fight in the press conference." "It's hard to say how much of this is pomp." "But certainly there's nationalism involved." "There's lot of pride involved." "We're in Reno, but it looks like Mexico here tonight." "A lot of people have made the trip to town." "The whole mix-up is over respect." "We'll see if the champion or the challenger gets it when it's over." "This is gonna be good one." "Eldorado Hotel Casino in Reno, Nevada... is proud to present your main event of the evening." "Twelve rounds of boxing for the Welterweight Championship." "First, introducing the challenger." "Hailing from Huapago, Mexico..." "Reuben "El Raton" Casilios!" "And the champion, out of the blue corner." "He weighs in 145 pounds of fury." "Also a perfect record at 30 and 0." "Please welcome..." "Charlie "The Kid" Davis!" "Gentlemen, I've given you instructions... prior to this fight in your respective dressing rooms." "Any questions from the challenger?" "Any questions from the champion?" "Touch gloves, and good luck to both of you." "Yeah, sure, thanks." "Here's the bell for Round 1." ""El Raton" Reuben Casilios, is in the green trunks..." "World Champion, Charlie "The Kid" Davis trying to keep his momentum." "He's been a great champion... but some have said it's been a soft training camp here in Reno." "What are you dancing for?" "Murder the bastard!" "We're not seeing the typical quick start of Charlie "The Kid" Davis." "The fact is, Reuben Casilios...." "Get off the ropes!" "Off the ropes!" "Charlie Davis has not fared well in his career against the ropes." "Casilios, good right-hand, good left-hand combination... has Davis in trouble here in Round 1." "Maybe it's the new polka dot trunks of Davis... he doesn't seem to have the energy, but he is getting pummeled here." "Davis trying to bicycle his way out of the corner." "Off the ropes!" "Near the end of Round 1 Casilios still on the attack." "He's got Davis against the ropes." "The fans are going crazy." "They may see the upset of the century." "What the hell are you doing in there?" "You're gonna lose everything." "You ain't that good." "Never!" "Nobody was that good, ever!" "You just keep yourself going!" "Keep your mind in the ring!" "Charlie came out in the second round like a man possessed... but The Rat refused to yield." "I felt the pain of every shot Charlie was taking." "The third round." "Here comes Charlie." "Round 3 brought more of the same... with Charlie valiantly trying to hang in against this wild man." "Raton battered Charlie against the ropes, and sent him down." "I couldn't stand back anymore." "He needed me." "And quite possibly, I needed him even more." "Get out of the way!" "Charlie!" "Get up!" "Tiny O'Toole, longtime cornerman." "We haven't seen him in a while." "Eight, nine." "All right, give me a stool." "Okay, Charlie." "Come on, that's it." "You can do it." "Tiny, remember back in the Gloves?" "They jobbed us in the finals, triple pricks." "Not tonight, Charlie." "They robbed us blind." "What are you, delirious?" "Get your head in the fight, Charlie!" "This ain't going to the judges." "I swear to God, one way or the other, this ends now." "Listen." "You don't need to hold anything back." "Come with the hook, and then come over the top with the right." "You got time to finish this." "I'm all out of time." "One more round, Tiny, we go home." "This is for your father." "This is for Gene, okay?" "Give me the mouthpiece." "Kick his fucking ass." "Round 4, ready to go." "El Raton, Reuben Casilios, full of confidence, he can't wait to get there." "Charlie "The Kid" Davis." "Could this be the end of a great career?" "The fans have not sat down since the middle of the third round." "Casilios pressing the action again." "Has the Kid in trouble against the ropes." "Casilios looking for that big shot." "Trying to load up." "He senses the win." "Here it is." "He misses." "Back comes Davis." "The left hand thwacks Casilios." "That's it!" "Yes, Charlie!" "Lightning strikes right here in Reno, Nevada!" "Come on, baby, get it over quick!" "...punishes Casilios with a left hook." "Casilios says he's not hurt." "He pushes the referee out of the way." "Referee lets them fight again." "And back comes Davis." "Yes, Charlie!" "Casilios in big trouble!" "Way to go, Charlie!" "And the champion is back!" "Break his heart, Charlie!" "Yes, Charlie!" "Stay down." "...seven, eight, nine, ten." "You did it, Charlie!" "You did it!" "Charlie, I love you!" "By knockout, at 1:57... and still the Welterweight Champion of the World..." "Charlie "The Kid" Davis." "Attaboy, Charlie!" "This is just the beginning." "We'll let those wounds heal, we'll let those feelings dry up... then we're gonna sit down and talk about the future." "The way I'm gonna take care of you." "You can trust me on that one." "That's it, Dumas." "I'm through." "Where you gonna go?" "It's not like you got a choice in any of this." "What are you gonna do, kill me?" "Don't you know everybody dies?" "Everybody dies." "Yeah, Champion of the World." "Felice tried to slip Charlie some sort of verbal business card... but he was no longer interested." "I realized then that Gina was not after his money or his fame." "She was in love with the same things America had grown smitten with." "His heart, his passion, his unwillingness to surrender." "And in the end, most importantly... body and soul."