The Fire Inside (2024) Movie Script

1
[choral music playing]
[uplifting music playing]
[panting]
[Jason] Uppercut, go!
Left hook, go!
Uppercut, go!
-Right hand, go!
-[students grunting]
And hook, go! That's it.
Jab, go!
Right hand, go!
Jab, go!
Jab, jab, go!
That's it. Jab, go!
Jab, jab, go!
Right hand, go!
Ain't no cheerleading practice
up in here.
-[student] Cheerleading.
-[Jason] Aye, aye, aye.
-Cool it with all that.
-[student 2] You tell her, Zay.
Claressa. How many times
I gotta tell you, huh?
You wanna hang around the gym,
that's fine.
You wanna do drills with Bean,
that's fine.
But we don't train no girls
here at Berston Field House.
You hear me?
Aight.
Aight.
Hey, arms up!
What are we doin'?
Right hand, go!
Uppercut, go!
Uppercut, go!
Uppercut, go!
Right hand, go!
Jab, go!
Jab, jab, go!
Right hand, go.
Okay, hold on, hold on.
Okay. [chuckles]
Okay, you got the headgear on.
What you think
you gonna do with that?
Oh. Okay.
Ain't no use, Coach.
She on that short bus.
Gotta use sign language
talkin' to her.
Sign language, right?
You've been trainin'
for two weeks.
You think you're
Floyd Mayweather or somebody?
[student] Dang!
You heard that, right?
What you gonna do?
[laughs]
Aight. Aight, come on in here.
-[blows whistle]
-Aight, one round
and then we gettin'
back to work, okay?
One round
is all I need, Coach.
What you need is a ass
whoopin', but that's okay.
That's okay. We gonna
get there soon enough.
Aight. Here we go. Go!
Yeah, get her, Zay!
Come on,
get in there, Claressa!
That's it, come on!
All right, hold up, hold up.
-Zay, get over there!
-[young Lil Zay] Dang, Coach.
-Get in that corner, man.
-Zay undefeated!
Hey, come here. Come here.
Look here, look here.
-All right.
-[students chuckling]
Hey, don't you hang your head,
you hear?
You can lose a fight,
but you can't let nobody
take your heart.
There's a difference, okay?
All right, stand right there.
Show me the jab.
Okay. Show me the cross.
[young Lil Zay] What she doin'?
-Okay. Bean? Bean?
-[Bean] Mmm?
What you been
teachin' this girl?
Don't put that on me.
You the only one here
workin' with her.
You said ain't no
girl fighters at Berston.
Shut up, Bean.
Come over here, all right?
All right, look at me.
Jab.
Cross.
Hey! Okay, come on, now.
Keep your front foot planted.
This ain't ballet.
There. All right?
Jab.
Cross.
There you go. There you go.
[young Lil Zay] She don't want
no more, Coach.
-[Jason] Hey, look, look.
-She don't want no more Zay.
Watch his shoulders,
not his hands, okay?
When he come at you
with all that mess,
you slip left,
and you blast him.
Show me the slip.
Blast it. There we go!
There we go. Aight!
-Round two.
-[timer beeps]
Let's go!
[student] Get in there.
She don't want no more.
-[Jason] Come on.
-[student] Come on, Zay.
Claressa, remember
what I told you, now.
-Yeah! There you go.
-[young Claressa grunting]
That's it, that's good.
-Okay, all right.
-[student] She hit him!
-All right. Hey, hey, hey.
-[young Lil Zay] Let me go!
-Let me go! Come on, man.
-Hey, hey, hey.
Hey.
[laughing]
That was good, girl.
Okay. Okay.
Okay, easy now.
Okay, easy now.
Come here. I'm just gonna...
take your headgear
off for you, okay?
You can come here. All right.
You all right?
Hey.
You done real good.
Okay? Yeah.
All right. All right.
[laughing]
[dishes clattering in kitchen]
Hey, baby.
What?
You act like you ain't never
seen me clean before.
Bri, Peanut.
Mmm-hmm.
Y'all think
y'all know my tricks
but y'all don't know.
It's even the real kind.
Of course it's the real kind.
Only the best for my baby.
Shit.
I forgot the milk.
[young Briana] Water tastes
like milk, anyway.
[Jackie sighs]
-[Jason] Show me a roar.
-[roars]
Oh, that's good, but you
can do better than that.
Show me your growl!
[both growling]
[laughs]
[Mickey] I tell you what,
these kids better growl
their way over to this table
and eat this food.
[Jason] Oh, you heard Mama.
We gotta growl to the table.
Yeah!
Yeah! Bacon time.
-Yeah, it's bacon time.
-[Jason chuckles]
Baby, can I
ask you a question?
[Mickey] Mmm-hmm.
What you think
about girls boxin'?
Nuh-uh. You ain't finna have
my baby up in no gym.
[Keisha] I can fight. See?
Watch my hands.
Pow, pow, pow...
No, you can't!
All right.
Corey, Keisha, shut.
Hey, look, I'm not talkin'
about our kids.
