Body and Soul (1981) Movie Script
1
All right, all right, now.
Leon's got everything.
He has all the natural moves
of Sugar Ray Robinson.
He looks like Sugar Ray Leonard.
He's smaller and in better shape...
than Muhammad Ali and he's won the
other weight divisions...
and if he wins this one...
I know he will,
he'll be the only fighter I know...
to win two major Golden Glove
division titles in one week.
The guy ought to be professional.
That kid is lightning.
I've never seen an amateur
with moves like that.
-And power.
-And power.
The guy knocked him out.
He killed him.
Yeah, okay. Come and see me
in my office tomorrow morning.
Thank you.
You won't regret this, I promise you.
Okay, don't boo...
'cause you won't boo when
you find out why I stopped the music.
I can't believe she's actually here,
but she's actually here.
Star of TV, radio, my heart...
and the topmost beautiful woman
in sports in the whole country.
Please welcome....
I get chills when I mention her name.
Miss Julie Winters.
Thank you very much.
It is really an honor
for me to be here tonight...
for the annual presentation
of Chicago's Golden Gloves Awards.
And I guess we better start
by getting down to business.
The first award goes to...
Mr. Andy Price! All right!
Noel Rodgers.
I have got on these tight-ass pants...
and they're about to explode.
No, not in here, someone might come.
The only one about to come is me.
It doesn't matter where.
And now for the final award
of the evening...
the young man who won everything...
and they say
that he's a naturally gifted athlete.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Mr. Leon Johnson.
Is he here?
I better go find him.
Where did he go?
This room's occupied.
Be out in five minutes.
Leon, it's your friend, Charles.
Shit.
I've got somebody for you to meet.
I don't want to meet anybody
right now.
But I think you do.
Julie Winters is out there
to personally present your award.
She's been waiting,
and now she's getting ready to leave.
Julie Winters? You're bullshitting.
Wait here, baby.
I'll be back in five minutes.
Here he is, ladies and gentlemen,
Mr. Leon Johnson.
Mr. Johnson, you won
state championships in two divisions.
How did you manage to do that?
I diet a lot one day
and then hump up....
I mean, pump up a lot the next.
Quite an achievement,
but what I meant was...
what made you go after
two different divisions?
Well, to tell you the truth,
there was nothing else to do.
But you do plan
on going professional, don't you?
No, I'm a lover, not a fighter.
Could have fooled me.
Anyway, Mr. Johnson...
it's my pleasure to present to you
these two trophies. Leon Johnson.
I don't have a speech or anything...
but I think I at least deserve a picture
of me kissing Miss Julie Winters.
You know, that certainly wasn't
much of a kiss you gave me.
Well, if one goes about kissing
everybody on the mouth...
one can end up
with all types of germs...
especially when you never know where
the other person's mouth has been.
-Well, shall we dance?
-No, thank you. I don't slow dance.
I mean, all my friends
and everybody's watching.
Let me show off at least once.
Just one dance.
Okay, but just one dance.
I'll go get them to play something
really good.
You can dance, can't you?
-Sorry.
-Thank you.
No, that's okay.
Please, you don't have to get out.
Now, I wouldn't think of not
walking you straight to your door.
Charles, would you just go back?
Or you'll blow everything. Trust me.
-Nice house.
-Thank you.
Say, could I get
an autographed picture?
Sure.
It's not for me,
it's for my little sister, Kelly.
She's really an admirer of yours.
What would I need an autograph for?
I mean, I got the real thing.
Thank you.
I want to wish you good luck
in everything that you're trying to do.
Now, Miss Julie Winters,
you are much too pretty for me...
to just shake your hand.
Plus, my friend's there watching.
Couldn't I have a little goodnight kiss
on the lips?
Mr. Johnson,
I am afraid you are gonna have to...
score points with your friend
somewhere else.
Could I have a kiss on the cheek?
Everybody does that. That's social.
Just one kiss on the cheek, please.
Okay, just one kiss on the cheek.
Slipped.
Now, that's what I call
a goodnight kiss.
You didn't put a lot into it,
but you've got potential.
I'm in love.
Hey, Leon!
What's happening, man?
Somebody called the gym,
and your mother's looking for you.
She's back at the hospital.
Could you tell me which room
Kelly Johnson's in, please?
What's going on here?
While you were jumping around
in the ring...
acting like a damned fool,
your sister....
Mrs. Johnson, it's all right.
I thought you said
it was just gonna be routine.
Your sister had a crisis.
As you know,
normal blood cells are round.
Hers are shaped like a sickle
or a question mark.
They get attached
and tend to clog the blood vessels.
This deprives the body of oxygen
and causes intense pain.
With sickle cells, she's gonna have to
go through this the rest of her life.
-I want to see Kelly.
-Why?
You weren't here when
she needed you. Now she's resting.
Dr. Bochman, I am not blaming you
personally for this...
but we both know this ain't
the best damn hospital in the world.
I can assure you Kelly's getting
the best treatment--
Come on, Bochman. Poor people die,
rich people get saved...
and they both have
the same damn thing.
-I am telling you--
-You have no right to talk like this.
Every time I come in here...
I see people bleeding to death
or waiting to fill out a goddamn form...
for some outrageous bill
they couldn't afford in the first place.
-It's all big business.
-Stop it.
Cancer, leukemia,
sickle cell, people dying.
They don't give a damn about you.
-That won't happen to my little sister.
-That's enough.
I want her to have the best
hematologist, specialist, nurses...
the best care, the best everything.
Do you hear me?
I know how you feel...
but hematology specialists and nurses
cost a lot of money.
Yeah, I know. I'll get your money.
I'll get you hundreds, thousands.
I'll even get you millions.
Just get her well.
Don't pay no attention to him.
You know how young folks get excited.
I've never said anything in my life
I didn't mean.
Excuse me.
You won't have your own pot to pee in
until you start your practice.
I'm gonna fight, Mama.
You are keeping your black behind
in college and becoming a doctor.
This family is gonna have somebody
they can be proud of.
You are going to be a doctor.
I love you, Kelly.
How's Kelly?
She's gotten worse.
Damn.
We're gonna go to work, man.
I'll give you a percentage of me.
Where I go, you go.
What I make, you make.
You'll be a champion.
I'm only interested
in champion money.
I'll call Gillardi in the morning.
No, not Gillardi.
If we learn, we learn from the best.
Mr. Ali, sir...
I know you're the greatest
in the whole wide world...
but with your help, I can be the next.
I've studied all your tapes.
I've got all the natural ability...
all the natural moves.
All I need is your help.
Would you please train me?
Look, my friend, people come to me
all the time for help:
business deals, buy this,
invest in this and that...
train this man, train that man.
Look, everyone knows I'm the greatest.
You know it, right?
But, look, I'm not obligated...
and I don't have time
to make you the greatest, so be cool.
I can beat anybody you've got.
-You can beat anybody I've got?
-Yeah.
Look at you, you look like a mosquito.
Beat? Man, you've gotta be crazy.
He's a heavyweight.
That just means there'll be
a louder thud when they hit the floor.
Look, you're just like myself.
I gotta give it to you.
You believe in yourself, right? Franky.
Get the man ready.
Let's see what he's got.
So you got speed.
And you're supposed to be faster
than a heavyweight, but can you hit?
He's dangerous.
Next.
You forget it, I'm not gonna have you
knocking out all my men.
He's bad, and pretty, too.
From here on out, you've got it made.
Franky will train you.
You won't regret it.
I'll give you any percent you want.
I don't need no money,
all I need is some fresh young blood...
to liven this place up.
You'll just be great.
You're gonna work harder
than you ever worked in your life.
You're gonna get sore in muscles
you never even thought you had.
Sometimes you'll curse me,
and some days you'll hate me...
but in the end, you'll love me...
because I'm gonna make you a champ.
-You're making it look easy.
-Hell, it is easy. He ain't nothing.
Look at this arena.
It's only one-third full.
They got 10 fights booked,
and I'm just one of 20 fighters.
Nobody came just to see me.
They will, once you start
punching your way to the top.
Hell, at this rate, a title shot
might take three or four years.
I gotta get money for Kelly now.
I gotta get people to come see me.
I gotta have a gimmick.
Win all your fights.
Start by knocking this clown out.
That's the only gimmick
you'll ever need.
Hi, I'm Julie Winters, Sports Unlimited.
I was sent to do a story on a fighter
who calls himself "the Lover."
Thank you.
They sent the great Julie Winters
all the way down here...
to do an interview on little old me?
I must be getting important.
No. There must be some mistake.
No. There's no mistake.
I mean, this is my new image.
My gimmick for the public.
The fighter that's a lover.
Lord have mercy.
Now, I ask you, how can you be
three times bigger or faster...
and make twice as much money?
I thought you were gonna go
back to school and become a doctor.
Things change.
The public doesn't want somebody
that's quiet and intelligent...
the way I used to be. What they want--
They don't want a clown, either,
Mr. Johnson.
This is professional sport.
Is this thing running?
I'll tell you what they want.
I've done research.
See, what they want is somebody
that's bigger than life.
Somebody that's colorful,
controversial.
I mean, look at Marlon Brando,
look at Hollywood Henderson.
Look at Muhammad Ali.
It's bigger than life, show business.
It's controversy. It's colorful.
It's Leon the Lover.
That's all fine, Mr. Johnson,
but I really came down here...
to see if this lover can fight.
Pretty lady,
that's the least of your worries.
As a matter of fact,
I'll dedicate tonight's...
knockout to you.
-Knockout?
-Yeah.
I got my training from Muhammad Ali.
Sounds like the only thing
you inherited from Ali is a big mouth.
I love all the ladies.
I'm not just a fighter. Here, honey.
I'm here to entertain you.
I love all the ladies.
I'm Leon the Lover.
You've never heard of me, but you will.
You've never heard of me, but you will.
Can I kiss your hand?
I didn't wanna just grab your wife.
Here you are, pretty lady.
Thank you for coming to see me.
Here's a rose for a rose
from Leon the Lover.
I'm so happy to be here.
You want a kiss, honey? Come to me.
Stop that vaudeville, Leon.
Come on, punch him.
Do it.
You like that?
Come on, Leon.
Stop socializing.
You're fighting a fight.
Just one good punch,
and that's the end of Leon the Lover.
Why you rooting against Leon?
His head is a little bit too big
for any one fighter to carry around.
He only does it because of me.
What do you mean?
He's my brother,
and he's boxing to make me better.
-That's your brother?
-He sure is.
He's always buying me things.