I'm talkin' about this
little girl named Claressa.
Yeah, she comin' out
to the gym.
She from over there
in Frogtown.
-Jackie's little girl?
-Uh-huh.
What's she doin'
all the way over at Berston?
She wanna fight, I guess.
She run all the way there
most days.
Hmm. Probably tryin'
to get away
from that messed up house.
Don't see no reason
why she can't.
She got hands.
Yeah. [chuckles]
Yeah, she do. She do.
I don't know, I just...
I just never...
You ain't never what?
I just ain't never thought
about no girls boxin'.
Mmm.
And why is that?
-[bell dings]
-[crowd cheering]
[Jason] There you go!
That's it! Jab on the outside!
Jab on the outside!
She ain't got no defense!
She ain't got no defense!
She ain't never
seen nothin' like you!
She ain't never seen
nothin' like you!
[both grunting]
That's it! There you go!
There you go!
Let her come to you!
Let her come to you!
That's it! There you go!
-That's how we do!
-[Claressa] Yeah!
-That's how we do!
-[Claressa] Yeah!
-[referee] One! Two!
-Yeah! Yeah!
-[referee] Three! Four!
-Come on!
-[referee] Five! Six!
-Let's go, Ressa!
[referee] Seven!
Eight!
-[bell dings]
-[crowd cheering]
That's how we do!
That's how we do!
That's how we do!
-Yeah, Coach!
-That's right! That's right!
-They don't want none!
-Yeah!
Come on, that's right!
T-Rex! T-Rex! T-Rex!
We got two months
till nationals,
so I need you
training every day.
[Claressa] All right, Coach.
You want me to walk you in?
Nah, I'm good.
-Thanks, Coach.
-Mm-hmm.
Hey, Ressa.
I'm proud of you.
I'm damn proud of you.
-[Jackie chuckling]
-[man] Mmm-hmm.
[R&B music playing
on speakers]
Oh.
There go my baby.
There go the champ.
[Claressa] Hey, Mama.
Ressa, you remember
Mama friend, Johnny, right?
Where Bri and Peanut at?
-They in the back.
-They?
What you think?
Don't be askin' me no question
about my damn kids.
[Jackie scoffs]
[Claressa] I got y'all orange.
[Peanut] Thanks, Ress.
[Briana] We ain't eat all day.
[rousing music building]
[both grunting]
Work her, Zay.
Oh, come on, now.
You can't give her nothin'.
You gotta make her earn it!
Come on, Zay!
That's it, press her.
Time!
Hey, Ressa. Hey, look,
I gotta leave a little early.
I have Bean gonna make sure
you get home safe, okay?
-All right, Coach.
-All right, good work.
I can take you.
["Bad Girls"
by Solange playing]
Bruh! What you doin'?
-[laughing]
-Aye. You crazy.
[Lil Zay] Yo! Nah, nah, nah.
[Claressa] Stop! Don't do that!
[Lil Zay] It was funny!
It was cool to give you
a ride home, Ressa.
I mean, we walked most
of the way here, so...
Ain't my fault
your butt got sore.
[both laugh]
Besides,
Jason would kill me if I laid
you up before the big fight.
True.
Ayo, you represent out there.
Show 'em how we do it
in Flint.
[airplane rumbling]
[Jason chuckles]
[PA system chimes]
[air hostess on PA]
Ladies and gentlemen,
we are experiencing
some turbulence.
[hopeful piano music playing]
[man] Here's your badge.
[indistinct chatter]
Good luck.
That's who we got first round.
Time to teach these babies
to stay out
of grown folks' business.
Hey, don't pay her no mind.
Don't pay her no mind.
You know, this ain't just
messin' around no more.
You win tomorrow,
we goin'
to the Olympic Trials.
You don't get many
opportunities like this,
so when you do,
you go all the way.
You've seen more
in your 16 years...
than most people seen
in their entire lifetime.
You a survivor, Ressa.
You got this fire
inside of you.
I want you to take
all that pain
and turn it into
somethin' good.
[Spokane MC] In the ring now,
a study in opposites.
On one side, 16-year-old
Claressa "T-Rex" Shields
from Flint, Michigan,
and on the other,
Kira Fitzgerald, 31-year-old,
-reigning US champion.
-I kinda like her.
And here we go, folks.
Winner takes all.
-[dings]
-[referee] Box!
[crowd applauding]
[both grunting]
-All them baby games is done.
-Let me go, bro!
-You with a real one now!
-[Claressa] Get off me!
Keep your balance, Ressa.
Come on, keep your balance.
Get in there! Come on.
There we go.
There we go. Come on, Ress.
Don't let her get
in your head! Come on.
Get your balance!
Come on, Ressa.
-[bell dings]
-[referee] Stop!
[Spokane MC]
Now, first year for women's
boxing at the Olympics
and kind of an awkward
system at play.
The winner at these trials
will move on to...
[Jason distorted] Come here.
It's all right.
Hey, Ressa.
Ressa, wake up.