He buys me ice cream
even when I don't want it.
He even brought me
an autographed picture of you.
-Yeah, you remember.
-Oh, yeah.
You signed it for me. I'm Kelly.
And I didn't even want it either...
but I ain't never telling him that.
You should see
all the junk he buys me...
but I really love him.
Julie Winters.
You look good. I love you.
It can't end like this. Franky!
I knew this lover bullshit was no good.
...eight, nine.
Who do you want next?
I want anybody. I want them all.
Anybody who'll fight me.
When'll you be ready for the champ,
the St. Louis Assassin?
The St. Louis Assassin, the champ?
You can write this:
When I fight the St. Louis Assassin...
my name will be bigger than his.
-You think you're that good?
-What about the Iceman?
The Iceman.
As soon as he quits ducking me.
Yeah, I'm that good. I must be.
Julie Winters drove all the way
just to see me.
Why don't you get a picture of me
giving her a victory kiss?
Maybe we ought to check him
to see if he has any potential.
Right now, all he's got is a big mouth.
We'll meet him if he proves himself.
If not him, somebody else.
Let it simmer.
I am really glad
you happened to cover this fight.
You've got the skill
to make a playboy's love for real.
You're no playboy.
I would be if I had the time.
You know, I really admire
what you're doing for little Kelly.
Anybody that spends an entire evening
in the malt shop with his kid sister...
can't be all bad.
You were there, too.
I enjoyed it.
You know...
when I first met you...
I was not impressed.
But now that I've gotten to know you...
comme ci comme a.
When we met, there were light years
between you and me.
But now I'm getting some note,
some play, making some money.
Pretty soon, I could be worthy
of somebody like you.
I don't judge a man
on reputation or money.
Just be a man.
Let's not rush anything.
You're supposed to be
relaxing the muscles...
not tearing them apart.
Do you know you hit harder
than the boxers?
Nice soothing massage,
knead the muscles.
Much better.
Hi, how are you doing?
Let me finish this up.
I think we'll have to
replace Charles altogether.
From now on, you give the massages.
Charles, you're dismissed.
Your horse isn't fast enough.
Leon the Lover's done it again.
Leon the Lover!
We've gotta give him
a crack at the title.
He gets nothing till we own him.
He's the one packing them in.
Maybe he don't need us.
He needs us. Everybody needs us.
We control the belt.
Talk to him.
Find out what his weakness is.
Give them anything they want.
Leon the Lover.
-What's happening?
-My man's a good man.
Good to see you.
-How're you doing, my man?
-Good to see you.
Leon, I want you to meet somebody.
Eddie Mustafa, light heavyweight
champ. Leon the Lover.
How are you doing?
My buddy, Charles.
-How you doing?
-Good.
I'm a big fan of yours.
There are some ladies over there,
see if you can find them.
I like your style. I am glad
we're not in the same weight class.
It's so good to see you.
-You're wonderful. Let me touch you.
-Sure.
How you doing?
-Are you here with someone?
-Well, I just....
Hi. How are you?
Here, my man, I got some good blow.
Are you really Leon the Lover?
Well, I try to be.
Don't try, honey. Show me.
Go find me Pussy.
I need her here tonight, and fast.
I don't care how much it costs.
Hi. Hope I'm not in the wrong room.
As a matter of fact, no...
but I was beginning to wonder
what took you so long.
I am Pussy Willow.
-I'm--
-I know.
But whether you're the lover or not...
that remains to be seen.
Out here
we got regular stuff for regular folks...
but we have special stuff
for special people.
Have you ever heard
of freebase, man?
No, I haven't.
Freebase, my man.
Right now you at bat.
I hope I don't disappoint your view.
Oh, I hope not...
because it gets so depressed
when it's disappointed.
Leon said to me, "I'm gonna
knock him out in the first round."
I said, "You should knock him out
in the second round."
He did.
'Cause he always listens to me.
Hello, ladies. Hold on to your seats.
Here comes the face that launched
a thousand heartthrobs.
One of the most controversial figures
in sports today.; Leon the Lover.
You can hear the reaction, Ed.
He now seems to be the life.
Not just a fighter, but
a master showman who also boxes.
This overflow crowd didn't come
to see you being champion...
they came to see this man.;
Leon the Lover.
That's the female cheering section
that follows him wherever he goes.
They call them Leon's Lovelies.
It's just about show time.
He's got his work
cut out for him tonight.
Giving up three-and-a-half inches
in reach, three inches height...
going against the tallest champion
in welterweight history...
the St. Louis Assassin.
And now, ladies and gentlemen,
the main event of the evening.;
fifteen rounds of boxing
for the United Boxing Association...
World's Welterweight Championship.
Presenting the challenger on my left
from Chicago, Illinois...
weighing in...
at a trim 145 pounds...
the man who's not just a fighter...
but a lover of life...
who wishes every woman
could be his wife.;
Leon the Lover!
And his opponent,
the defending champion...
weighing in at 146. 75 pounds...
the man whose hands
are considered...
an assault with a deadly weapon...
the welterweight boxing champion
of the world.;
the St. Louis Assassin!
We've got us a fight.
The Assassin, taller and stronger...
a true champion,
a man whose record speaks for itself.
And for the challenger...
tonight, it's put up or shut up
for one Leon "the Lover" Johnson.
Leon is sliding, gliding,
moving, looking pretty.
Not a single blow from the Assassin
has come close to Leon.
Leon is too busy showing
his ability to dance.
There they go. Two hard rights.
He's not the champ! I'm the champ!
He ain't nothing!
He ain't nothing.
He's an impersonator.
I'm gonna hold my hands down
for a minute and he still can't hit me.
You're looking bad!
You're making me make you look bad!
You're disappointing your fans!
You got 45 seconds.
An occasional panty is thrown
into the ring...
something we've come to expect
when the Lover fights.
He's just an amateur, he's an amateur.
This is a disgrace. You might as well
give me the crown right now.
-You're doing fine, son, looking good.
-Is my hair okay?
Leon, please, not tonight.
This is a championship fight.
Leon, I just love you.
A few more of those
and I could just love you, too.
I wanna give you something
close to me. I just took these off.
-Can I have your autograph?
-I can't write with my gloves on.
Honey, you're sweating.
Lady, please!
We're in a championship fight.
I just need one quick kiss.
Lady, please.
It'll get messy in here in a minute.
Leon the Lover is everywhere.
He's unmarked, untouched.
Hitting the Assassin at will.
This is unbelievable.
...eight, nine, ten.
I told you, I did it. I am the champ.
Leon the Lover reigns forever!
Leon the Lover, the champ forever.
...I've been listening to you.
All this time I had to read
all the garbage you wrote.
Tomorrow's headlines write this,
"We apologize to Leon the Lover...
"because he made the
St. Louis Assassin look amateurish.
"He had four bodyguards.
He had people with machine guns.
"He needed a machine gun
to beat me tonight.
"He needed an A-bomb
to beat me tonight.
"That's how good I was.
"I'm gonna fight the Iceman next
and make him look bad.
"Then I am gonna fight three people
in one night. That's how good I am."
You say I talk too much?
I'm through talking.
After tonight, I won't have to talk.
I never have to prove myself.
I'm no fluke. I work hard to be best.
Don't ever bet against me.
-Congratulations, champ.
-My girl.
-I love you, baby.
-I'm gonna borrow her for a minute.
-Sure. Bye, Kelly.
-We'll be right back.
First of all,
I wanted to say I love you a lot.
I'm just so proud of you.
Now everyone knows
how good you are.
You're really important now.
What I do isn't very important.
It doesn't take
a lot of brains or courage...
to jump around in the ring like I do.
That's so pretty.
It's for you.
You mean you're giving this to me?
You're the only champion I know.
I just want you to know
how important you are to me...
and how much inspiration
I get from you.
I learn a lot just from watching you.
So, Kelly, this championship belt...
it's for you.
I love you very much.
Hey, Judge. It's time for that meeting.
He just beat
the shit out of the Assassin.
That boy is bad.
You gotta keep him around for a while.
You could make millions off of him.
-How you doing?
-Good.
-Leon the Lover.
-Sure, I know who you are.
And I know who you are.
This is my friend, Charles.
You know, Leon, I've always thought
that something beautiful is simple.
So simple.
-You wanna fight my champion, right?
-That's why we're here.
I own the champion.
If you fight him,
then I take a percentage of you.
If you win.... Many others
have tried and lost, he's a tough kid.
But if you win,
then I own a percentage of you.
Sounds like the only real winner
is you.
You think you're big now?
Did it all yourself, right?
Just imagine for a moment...
what could happen to you
if I and my forces got behind you.
That handsome face of yours
would be known across the world.
I tell you when to fight,
when not to fight.
Anything to do with fighting,
I and nobody else tell you.
I don't deal with egos, emotion...
just dollars and cents.
How much percentage
are we talking about?
-50%% off the top.
-Shit.
What are we doing here?
Let's get the hell out of here.
You know,
we got our own percentages here.
With your 50%, we go down the toilet.
Then we got nothing left.
Then readjust them.
Leon, you're a smart fellow.
You know where it's coming from.
All we're talking about
is a smaller piece of a bigger pie.
You beat the Iceman,
you'll have both belts.
Right now you're sitting
on top of the world.
Yeah, and that world is gonna roll over
on you any minute now.
Who the hell do you think you are?
You just walk right in here...
and you take and take
after all the real work is done.
If it wasn't for folks like me and Leon,
you'd be nowhere. You'd be nothing.
Champ! Mr. Big Man.
Leon, let's get out of here.
Leon. Question:
Does he talk for you?
Excuse us for a couple of minutes.
I'll give you five minutes
to think it over.
You know,
you're embarrassing me, man.
His offer embarrassed me.
I wouldn't mind you going off
halfcocked if you had all your senses.
But every time I see you lately,
you're damn near incoherent.
-So? What if I am?
-It's just not that good for you.
So now you're gonna tell me
what's good for me.
There's nothing more for me to do.
I got no more real involvement.
I got no more real say-so.
Look, Charles, as your friend,
I owe it to you to tell you...
you're going downhill.
As my friend, you owed it to me...
to tell me you're willing to give
our involvement away to some idiot.
Charles, you just
don't understand business.
Now quit blaming me
for every single thing.
I mean, I'm just one man.
No, you're not. You used to be.
Why don't you just
get the hell out then?
Okay.
Don't even bother to come around.
I'll just send you your money.
-You don't do anything to earn it.
-Fuck you.
Would you rather I do what you'll do
and give it to your dope man...
for some freebase
and some angel dust?
-I take it we have a deal?
-Yeah.
Yeah, we got a deal.
We already got a contract.
What's the point in shaking hands?
You already own my fist.
Ladies and gentlemen...
this is the main event of the evening.
Fifteen rounds of boxing...
for the undisputed...
welterweight championship
of the world.
And we got the bell for Round 1.
Leon the Lover on his toes, dancing...
and he's gonna have to.
One good punch and it's over
because he's fighting the Iceman...
a real tough customer.
He'll take five to give one,
but that one will put you away.
A lightning quick one-two-three
by Leon the Lover.
I've never seen a boxer
as quick or as sharp as the Lover.
Leon looking good.
Leon, what did they do to you?
My poor baby.
Excuse us, ladies,
we're still in the middle of a fight here.
One...
two...
three....
That was a mean shot he gave you.
-One good thing.
-What's that?
Now those smart-ass sports writers
know I can take a blow.
I can't knock this guy out, Franky.
I hit him as hard as I can.
Now, look, go for right above the eye.
Twist the glove as you make contact.
Cut that eye.
Puff his eyes up, break his nose.
Anything. Make him stop this fight.
This guy is too thick to knock out.
Damn, I don't wanna do all that
to the man.
Damn you,
do it to him before he does it to you.
I'm about to die from exhaustion
just from hitting him.
Look, I was hoping to end it early.
I knew these late rounds would be hell
and you'd have nothing left.
But you're ahead on points
so just stay away from him.
And for God's sake,
don't let him hit you.
Good idea.
Why don't you take this next round?
You ought to stop this, man.
I didn't come in here to kill anybody.
Time. Go to that corner.
Doctor, what do you think?
No. That's it.
No matter how much money
you spend, no matter how much...
any doctor is gonna tell you
exactly this.
There is no known cure
for sickle cell disease. None.
How much time does she have left?
You can't pinpoint that.
-What do you want to do?
-I don't know.
Whatever she wants.
All right, let her come home then
if that's what she wants to do.
Okay. All right.
Congratulations.
You got what I always knew you would:
the undisputed championship.
Second, I heard about
the downhill news about your sister.
I know there's nothing
anyone can do about it...
but I have these superior ladies
who wanna take your mind off it.
So if you wanna put your head in
and say hi...
I could detain Julie
for a half-hour or so.
Just get off some of the tension
and relax your mind.
That's what they're there for.
We heard you were Leon the Lover.
-And we thought just one....
-May not be enough.
He's so cute.
-Hi, Julie. Looking for Leon?
-Yeah.
He slipped off for a little privacy.
He's in 109.
-Thank you.
-You're welcome.
I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.
Shit.
That was absolutely nothing.
If I disappointed you, I'm sorry.
But that was nothing.
It's just part of the business, I guess.
I don't know.
You started off by telling me
about a dream.
And somehow, I allowed myself
to get caught up in that dream.
I know, baby, I know.
No, you made it sound like
you were making those sacrifices...
like you were the martyr,
doing it all for Kelly...
and like you didn't want it.
But none of this is for Kelly.
This is for you.
I should have known better.
I mean, I meet them every day:
the superstars and super studs...
and everybody
that never can get enough.
Even if they had the best woman
in the world...
they wouldn't even know
what to do with her.
Just look at it, Leon.
It's becoming a circus.
The Leon the Lover Circus
with the side shows...
-and the freaks and the lookie-loos.
-Yeah, I know, okay?
But it has absolutely nothing to do
with you and me.
-Julie, I love you.
-Don't you say that to me.
You don't even know the meaning
of the word. You have no right.
You know, Leon...
somewhere out there on the road,
or in one of those rings...
or in one of those dim hotel rooms...
-you changed.
-Yeah, I changed.
'Cause it's not as easy as it looks.
Everybody wants something,
everybody grabbing.
You say it's not for Kelly, it's for me.
Well, I work damn hard, Julie.
And I deserve every single thing
that's happened to me.
Yes, I'm afraid you do.
And I feel sorry for you, Leon...
because somehow...
you got caught up with it all.
And you became your biggest fan.
I just wish you were double-jointed...
so you could turn around
and kiss your own ass.
Hello. He's asleep.
All right. Leon, it's for you.
They said it's important.
-Leon?
-The Lover.
It's Julie.
How you doing?
It's good to hear your voice.
Can you get over to Charles'
right away, please?
What's wrong?
He's hopped up
on some freebase or angel dust.
I don't know, maybe both.
He's out of his mind and hallucinating.
I can't maintain him.
All right. Okay, baby. I'll be right there.
Leon, he jumped
right through the bedroom window...
and he said
he saw monsters or something.
-Will you give me my glasses?
-Charles.
Leon, I'm very high, Leon.
-I am very high right now.
-What's wrong, Charles?
-They got away from me.
-What are they?
-They're demons.
-Demons?
Demons and monkeys
like in The Wizard of Oz.
-No, there are no monkeys.
-Yes, there are. Don't you understand?
Can't you see them? Are you stupid?
Don't you see them, Leon?
-Leon, will you get my glasses?
-I'll get them, Charles.
-Will you get my glasses?
-I'll find them for you.
-I can't see without my glasses.
-I'll get them.
I want my glasses.
-Leon, will you get my glasses?
-I'll get them for you. Calm down.
It's gonna be okay, Charles.
I promise you I'll make it okay for you.
-Calm down, Charles.
-Leon, we created monsters.
Back up. Let's get out of here.
Okay? My glasses, will you get them?
I'll find them.
I can't see without my glasses!
There's a guy that used to
never even touch a drink.
What's happened to everybody, Julie?
I think you have to answer
that question, Leon.
Do you realize it's been close to a year
since you fought?
What's the rush?
I got a new champion standing by...
and he's very hungry.
Off with the old, on with the new.
Let's just say
I can make more money with the new.
If I tell him, he'd fight every month.
You wouldn't do that.
No. Why should I? I paid my dues.
I'm the champ. Now it's my reign.
Your reign is over.
No. I never lost a fight in my life.
You'll lose this one.
You're too smart not to.
Besides, he'd beat you anyway.
This bum's an animal, he's a killer.
He's not like you.
He's not in it for money or glory.
He likes to fight.
If it wasn't for this,
he'd be in the slammer somewhere.
Or somebody would've killed him.
I'm just supposed to roll over
and play dead?
Leon, let me explain something to you.
This is strictly business.
The contract I had on you,
I put up for collateral.
Now it's being called in.
I need the money.
I'm taking everything I have
and betting it against you.
My entire career down the drain
just like that.
I am overextended. I need the edge.
I told you when we met I don't deal
in emotion, just dollars and cents.
There's $200,000 in there. Take it.
Bet it against yourself.
Get out of the fight game
while you still got your good looks...
and about a million in cash.
She's sleeping really good now.
She'll be fine.
Look, I'm gonna go.
I still got some runs to make.
What are you looking at me
like that for?
I'm just looking at what I sacrificed
the best years of my life for.
-Nothing.
-Oh, Mama.
Two marriages didn't work out,
I didn't try anymore.
I didn't run the streets. I stayed in.
I tried to make a home
and be two parents to my kids.
And what thanks do you get? None.
Mama, I really don't need to hear
all this again tonight.
You'd at least hope they'd grow up
to be somebody that you're proud of.
You have done absolutely nothing
with the brains I and God gave you.
-Look at Jerome down the street.
-Jerome.
He went and got his college education
and now he's fighting for his masters.
I make 10 times the amount of money
that Jerome makes.
I sacrificed for you to be a doctor.
You were supposed to be somebody.
I am somebody, Mama.
Maybe not
what you wanted me to be...
but a whole lot of people
would like to be me.
That's 'cause a whole lot of people
don't really know you.
You know, for most all of my life,
all I remember saying is, "Yes, Mama.
"Yes, Mama, I'll try and do better.
"Yes, Mama, I'll try and do it your way.
"If that's the way you want it,
then that's the way I'll do it.
"Yes, I'll try and get straight A's."
"Yes, Mama," to this and to that!
Mama, please,
why don't you let me off all of this?
I go through all that I've been through.
And I win.
And now I got money, I got results.
And I am somebody.
Ricardo Santiago.; Is he a madman,
a deranged man, or a machine?
Say all you want, but I've never seen
a fighter look so awesome...
in a way, frightening.
This man soaks his hands in brine
two hours a day, like the karate men.
He puts them in hot coals
to toughen them.
With these fists, he can break bricks
and smash through wood.
You can imagine what these hands
can do to the head of Leon the Lover.
Just look at what he can,
and does do to his sparring partners.
Get up!
Don't fucking fall. Get up!
Get up.
Bring your ass over here.
Bring me some spar.
Bring your fucking ass in here.
Get in here!
Fucking ass in here.
Let's get some real sparring in here.
Come on.
Get up, you....
What the fuck are you looking at?
Get your fucking ass back here.
We're at the training facilities
of the challenger:
Ricardo "Madman" Santiago,
and here's the man himself.
Hey, Ricardo.
How are you feeling, my man?
Good to see you, Ricardo.
Listen, watching you spar,
I get the feeling you like to fight.
Can you tell our viewers
about the beach you live on?
-Do you own it? Did you buy it?
-I didn't buy it.
I just kicked everybody's ass.
They do what I say.
Yeah, I bet you do.
Somebody told me the other day...
that you were filling out
a medical application, and it said:
"Occupation." And what did you say?
It say, "What do I do for a living?"
I said, "I knock motherfuckers out."
Yeah, I'll bet you do.
Listen, can we use any of this yet?
All right, keep rolling.
I don't want you to get upset with me
because I didn't say this...
but it's been said
that you're not the cleanest of fighters.
You've been known to hit
below the belt at times, is that true?
The referee warned me,
maybe even take away a point...
-but by then, I'd done my damage.
-Okay, fine.
I hate to say this, but it has been said
you're not liked by your own people.
Did you, in fact, say that you hate
old people, that they kind of smell?
I ain't here to win
no popularity contest.
I ain't even here for the money.
I'm here to kick ass, man.
-Please, can I have your--
-Autograph!
Excuse me, ma'am,
we're trying to do a TV interview here.
I just want a quick picture
of my baby with the champ.
Look at Mommy.
-How long will this fight will last?
-I won't return to my country without....
Hey, lady, your baby peed on me!
Why don't you pick on someone
your own size?
Who the fuck do you think you are?
Get her out of here!
Get that fucking camera out of here!
Get his fucking ass out of here!
No more to say. I will be champion!
So it was with
Ricardo "Madman" Santiago.
And in contrast,
in this reporter's opinion...
the once-brilliant Leon the Lover
never looked worse.
-Judge, it's looking better every day.
-We don't want runaway odds.
He ain't faking. He ain't got it no more.
You took away his heart.
Now his mind's not focused.
You took away his stamina.
You took away his teen.
Now he has no goals. He's finished.
He's just another fighter
waiting to lose.
Come on, Julie. I know you're in there.
You're too damn strait-laced
to be out at this time of night.
What do you want?
-Leon, it's :00 in the morning.
-Will you let me in? Please.
I need to talk to you, Julie.
You're soaking wet.
-You want some tea?
-Tea?
No, I don't want any tea.
-I wanna talk to you.
-Talk.
It's just all come tumbling down,
that's all.
I can't train, my body's not right...
my head's not right.
There's no way I can win this fight.
Big Man...
he's got himself
a new moneymaker now.
He's betting against me.
He gave me $200,000...
to bet against myself.
That, and my end of the gate...
it's all I got. So I'll throw the fight.
If you want me to agree with you,
you've come to the wrong place.
You'd never agree to nothing wrong.
That's not what I came over to tell you.
Would you at least come
and sit next to me?
This money...
it's enough for Kelly's expenses,
and her happiness.
Other than that, nothing else matters
too much anymore...
except for you, Julie.
Julie, I need you.
I'm not strong enough for this.
Please don't do this to me.
If you care anything at all about me,
you wouldn't do this...
because this might be easy to you...
but it took me a long time
to get you out of my system.
I don't play with hearts the way you do.
-I love you.
-Don't.
You want me to beg?
Okay, I'm begging. I love you.
-Got up early this morning?
-I had a lot to do.
And I know you don't like yogurt.
Speaking of doing,
did you put our money in a safe place?
Did you really mean
what you said last night?
I mean, about us.
Yes. I did.
I could never love a man who would
take money to throw his own fight.
But I love you.
So I went to Big Man's office
this morning...
and I told him
that you didn't need his leech money...
and I threw it back at him.
You're just testing me.
No, you really didn't.
You had no right.
Don't you understand
it's the only guarantee I had?
You don't understand business, Julie.
I understand business enough
to borrow against everything I own:
the money, my car, this house.
And I put it on a bet
for Leon the Lover to win.
-You must've gone crazy.
-So you're mad?
Go ahead and be mad.
You can go back to Big Man's...
and retake the money,
and bet against yourself again...
but I bet every cent that I have
on my man to win.
So now what are you gonna do?
I'll show you how to jab.
Take that jab straight up.
Don't wait for it.
Come on! Got you going now.
What you gonna do?
Go, champ, go!
What are you doing here?
-You look good.
-I don't know.
Wait a minute.
What are we doing here? Let's go!
Run it out. Come on.
Come on. Good time, baby.
-A little slow.
-What are you talking about?
I got my strength back.
I got my family back.
With you,
I can whip just about anybody.
Well, maybe.
-Where are you going?
-I'm gonna work out.
Now? Why don't you just relax, baby?
I can't. I'll be at the gym.
One-two, one-two,
one-two-three, one-two-three.
Stick him.
It's almost morning.
I don't know, Julie.
Even if I were in the top best shape...
I don't know if I could beat him.
Yet I want to so bad.
It's not him I'm against.
It's just everything else tied up in it.
God. I want it so bad.
I know.
It's still not too late.
Be smart. Take your money.
You know, Big Man, you got a genius
for figuring out everybody's weakness.
Girls, pride, dope,
give them what they want.
The more you give them,
the more you can call the shots.
Nobody's ever figured out
what could get to you.
Nobody's ever said "no."
I'm not throwing this damn fight.
I'm betting to win.
Then I'm looking for the big boys
to take you both on a one-way trip...
-when you can't cover your bets.
-You'll die.
Probably still running your big mouth.
You wanna kill me?
Go ahead. Everybody dies.
One thing I learned from my sister:
It ain't dying that's bad...
it's how you do it.
Forget it.
He still don't have a chance in hell.
Ali!
Leon the Lover!
Here he is, Leon the Lover,
the Golden Boy.
He's made what some call a dirty
sport into his personal showcase.
Looks like he took lessons
from Ziegfeld, Barnum and Bailey...
and the great Muhammad Ali
in showmanship.
Undefeated, untied,
and to many folks, still untested.
You know, they refer to him
as a "showboat cheesecake."
They feel he didn't pay any dues,
it came to him too easy.
Maybe he just made it look that way,
Eddie.
But tonight,
we've got a new Leon the Lover.
Serious, deadly earnest, no jokes...
a silent, serious Leon the Lover.
Thank you for telling me to come.
I want him to know I'm here,
I'm rooting for him.
Good, have a seat.
Kelly, sit next to Mama, okay?
We got the bell for Round 1.
As you can see,
there's no feeling each other out...
no fancy strategy.
Both men hungry for a win...
come out fighting.
Ricardo, head down like a fullback,
charging into Leon.
Rope-a-dope, come on.
You heard what I told you.
-No knock down, just dirty fighting.
-Yes, it is, Eddie.
He's manhandling Leon.
Over the course of 15 rounds,
it's got to take its toll.
Get up, nigger!
Show me something.
I came to fight a man.
I thought we'd see more movement,
more involvement from Leon...
the fastest hands and feet
in the West...
but where are they tonight?
A tremendous blow knocks out
the Lover's mouthpiece.
He's wobbly. Could go down.
Ricardo's fighting like a madman.
He's deranged, man.
He's gotta be on something.
He's on something, all right.
He's on Leon's ass.
You're right about that.
Leon the Lover is in big trouble.
He's trying to hold on,
and he's taking a terrible beating.
A tremendous Ricardo right,
and the Lover's down.
Replace the referee!
The Lover is dazed, sleepwalking.
He doesn't know where he is.
A tremendous club to the head
throws Leon hard to the canvas.
-He may not get up.
-You've got to get up!
Stay away from him!
Six, seven, eight.
And he's up. Just barely.
But two knockdowns
in the first round...
one more like that,
and this fight's over early.
-How many fingers?
-Three.
-What day is it?
-I didn't know when I walked in here.
-Where are you?
-In one hell of a fight, but it's not over.
Keep your guard up!
Hold on! Rope-a-dope!
Badly beaten, the Lover is being
helped, almost carried, to his corner.
-You all right? Can you make it?
-I gotta make it.
I just didn't know
which one of them it was.
I'm gonna fight
all three of those bastards.
It's the beginning of Round 2.
It's starting off like the last one.
Ricardo, mauling and manhandling
Leon the Lover almost at will.
This is no ring boxing.
This is back-alley brawling.
-Butt him in the head.
-Come on, Leon!
Twenty-five years of announcing,
and never anything like this.
This is a disgrace.
Why doesn't the referee stop this?
Ricardo should be disqualified,
this fight should be stopped.
We got no referee here!
This is utterly unbelievable,
a sad day for the sport of boxing.
You can't treat my baby like that.
What a tremendous beating,
in fact, an unnecessary beating...
as Leon is literally dragged
to his corner.
And now I ask,
how much more can one man take?
It's sad to see so much talent
dissipate so rapidly.
I don't think you can knock him out.
You've got to try and outpoint him.
You got to take these next rounds.
Impress the judges.
Finish each round pretty. Now go.
Use your head, your shoulders,
elbows, anything.
So far, this has not been the cleanest
of fights. It's been one hell of a brawl.
What we have here is two superior,
determined, gifted boxers...
and there will be
no early knockout tonight.
Ed, between rounds once again,
this crowd is a little stunned.
One reporter has just yelled...
that he's never seen a fighter
so thoroughly possessed as Ricardo.
He says he must be high
to be so emotionally charged up.
In his corner, Leon has not sat down,
is still on his feet between rounds...
maybe not so smart, because by now,
he must know that he's in big trouble.
But win or lose,
he's shown he's not just a showboat...
but a game champion,
and, Ed, there's no doubt about it.
The man has heart.
You've got the fight won.
Just stay away from him.
Shit, you can let him have
these last few rounds.
You lost too many rounds.
Are you gonna knock him out?
You gotta close the show.
This ain't gonna be a judge's decision.
Me and you, one of us is going down.
You finally decided to fight, my friend.
I've been here all night.
Your sister gonna get up off her ass
to dance with me at the victory party?
And now, it's starting to come back,
as four times in a row...
Leon beats Ricardo to the punch.
-Come on, Leon!
-Come on, son.
Leon's boxing much better now.
He's more in control.
The Lover's back, looking pretty as he
turns out his patterned moves.
There you see the old Leon the Lover,
the man who electrified audiences.
This is definitely Leon's round,
but is it too little, too late?
It's still gonna take a knockout
for Leon to win.
You gotta knock him out!
You proud bastard!
Leon the Lover, fighting his way back.
He's had trouble since round one...
but he's shown he's got more heart
than any fighter I've ever known.
You almost had him.
I didn't think he was gonna get up.
One more son-of-a-bitching blow!
-I gave it everything I had.
-I know you did, son.
Let me turn around.
I don't want him to see how tired I am.
There's nothing left.
I can't walk. I can't move.
I can't throw a punch.
I can barely breathe.
One more son-of-a-bitching blow!
And so we're down to the very end.
If Ricardo hangs on for three minutes,
he becomes the undisputed champ.
But Leon the Lover seems
more intense than I've ever seen him.
Don't fight him.
You proud bastard. Don't fight him.
Just stay away three more minutes,
and you're the new champion.
-Not for nobody. I'll kick his ass.
-Aren't you listening?
Aren't I getting through to you?
Stay away from him...
and you are the new champion.
Just stay away. It's won, it's yours.
Just push me out there.
One, two...
three, four, five.
Ricardo, knock that son of a bitch
on his ass.
What a fight. What a war!
The best thing I've ever seen.
-That's right, Leon!
-Do it, Leon.
-Come on, Leon.
-Come on, baby!
Close the show!
Impress the judges.
One more son-of-a-bitching blow!
One more.
You gotta close the show!
Come on, baby!
He's ready to fall.
He's gonna fall!
Fall, fall!
...three, four, five, six...
seven, eight, nine, ten.
And Leon the Lover
has done the impossible!
-It was an incredible fight.
-Absolutely incredible.
Leon the Lover!
I love you, Leon. I'm so proud of you.
I knew you could do it.
And that makes three, a winner for life.
All right, all right, now.
Leon's got everything.
He has all the natural moves
of Sugar Ray Robinson.
He looks like Sugar Ray Leonard.
He's smaller and in better shape...
than Muhammad Ali and he's won the
other weight divisions...
and if he wins this one...
I know he will,
he'll be the only fighter I know...
to win two major Golden Glove
division titles in one week.
The guy ought to be professional.
That kid is lightning.
I've never seen an amateur
with moves like that.
-And power.
-And power.
The guy knocked him out.
He killed him.
Yeah, okay. Come and see me
in my office tomorrow morning.
Thank you.
You won't regret this, I promise you.
Okay, don't boo...
'cause you won't boo when
you find out why I stopped the music.
I can't believe she's actually here,
but she's actually here.
Star of TV, radio, my heart...
and the topmost beautiful woman
in sports in the whole country.
Please welcome....
I get chills when I mention her name.
Miss Julie Winters.
Thank you very much.
It is really an honor
for me to be here tonight...
for the annual presentation
of Chicago's Golden Gloves Awards.
And I guess we better start
by getting down to business.
The first award goes to...
Mr. Andy Price! All right!
Noel Rodgers.
I have got on these tight-ass pants...
and they're about to explode.
No, not in here, someone might come.
The only one about to come is me.
It doesn't matter where.
And now for the final award
of the evening...
the young man who won everything...
and they say
that he's a naturally gifted athlete.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Mr. Leon Johnson.
Is he here?
I better go find him.
Where did he go?
This room's occupied.
Be out in five minutes.
Leon, it's your friend, Charles.
Shit.
I've got somebody for you to meet.
I don't want to meet anybody
right now.
But I think you do.
Julie Winters is out there
to personally present your award.
She's been waiting,
and now she's getting ready to leave.
Julie Winters? You're bullshitting.
Wait here, baby.
I'll be back in five minutes.
Here he is, ladies and gentlemen,
Mr. Leon Johnson.
Mr. Johnson, you won
state championships in two divisions.
How did you manage to do that?
I diet a lot one day
and then hump up....
I mean, pump up a lot the next.
Quite an achievement,
but what I meant was...
what made you go after
two different divisions?
Well, to tell you the truth,
there was nothing else to do.
But you do plan
on going professional, don't you?
No, I'm a lover, not a fighter.
Could have fooled me.
Anyway, Mr. Johnson...
it's my pleasure to present to you
these two trophies. Leon Johnson.
I don't have a speech or anything...
but I think I at least deserve a picture
of me kissing Miss Julie Winters.
You know, that certainly wasn't
much of a kiss you gave me.
Well, if one goes about kissing
everybody on the mouth...
one can end up
with all types of germs...
especially when you never know where
the other person's mouth has been.
-Well, shall we dance?
-No, thank you. I don't slow dance.
I mean, all my friends
and everybody's watching.
Let me show off at least once.
Just one dance.
Okay, but just one dance.
I'll go get them to play something
really good.
You can dance, can't you?
-Sorry.
-Thank you.
No, that's okay.
Please, you don't have to get out.
Now, I wouldn't think of not
walking you straight to your door.
Charles, would you just go back?
Or you'll blow everything. Trust me.
-Nice house.
-Thank you.
Say, could I get
an autographed picture?
Sure.
It's not for me,
it's for my little sister, Kelly.
She's really an admirer of yours.
What would I need an autograph for?
I mean, I got the real thing.
Thank you.
I want to wish you good luck
in everything that you're trying to do.
Now, Miss Julie Winters,
you are much too pretty for me...
to just shake your hand.
Plus, my friend's there watching.
Couldn't I have a little goodnight kiss
on the lips?
Mr. Johnson,
I am afraid you are gonna have to...
score points with your friend
somewhere else.
Could I have a kiss on the cheek?
Everybody does that. That's social.
Just one kiss on the cheek, please.
Okay, just one kiss on the cheek.
Slipped.
Now, that's what I call
a goodnight kiss.
You didn't put a lot into it,
but you've got potential.
I'm in love.
Hey, Leon!
What's happening, man?
Somebody called the gym,
and your mother's looking for you.
She's back at the hospital.
Could you tell me which room
Kelly Johnson's in, please?
What's going on here?
While you were jumping around
in the ring...
acting like a damned fool,
your sister....
Mrs. Johnson, it's all right.
I thought you said
it was just gonna be routine.
Your sister had a crisis.
As you know,
normal blood cells are round.
Hers are shaped like a sickle
or a question mark.
They get attached
and tend to clog the blood vessels.
This deprives the body of oxygen
and causes intense pain.
With sickle cells, she's gonna have to
go through this the rest of her life.
-I want to see Kelly.
-Why?
You weren't here when
she needed you. Now she's resting.
Dr. Bochman, I am not blaming you
personally for this...
but we both know this ain't
the best damn hospital in the world.
I can assure you Kelly's getting
the best treatment--
Come on, Bochman. Poor people die,
rich people get saved...
and they both have
the same damn thing.
-I am telling you--
-You have no right to talk like this.
Every time I come in here...
I see people bleeding to death
or waiting to fill out a goddamn form...
for some outrageous bill
they couldn't afford in the first place.
-It's all big business.
-Stop it.
Cancer, leukemia,
sickle cell, people dying.
They don't give a damn about you.
-That won't happen to my little sister.
-That's enough.
I want her to have the best
hematologist, specialist, nurses...
the best care, the best everything.
Do you hear me?
I know how you feel...
but hematology specialists and nurses
cost a lot of money.
Yeah, I know. I'll get your money.
I'll get you hundreds, thousands.
I'll even get you millions.
Just get her well.
Don't pay no attention to him.
You know how young folks get excited.
I've never said anything in my life
I didn't mean.
Excuse me.
You won't have your own pot to pee in
until you start your practice.
I'm gonna fight, Mama.
You are keeping your black behind
in college and becoming a doctor.
This family is gonna have somebody
they can be proud of.
You are going to be a doctor.
I love you, Kelly.
How's Kelly?
She's gotten worse.
Damn.
We're gonna go to work, man.
I'll give you a percentage of me.
Where I go, you go.
What I make, you make.
You'll be a champion.
I'm only interested
in champion money.
I'll call Gillardi in the morning.
No, not Gillardi.
If we learn, we learn from the best.
Mr. Ali, sir...
I know you're the greatest
in the whole wide world...
but with your help, I can be the next.
I've studied all your tapes.
I've got all the natural ability...
all the natural moves.
All I need is your help.
Would you please train me?
Look, my friend, people come to me
all the time for help:
business deals, buy this,
invest in this and that...
train this man, train that man.
Look, everyone knows I'm the greatest.
You know it, right?
But, look, I'm not obligated...
and I don't have time
to make you the greatest, so be cool.
I can beat anybody you've got.
-You can beat anybody I've got?
-Yeah.
Look at you, you look like a mosquito.
Beat? Man, you've gotta be crazy.
He's a heavyweight.
That just means there'll be
a louder thud when they hit the floor.
Look, you're just like myself.
I gotta give it to you.
You believe in yourself, right? Franky.
Get the man ready.
Let's see what he's got.
So you got speed.
And you're supposed to be faster
than a heavyweight, but can you hit?
He's dangerous.
Next.
You forget it, I'm not gonna have you
knocking out all my men.
He's bad, and pretty, too.
From here on out, you've got it made.
Franky will train you.
You won't regret it.
I'll give you any percent you want.
I don't need no money,
all I need is some fresh young blood...
to liven this place up.
You'll just be great.
You're gonna work harder
than you ever worked in your life.
You're gonna get sore in muscles
you never even thought you had.
Sometimes you'll curse me,
and some days you'll hate me...
but in the end, you'll love me...
because I'm gonna make you a champ.
-You're making it look easy.
-Hell, it is easy. He ain't nothing.
Look at this arena.
It's only one-third full.
They got 10 fights booked,
and I'm just one of 20 fighters.
Nobody came just to see me.
They will, once you start
punching your way to the top.
Hell, at this rate, a title shot
might take three or four years.
I gotta get money for Kelly now.
I gotta get people to come see me.
I gotta have a gimmick.
Win all your fights.
Start by knocking this clown out.
That's the only gimmick
you'll ever need.
Hi, I'm Julie Winters, Sports Unlimited.
I was sent to do a story on a fighter
who calls himself "the Lover."
Thank you.
They sent the great Julie Winters
all the way down here...
to do an interview on little old me?
I must be getting important.
No. There must be some mistake.
No. There's no mistake.
I mean, this is my new image.
My gimmick for the public.
The fighter that's a lover.
Lord have mercy.
Now, I ask you, how can you be
three times bigger or faster...
and make twice as much money?
I thought you were gonna go
back to school and become a doctor.
Things change.
The public doesn't want somebody
that's quiet and intelligent...
the way I used to be. What they want--
They don't want a clown, either,
Mr. Johnson.
This is professional sport.
Is this thing running?
I'll tell you what they want.
I've done research.
See, what they want is somebody
that's bigger than life.
Somebody that's colorful,
controversial.
I mean, look at Marlon Brando,
look at Hollywood Henderson.
Look at Muhammad Ali.
It's bigger than life, show business.
It's controversy. It's colorful.
It's Leon the Lover.
That's all fine, Mr. Johnson,
but I really came down here...
to see if this lover can fight.
Pretty lady,
that's the least of your worries.
As a matter of fact,
I'll dedicate tonight's...
knockout to you.
-Knockout?
-Yeah.
I got my training from Muhammad Ali.
Sounds like the only thing
you inherited from Ali is a big mouth.
I love all the ladies.
I'm not just a fighter. Here, honey.
I'm here to entertain you.
I love all the ladies.
I'm Leon the Lover.
You've never heard of me, but you will.
You've never heard of me, but you will.
Can I kiss your hand?
I didn't wanna just grab your wife.
Here you are, pretty lady.
Thank you for coming to see me.
Here's a rose for a rose
from Leon the Lover.
I'm so happy to be here.
You want a kiss, honey? Come to me.
Stop that vaudeville, Leon.
Come on, punch him.
Do it.
You like that?
Come on, Leon.
Stop socializing.
You're fighting a fight.
Just one good punch,
and that's the end of Leon the Lover.
Why you rooting against Leon?
His head is a little bit too big
for any one fighter to carry around.
He only does it because of me.
What do you mean?
He's my brother,
and he's boxing to make me better.
-That's your brother?
-He sure is.
He's always buying me things.
He buys me ice cream
even when I don't want it.
He even brought me
an autographed picture of you.
-Yeah, you remember.
-Oh, yeah.
You signed it for me. I'm Kelly.
And I didn't even want it either...
but I ain't never telling him that.
You should see
all the junk he buys me...
but I really love him.
Julie Winters.
You look good. I love you.
It can't end like this. Franky!
I knew this lover bullshit was no good.
...eight, nine.
Who do you want next?
I want anybody. I want them all.
Anybody who'll fight me.
When'll you be ready for the champ,
the St. Louis Assassin?
The St. Louis Assassin, the champ?
You can write this:
When I fight the St. Louis Assassin...
my name will be bigger than his.
-You think you're that good?
-What about the Iceman?
The Iceman.
As soon as he quits ducking me.
Yeah, I'm that good. I must be.
Julie Winters drove all the way
just to see me.
Why don't you get a picture of me
giving her a victory kiss?
Maybe we ought to check him
to see if he has any potential.
Right now, all he's got is a big mouth.
We'll meet him if he proves himself.
If not him, somebody else.
Let it simmer.
I am really glad
you happened to cover this fight.
You've got the skill
to make a playboy's love for real.
You're no playboy.
I would be if I had the time.
You know, I really admire
what you're doing for little Kelly.
Anybody that spends an entire evening
in the malt shop with his kid sister...
can't be all bad.
You were there, too.
I enjoyed it.
You know...
when I first met you...
I was not impressed.
But now that I've gotten to know you...
comme ci comme a.
When we met, there were light years
between you and me.
But now I'm getting some note,
some play, making some money.
Pretty soon, I could be worthy
of somebody like you.
I don't judge a man
on reputation or money.
Just be a man.
Let's not rush anything.
You're supposed to be
relaxing the muscles...
not tearing them apart.
Do you know you hit harder
than the boxers?
Nice soothing massage,
knead the muscles.
Much better.
Hi, how are you doing?
Let me finish this up.
I think we'll have to
replace Charles altogether.
From now on, you give the massages.
Charles, you're dismissed.
Your horse isn't fast enough.
Leon the Lover's done it again.
Leon the Lover!
We've gotta give him
a crack at the title.
He gets nothing till we own him.
He's the one packing them in.
Maybe he don't need us.
He needs us. Everybody needs us.
We control the belt.
Talk to him.
Find out what his weakness is.
Give them anything they want.
Leon the Lover.
-What's happening?
-My man's a good man.
Good to see you.
-How're you doing, my man?
-Good to see you.
Leon, I want you to meet somebody.
Eddie Mustafa, light heavyweight
champ. Leon the Lover.
How are you doing?
My buddy, Charles.
-How you doing?
-Good.
I'm a big fan of yours.
There are some ladies over there,
see if you can find them.
I like your style. I am glad
we're not in the same weight class.
It's so good to see you.
-You're wonderful. Let me touch you.
-Sure.
How you doing?
-Are you here with someone?
-Well, I just....
Hi. How are you?
Here, my man, I got some good blow.
Are you really Leon the Lover?
Well, I try to be.
Don't try, honey. Show me.
Go find me Pussy.
I need her here tonight, and fast.
I don't care how much it costs.
Hi. Hope I'm not in the wrong room.
As a matter of fact, no...
but I was beginning to wonder
what took you so long.
I am Pussy Willow.
-I'm--
-I know.
But whether you're the lover or not...
that remains to be seen.
Out here
we got regular stuff for regular folks...
but we have special stuff
for special people.
Have you ever heard
of freebase, man?
No, I haven't.
Freebase, my man.
Right now you at bat.
I hope I don't disappoint your view.
Oh, I hope not...
because it gets so depressed
when it's disappointed.
Leon said to me, "I'm gonna
knock him out in the first round."
I said, "You should knock him out
in the second round."
He did.
'Cause he always listens to me.
Hello, ladies. Hold on to your seats.
Here comes the face that launched
a thousand heartthrobs.
One of the most controversial figures
in sports today.; Leon the Lover.
You can hear the reaction, Ed.
He now seems to be the life.
Not just a fighter, but
a master showman who also boxes.
This overflow crowd didn't come
to see you being champion...
they came to see this man.;
Leon the Lover.
That's the female cheering section
that follows him wherever he goes.
They call them Leon's Lovelies.
It's just about show time.
He's got his work
cut out for him tonight.
Giving up three-and-a-half inches
in reach, three inches height...
going against the tallest champion
in welterweight history...
the St. Louis Assassin.
And now, ladies and gentlemen,
the main event of the evening.;
fifteen rounds of boxing
for the United Boxing Association...
World's Welterweight Championship.
Presenting the challenger on my left
from Chicago, Illinois...
weighing in...
at a trim 145 pounds...
the man who's not just a fighter...
but a lover of life...
who wishes every woman
could be his wife.;
Leon the Lover!
And his opponent,
the defending champion...
weighing in at 146. 75 pounds...
the man whose hands
are considered...
an assault with a deadly weapon...
the welterweight boxing champion
of the world.;
the St. Louis Assassin!
We've got us a fight.
The Assassin, taller and stronger...
a true champion,
a man whose record speaks for itself.
And for the challenger...
tonight, it's put up or shut up
for one Leon "the Lover" Johnson.
Leon is sliding, gliding,
moving, looking pretty.
Not a single blow from the Assassin
has come close to Leon.
Leon is too busy showing
his ability to dance.
There they go. Two hard rights.
He's not the champ! I'm the champ!
He ain't nothing!
He ain't nothing.
He's an impersonator.
I'm gonna hold my hands down
for a minute and he still can't hit me.
You're looking bad!
You're making me make you look bad!
You're disappointing your fans!
You got 45 seconds.
An occasional panty is thrown
into the ring...
something we've come to expect
when the Lover fights.
He's just an amateur, he's an amateur.
This is a disgrace. You might as well
give me the crown right now.
-You're doing fine, son, looking good.
-Is my hair okay?
Leon, please, not tonight.
This is a championship fight.
Leon, I just love you.
A few more of those
and I could just love you, too.
I wanna give you something
close to me. I just took these off.
-Can I have your autograph?
-I can't write with my gloves on.
Honey, you're sweating.
Lady, please!
We're in a championship fight.
I just need one quick kiss.
Lady, please.
It'll get messy in here in a minute.
Leon the Lover is everywhere.
He's unmarked, untouched.
Hitting the Assassin at will.
This is unbelievable.
...eight, nine, ten.
I told you, I did it. I am the champ.
Leon the Lover reigns forever!
Leon the Lover, the champ forever.
...I've been listening to you.
All this time I had to read
all the garbage you wrote.
Tomorrow's headlines write this,
"We apologize to Leon the Lover...
"because he made the
St. Louis Assassin look amateurish.
"He had four bodyguards.
He had people with machine guns.
"He needed a machine gun
to beat me tonight.
"He needed an A-bomb
to beat me tonight.
"That's how good I was.
"I'm gonna fight the Iceman next
and make him look bad.
"Then I am gonna fight three people
in one night. That's how good I am."
You say I talk too much?
I'm through talking.
After tonight, I won't have to talk.
I never have to prove myself.
I'm no fluke. I work hard to be best.
Don't ever bet against me.
-Congratulations, champ.
-My girl.
-I love you, baby.
-I'm gonna borrow her for a minute.
-Sure. Bye, Kelly.
-We'll be right back.
First of all,
I wanted to say I love you a lot.
I'm just so proud of you.
Now everyone knows
how good you are.
You're really important now.
What I do isn't very important.
It doesn't take
a lot of brains or courage...
to jump around in the ring like I do.
That's so pretty.
It's for you.
You mean you're giving this to me?
You're the only champion I know.
I just want you to know
how important you are to me...
and how much inspiration
I get from you.
I learn a lot just from watching you.
So, Kelly, this championship belt...
it's for you.
I love you very much.
Hey, Judge. It's time for that meeting.
He just beat
the shit out of the Assassin.
That boy is bad.
You gotta keep him around for a while.
You could make millions off of him.
-How you doing?
-Good.
-Leon the Lover.
-Sure, I know who you are.
And I know who you are.
This is my friend, Charles.
You know, Leon, I've always thought
that something beautiful is simple.
So simple.
-You wanna fight my champion, right?
-That's why we're here.
I own the champion.
If you fight him,
then I take a percentage of you.
If you win.... Many others
have tried and lost, he's a tough kid.
But if you win,
then I own a percentage of you.
Sounds like the only real winner
is you.
You think you're big now?
Did it all yourself, right?
Just imagine for a moment...
what could happen to you
if I and my forces got behind you.
That handsome face of yours
would be known across the world.
I tell you when to fight,
when not to fight.
Anything to do with fighting,
I and nobody else tell you.
I don't deal with egos, emotion...
just dollars and cents.
How much percentage
are we talking about?
-50%% off the top.
-Shit.
What are we doing here?
Let's get the hell out of here.
You know,
we got our own percentages here.
With your 50%, we go down the toilet.
Then we got nothing left.
Then readjust them.
Leon, you're a smart fellow.
You know where it's coming from.
All we're talking about
is a smaller piece of a bigger pie.
You beat the Iceman,
you'll have both belts.
Right now you're sitting
on top of the world.
Yeah, and that world is gonna roll over
on you any minute now.
Who the hell do you think you are?
You just walk right in here...
and you take and take
after all the real work is done.
If it wasn't for folks like me and Leon,
you'd be nowhere. You'd be nothing.
Champ! Mr. Big Man.
Leon, let's get out of here.
Leon. Question:
Does he talk for you?
Excuse us for a couple of minutes.
I'll give you five minutes
to think it over.
You know,
you're embarrassing me, man.
His offer embarrassed me.
I wouldn't mind you going off
halfcocked if you had all your senses.
But every time I see you lately,
you're damn near incoherent.
-So? What if I am?
-It's just not that good for you.
So now you're gonna tell me
what's good for me.
There's nothing more for me to do.
I got no more real involvement.
I got no more real say-so.
Look, Charles, as your friend,
I owe it to you to tell you...
you're going downhill.
As my friend, you owed it to me...
to tell me you're willing to give
our involvement away to some idiot.
Charles, you just
don't understand business.
Now quit blaming me
for every single thing.
I mean, I'm just one man.
No, you're not. You used to be.
Why don't you just
get the hell out then?
Okay.
Don't even bother to come around.
I'll just send you your money.
-You don't do anything to earn it.
-Fuck you.
Would you rather I do what you'll do
and give it to your dope man...
for some freebase
and some angel dust?
-I take it we have a deal?
-Yeah.
Yeah, we got a deal.
We already got a contract.
What's the point in shaking hands?
You already own my fist.
Ladies and gentlemen...
this is the main event of the evening.
Fifteen rounds of boxing...
for the undisputed...
welterweight championship
of the world.
And we got the bell for Round 1.
Leon the Lover on his toes, dancing...
and he's gonna have to.
One good punch and it's over
because he's fighting the Iceman...
a real tough customer.
He'll take five to give one,
but that one will put you away.
A lightning quick one-two-three
by Leon the Lover.
I've never seen a boxer
as quick or as sharp as the Lover.
Leon looking good.
Leon, what did they do to you?
My poor baby.
Excuse us, ladies,
we're still in the middle of a fight here.
One...
two...
three....
That was a mean shot he gave you.
-One good thing.
-What's that?
Now those smart-ass sports writers
know I can take a blow.
I can't knock this guy out, Franky.
I hit him as hard as I can.
Now, look, go for right above the eye.
Twist the glove as you make contact.
Cut that eye.
Puff his eyes up, break his nose.
Anything. Make him stop this fight.
This guy is too thick to knock out.
Damn, I don't wanna do all that
to the man.
Damn you,
do it to him before he does it to you.
I'm about to die from exhaustion
just from hitting him.
Look, I was hoping to end it early.
I knew these late rounds would be hell
and you'd have nothing left.
But you're ahead on points
so just stay away from him.
And for God's sake,
don't let him hit you.
Good idea.
Why don't you take this next round?
You ought to stop this, man.
I didn't come in here to kill anybody.
Time. Go to that corner.
Doctor, what do you think?
No. That's it.
No matter how much money
you spend, no matter how much...
any doctor is gonna tell you
exactly this.
There is no known cure
for sickle cell disease. None.
How much time does she have left?
You can't pinpoint that.
-What do you want to do?
-I don't know.
Whatever she wants.
All right, let her come home then
if that's what she wants to do.
Okay. All right.
Congratulations.
You got what I always knew you would:
the undisputed championship.
Second, I heard about
the downhill news about your sister.
I know there's nothing
anyone can do about it...
but I have these superior ladies
who wanna take your mind off it.
So if you wanna put your head in
and say hi...
I could detain Julie
for a half-hour or so.
Just get off some of the tension
and relax your mind.
That's what they're there for.
We heard you were Leon the Lover.
-And we thought just one....
-May not be enough.
He's so cute.
-Hi, Julie. Looking for Leon?
-Yeah.
He slipped off for a little privacy.
He's in 109.
-Thank you.
-You're welcome.
I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.
Shit.
That was absolutely nothing.
If I disappointed you, I'm sorry.
But that was nothing.
It's just part of the business, I guess.
I don't know.
You started off by telling me
about a dream.
And somehow, I allowed myself
to get caught up in that dream.
I know, baby, I know.
No, you made it sound like
you were making those sacrifices...
like you were the martyr,
doing it all for Kelly...
and like you didn't want it.
But none of this is for Kelly.
This is for you.
I should have known better.
I mean, I meet them every day:
the superstars and super studs...
and everybody
that never can get enough.
Even if they had the best woman
in the world...
they wouldn't even know
what to do with her.
Just look at it, Leon.
It's becoming a circus.
The Leon the Lover Circus
with the side shows...
-and the freaks and the lookie-loos.
-Yeah, I know, okay?
But it has absolutely nothing to do
with you and me.
-Julie, I love you.
-Don't you say that to me.
You don't even know the meaning
of the word. You have no right.
You know, Leon...
somewhere out there on the road,
or in one of those rings...
or in one of those dim hotel rooms...
-you changed.
-Yeah, I changed.
'Cause it's not as easy as it looks.
Everybody wants something,
everybody grabbing.
You say it's not for Kelly, it's for me.
Well, I work damn hard, Julie.
And I deserve every single thing
that's happened to me.
Yes, I'm afraid you do.
And I feel sorry for you, Leon...
because somehow...
you got caught up with it all.
And you became your biggest fan.
I just wish you were double-jointed...
so you could turn around
and kiss your own ass.
Hello. He's asleep.
All right. Leon, it's for you.
They said it's important.
-Leon?
-The Lover.
It's Julie.
How you doing?
It's good to hear your voice.
Can you get over to Charles'
right away, please?
What's wrong?
He's hopped up
on some freebase or angel dust.
I don't know, maybe both.
He's out of his mind and hallucinating.
I can't maintain him.
All right. Okay, baby. I'll be right there.
Leon, he jumped
right through the bedroom window...
and he said
he saw monsters or something.
-Will you give me my glasses?
-Charles.
Leon, I'm very high, Leon.
-I am very high right now.
-What's wrong, Charles?
-They got away from me.
-What are they?
-They're demons.
-Demons?
Demons and monkeys
like in The Wizard of Oz.
-No, there are no monkeys.
-Yes, there are. Don't you understand?
Can't you see them? Are you stupid?
Don't you see them, Leon?
-Leon, will you get my glasses?
-I'll get them, Charles.
-Will you get my glasses?
-I'll find them for you.
-I can't see without my glasses.
-I'll get them.
I want my glasses.
-Leon, will you get my glasses?
-I'll get them for you. Calm down.
It's gonna be okay, Charles.
I promise you I'll make it okay for you.
-Calm down, Charles.
-Leon, we created monsters.
Back up. Let's get out of here.
Okay? My glasses, will you get them?
I'll find them.
I can't see without my glasses!
There's a guy that used to
never even touch a drink.
What's happened to everybody, Julie?
I think you have to answer
that question, Leon.
Do you realize it's been close to a year
since you fought?
What's the rush?
I got a new champion standing by...
and he's very hungry.
Off with the old, on with the new.
Let's just say
I can make more money with the new.
If I tell him, he'd fight every month.
You wouldn't do that.
No. Why should I? I paid my dues.
I'm the champ. Now it's my reign.
Your reign is over.
No. I never lost a fight in my life.
You'll lose this one.
You're too smart not to.
Besides, he'd beat you anyway.
This bum's an animal, he's a killer.
He's not like you.
He's not in it for money or glory.
He likes to fight.
If it wasn't for this,
he'd be in the slammer somewhere.
Or somebody would've killed him.
I'm just supposed to roll over
and play dead?
Leon, let me explain something to you.
This is strictly business.
The contract I had on you,
I put up for collateral.
Now it's being called in.
I need the money.
I'm taking everything I have
and betting it against you.
My entire career down the drain
just like that.
I am overextended. I need the edge.
I told you when we met I don't deal
in emotion, just dollars and cents.
There's $200,000 in there. Take it.
Bet it against yourself.
Get out of the fight game
while you still got your good looks...
and about a million in cash.
She's sleeping really good now.
She'll be fine.
Look, I'm gonna go.
I still got some runs to make.
What are you looking at me
like that for?
I'm just looking at what I sacrificed
the best years of my life for.
-Nothing.
-Oh, Mama.
Two marriages didn't work out,
I didn't try anymore.
I didn't run the streets. I stayed in.
I tried to make a home
and be two parents to my kids.
And what thanks do you get? None.
Mama, I really don't need to hear
all this again tonight.
You'd at least hope they'd grow up
to be somebody that you're proud of.
You have done absolutely nothing
with the brains I and God gave you.
-Look at Jerome down the street.
-Jerome.
He went and got his college education
and now he's fighting for his masters.
I make 10 times the amount of money
that Jerome makes.
I sacrificed for you to be a doctor.
You were supposed to be somebody.
I am somebody, Mama.
Maybe not
what you wanted me to be...
but a whole lot of people
would like to be me.
That's 'cause a whole lot of people
don't really know you.
You know, for most all of my life,
all I remember saying is, "Yes, Mama.
"Yes, Mama, I'll try and do better.
"Yes, Mama, I'll try and do it your way.
"If that's the way you want it,
then that's the way I'll do it.
"Yes, I'll try and get straight A's."
"Yes, Mama," to this and to that!
Mama, please,
why don't you let me off all of this?
I go through all that I've been through.
And I win.
And now I got money, I got results.
And I am somebody.
Ricardo Santiago.; Is he a madman,
a deranged man, or a machine?
Say all you want, but I've never seen
a fighter look so awesome...
in a way, frightening.
This man soaks his hands in brine
two hours a day, like the karate men.
He puts them in hot coals
to toughen them.
With these fists, he can break bricks
and smash through wood.
You can imagine what these hands
can do to the head of Leon the Lover.
Just look at what he can,
and does do to his sparring partners.
Get up!
Don't fucking fall. Get up!
Get up.
Bring your ass over here.
Bring me some spar.
Bring your fucking ass in here.
Get in here!
Fucking ass in here.
Let's get some real sparring in here.
Come on.
Get up, you....
What the fuck are you looking at?
Get your fucking ass back here.
We're at the training facilities
of the challenger:
Ricardo "Madman" Santiago,
and here's the man himself.
Hey, Ricardo.
How are you feeling, my man?
Good to see you, Ricardo.
Listen, watching you spar,
I get the feeling you like to fight.
Can you tell our viewers
about the beach you live on?
-Do you own it? Did you buy it?
-I didn't buy it.
I just kicked everybody's ass.
They do what I say.
Yeah, I bet you do.
Somebody told me the other day...
that you were filling out
a medical application, and it said:
"Occupation." And what did you say?
It say, "What do I do for a living?"
I said, "I knock motherfuckers out."
Yeah, I'll bet you do.
Listen, can we use any of this yet?
All right, keep rolling.
I don't want you to get upset with me
because I didn't say this...
but it's been said
that you're not the cleanest of fighters.
You've been known to hit
below the belt at times, is that true?
The referee warned me,
maybe even take away a point...
-but by then, I'd done my damage.
-Okay, fine.
I hate to say this, but it has been said
you're not liked by your own people.
Did you, in fact, say that you hate
old people, that they kind of smell?
I ain't here to win
no popularity contest.
I ain't even here for the money.
I'm here to kick ass, man.
-Please, can I have your--
-Autograph!
Excuse me, ma'am,
we're trying to do a TV interview here.
I just want a quick picture
of my baby with the champ.
Look at Mommy.
-How long will this fight will last?
-I won't return to my country without....
Hey, lady, your baby peed on me!
Why don't you pick on someone
your own size?
Who the fuck do you think you are?
Get her out of here!
Get that fucking camera out of here!
Get his fucking ass out of here!
No more to say. I will be champion!
So it was with
Ricardo "Madman" Santiago.
And in contrast,
in this reporter's opinion...
the once-brilliant Leon the Lover
never looked worse.
-Judge, it's looking better every day.
-We don't want runaway odds.
He ain't faking. He ain't got it no more.
You took away his heart.
Now his mind's not focused.
You took away his stamina.
You took away his teen.
Now he has no goals. He's finished.
He's just another fighter
waiting to lose.
Come on, Julie. I know you're in there.
You're too damn strait-laced
to be out at this time of night.
What do you want?
-Leon, it's :00 in the morning.
-Will you let me in? Please.
I need to talk to you, Julie.
You're soaking wet.
-You want some tea?
-Tea?
No, I don't want any tea.
-I wanna talk to you.
-Talk.
It's just all come tumbling down,
that's all.
I can't train, my body's not right...
my head's not right.
There's no way I can win this fight.
Big Man...
he's got himself
a new moneymaker now.
He's betting against me.
He gave me $200,000...
to bet against myself.
That, and my end of the gate...
it's all I got. So I'll throw the fight.
If you want me to agree with you,
you've come to the wrong place.
You'd never agree to nothing wrong.
That's not what I came over to tell you.
Would you at least come
and sit next to me?
This money...
it's enough for Kelly's expenses,
and her happiness.
Other than that, nothing else matters
too much anymore...
except for you, Julie.
Julie, I need you.
I'm not strong enough for this.
Please don't do this to me.
If you care anything at all about me,
you wouldn't do this...
because this might be easy to you...
but it took me a long time
to get you out of my system.
I don't play with hearts the way you do.
-I love you.
-Don't.
You want me to beg?
Okay, I'm begging. I love you.
-Got up early this morning?
-I had a lot to do.
And I know you don't like yogurt.
Speaking of doing,
did you put our money in a safe place?
Did you really mean
what you said last night?
I mean, about us.
Yes. I did.
I could never love a man who would
take money to throw his own fight.
But I love you.
So I went to Big Man's office
this morning...
and I told him
that you didn't need his leech money...
and I threw it back at him.
You're just testing me.
No, you really didn't.
You had no right.
Don't you understand
it's the only guarantee I had?
You don't understand business, Julie.
I understand business enough
to borrow against everything I own:
the money, my car, this house.
And I put it on a bet
for Leon the Lover to win.
-You must've gone crazy.
-So you're mad?
Go ahead and be mad.
You can go back to Big Man's...
and retake the money,
and bet against yourself again...
but I bet every cent that I have
on my man to win.
So now what are you gonna do?
I'll show you how to jab.
Take that jab straight up.
Don't wait for it.
Come on! Got you going now.
What you gonna do?
Go, champ, go!
What are you doing here?
-You look good.
-I don't know.
Wait a minute.
What are we doing here? Let's go!
Run it out. Come on.
Come on. Good time, baby.
-A little slow.
-What are you talking about?
I got my strength back.
I got my family back.
With you,
I can whip just about anybody.
Well, maybe.
-Where are you going?
-I'm gonna work out.
Now? Why don't you just relax, baby?
I can't. I'll be at the gym.
One-two, one-two,
one-two-three, one-two-three.
Stick him.
It's almost morning.
I don't know, Julie.
Even if I were in the top best shape...
I don't know if I could beat him.
Yet I want to so bad.
It's not him I'm against.
It's just everything else tied up in it.
God. I want it so bad.
I know.
It's still not too late.
Be smart. Take your money.
You know, Big Man, you got a genius
for figuring out everybody's weakness.
Girls, pride, dope,
give them what they want.
The more you give them,
the more you can call the shots.
Nobody's ever figured out
what could get to you.
Nobody's ever said "no."
I'm not throwing this damn fight.
I'm betting to win.
Then I'm looking for the big boys
to take you both on a one-way trip...
-when you can't cover your bets.
-You'll die.
Probably still running your big mouth.
You wanna kill me?
Go ahead. Everybody dies.
One thing I learned from my sister:
It ain't dying that's bad...
it's how you do it.
Forget it.
He still don't have a chance in hell.
Ali!
Leon the Lover!
Here he is, Leon the Lover,
the Golden Boy.
He's made what some call a dirty
sport into his personal showcase.
Looks like he took lessons
from Ziegfeld, Barnum and Bailey...
and the great Muhammad Ali
in showmanship.
Undefeated, untied,
and to many folks, still untested.
You know, they refer to him
as a "showboat cheesecake."
They feel he didn't pay any dues,
it came to him too easy.
Maybe he just made it look that way,
Eddie.
But tonight,
we've got a new Leon the Lover.
Serious, deadly earnest, no jokes...
a silent, serious Leon the Lover.
Thank you for telling me to come.
I want him to know I'm here,
I'm rooting for him.
Good, have a seat.
Kelly, sit next to Mama, okay?
We got the bell for Round 1.
As you can see,
there's no feeling each other out...
no fancy strategy.
Both men hungry for a win...
come out fighting.
Ricardo, head down like a fullback,
charging into Leon.
Rope-a-dope, come on.
You heard what I told you.
-No knock down, just dirty fighting.
-Yes, it is, Eddie.
He's manhandling Leon.
Over the course of 15 rounds,
it's got to take its toll.
Get up, nigger!
Show me something.
I came to fight a man.
I thought we'd see more movement,
more involvement from Leon...
the fastest hands and feet
in the West...
but where are they tonight?
A tremendous blow knocks out
the Lover's mouthpiece.
He's wobbly. Could go down.
Ricardo's fighting like a madman.
He's deranged, man.
He's gotta be on something.
He's on something, all right.
He's on Leon's ass.
You're right about that.
Leon the Lover is in big trouble.
He's trying to hold on,
and he's taking a terrible beating.
A tremendous Ricardo right,
and the Lover's down.
Replace the referee!
The Lover is dazed, sleepwalking.
He doesn't know where he is.
A tremendous club to the head
throws Leon hard to the canvas.
-He may not get up.
-You've got to get up!
Stay away from him!
Six, seven, eight.
And he's up. Just barely.
But two knockdowns
in the first round...
one more like that,
and this fight's over early.
-How many fingers?
-Three.
-What day is it?
-I didn't know when I walked in here.
-Where are you?
-In one hell of a fight, but it's not over.
Keep your guard up!
Hold on! Rope-a-dope!
Badly beaten, the Lover is being
helped, almost carried, to his corner.
-You all right? Can you make it?
-I gotta make it.
I just didn't know
which one of them it was.
I'm gonna fight
all three of those bastards.
It's the beginning of Round 2.
It's starting off like the last one.
Ricardo, mauling and manhandling
Leon the Lover almost at will.
This is no ring boxing.
This is back-alley brawling.
-Butt him in the head.
-Come on, Leon!
Twenty-five years of announcing,
and never anything like this.
This is a disgrace.
Why doesn't the referee stop this?
Ricardo should be disqualified,
this fight should be stopped.
We got no referee here!
This is utterly unbelievable,
a sad day for the sport of boxing.
You can't treat my baby like that.
What a tremendous beating,
in fact, an unnecessary beating...
as Leon is literally dragged
to his corner.
And now I ask,
how much more can one man take?
It's sad to see so much talent
dissipate so rapidly.
I don't think you can knock him out.
You've got to try and outpoint him.
You got to take these next rounds.
Impress the judges.
Finish each round pretty. Now go.
Use your head, your shoulders,
elbows, anything.
So far, this has not been the cleanest
of fights. It's been one hell of a brawl.
What we have here is two superior,
determined, gifted boxers...
and there will be
no early knockout tonight.
Ed, between rounds once again,
this crowd is a little stunned.
One reporter has just yelled...
that he's never seen a fighter
so thoroughly possessed as Ricardo.
He says he must be high
to be so emotionally charged up.
In his corner, Leon has not sat down,
is still on his feet between rounds...
maybe not so smart, because by now,
he must know that he's in big trouble.
But win or lose,
he's shown he's not just a showboat...
but a game champion,
and, Ed, there's no doubt about it.
The man has heart.
You've got the fight won.
Just stay away from him.
Shit, you can let him have
these last few rounds.
You lost too many rounds.
Are you gonna knock him out?
You gotta close the show.
This ain't gonna be a judge's decision.
Me and you, one of us is going down.
You finally decided to fight, my friend.
I've been here all night.
Your sister gonna get up off her ass
to dance with me at the victory party?
And now, it's starting to come back,
as four times in a row...
Leon beats Ricardo to the punch.
-Come on, Leon!
-Come on, son.
Leon's boxing much better now.
He's more in control.
The Lover's back, looking pretty as he
turns out his patterned moves.
There you see the old Leon the Lover,
the man who electrified audiences.
This is definitely Leon's round,
but is it too little, too late?
It's still gonna take a knockout
for Leon to win.
You gotta knock him out!
You proud bastard!
Leon the Lover, fighting his way back.
He's had trouble since round one...
but he's shown he's got more heart
than any fighter I've ever known.
You almost had him.
I didn't think he was gonna get up.
One more son-of-a-bitching blow!
-I gave it everything I had.
-I know you did, son.
Let me turn around.
I don't want him to see how tired I am.
There's nothing left.
I can't walk. I can't move.
I can't throw a punch.
I can barely breathe.
One more son-of-a-bitching blow!
And so we're down to the very end.
If Ricardo hangs on for three minutes,
he becomes the undisputed champ.
But Leon the Lover seems
more intense than I've ever seen him.
Don't fight him.
You proud bastard. Don't fight him.
Just stay away three more minutes,
and you're the new champion.
-Not for nobody. I'll kick his ass.
-Aren't you listening?
Aren't I getting through to you?
Stay away from him...
and you are the new champion.
Just stay away. It's won, it's yours.
Just push me out there.
One, two...
three, four, five.
Ricardo, knock that son of a bitch
on his ass.
What a fight. What a war!
The best thing I've ever seen.
-That's right, Leon!
-Do it, Leon.
-Come on, Leon.
-Come on, baby!
Close the show!
Impress the judges.
One more son-of-a-bitching blow!
One more.
You gotta close the show!
Come on, baby!
He's ready to fall.
He's gonna fall!
Fall, fall!
...three, four, five, six...
seven, eight, nine, ten.
And Leon the Lover
has done the impossible!
-It was an incredible fight.
-Absolutely incredible.
Leon the Lover!
I love you, Leon. I'm so proud of you.
I knew you could do it.
And that makes three, a winner for life.