[normal voice] Wake up!
-You good?
-I'm good!
-Is you good?
-[Claressa] I'm good, Coach!
All right, come on, now.
When she move,
you move with her,
not against her, okay?
'Cause when y'all move
the same, she can't hang.
-Uh-huh.
-She can't hang, all right?
Have her ass on the ground
in one second,
all right? There you go.
You ready? Aight, let's go!
[bell dings]
Yeah, there we go!
Stick and cut!
[crowd exclaiming]
There we go!
That's how we do!
Come on, T-Rex!
Oh! There we go! There we go!
Come on!
Who the real one now, huh?
You gotta let them hands go!
T-Rex!
Let them hands go, Ressa!
Let them hands go!
Come on, baby girl!
We havin' too much fun
to stop now!
Let's go!
-[bell dings]
-Yeah!
[camera shutter clicks]
Mmm...
I didn't like the score.
[reporter] What's the matter
with it?
15-23?
I could've sworn
I was in a corner.
What'd he say, 29-9?
Somethin' like that?
[reporter] You thought
you were in the lead more?
I ain't never score
a 23 in my life.
[Jason] The score was fine.
23 to 15, that's all right.
We still won.
You goin' to China,
to the Olympic Trials.
What?
[laughs]
You see that? You see that?
See, I know her like a book.
[laughing]
Cheers.
Hi, Jason.
I'm Nicole Thompson.
Head of marketing and media
relations for USA Boxing.
Oh, hey, Nicole.
Good to meet you.
Congratulations.
Where is Claressa?
Oh, you know,
she up in her room.
She's 16.
Any party I go to,
she don't want no part of.
[chuckles]
I know what you thinkin'.
Where'd she come from, right?
Well, look, none of that
matter 'cause that's the past.
She the future now.
And you know we gonna
take home that gold medal too.
Jason, USA Boxing hasn't won
a gold medal since 2004.
[chuckles] We've only won
three in the last 20 years.
Yeah, well, none of them
boxers was Claressa, was it?
Yeah, and none of them
were 16.
Look, she's a strong fighter,
I'll give you that.
But I just want you
to manage expectations.
The Olympics
isn't just boxing,
it's the weight of the world.
Could you have handled that
at her age?
Look, Ressa, who we is?
[Briana grunting]
Ah!
It ain't even like that, fool.
You didn't knock her out?
Nah, you get points and shit.
You gotta land the most hits.
Like this. Brah, brah.
That's two. Brah, brah, brah.
That's three right there.
Best part is, we goin'
to China for the qualifiers.
Then after that, it's London.
And a gold medal.
I'mma get paid, watch.
Move us up outta that house.
For real, Ress?
Hell yeah.
You heard Jason.
Can't nobody beat me.
[marching band
playing upbeat music]
[crowd cheering]
[laughs]
[girl] Yes, T-Rex!
[boy] Hell yeah, Ressa!
Hell yeah!
What's up?
-So.
-So.
You miss me?
I've only been gone
for, like, four days.
Boy, you lame as hell.
-Ressa, you did it!
-[Claressa laughs]
What's this?
Your coach came by.
Said you need that
good protein.
Me and the girls
made this for you, special.
Can I at least
have some fries?
Coach Jason say,
"No french fries,
no fried chicken."
Tsk.
And lay off them Red Vines.
[Claressa grunting]
One more.
All right, take over, Zay.
-All right, Coach.
-Work her.
Just like I told you.
You look tired.
[chuckles]
No, no, again.
Yeah, that's it.
That's it right there.
That's it right there. Ressa,
you gotta take that now.
Yeah!
[laughing] What was that?
[Claressa and Lil Zay
giggling]
-[Jason] Hey, look here!
-What are you doin'?
[Jason] Hey, look here!
Your job is to work her.
You understand me?
If you don't work her
over here,
they gonna work her
over there.
All right, Coach.
[Claressa grunting]
[Jason] Look, I'mma tell it
to you straight.
No datin' at the gym.
All right?
You cannot mix business
with pleasure. You hear me?
-Ressa?
-I hear you! Dang.
Look out there. Hey.
Come on, now, look out there.
See, you on a path right now.
And everything
you see out there
is just one more thing
to get in your way.
All these boys.
Coach.
What?
What, you think I don't know?
You think I don't know about
what it's like to be 16?
Hormones all everywhere?
Bruh, don't nobody wanna hear
about your nasty hormones.
Oh, you don't?
I'mma tell you, though.
-Nah. Not at all!
-I'mma tell you, though.
Aye, aye. When I was your age,
I had all these girls.
-[laughs]
-Please.
-Nah, man. Stop!
-No!
-[laughing]
-Stop. Please stop.
Aye, I was a player.
I was a player.
[giggling]
Look, you win that gold medal,
you can date who you want,
when you want, how you want.
You ain't got
nothin' to prove.
'Cause you up here.
You hear me? You up here.
But until then,
no datin' in my gym.
You got too much at stake.
These boys, they just...
You know, they leave you
high and dry.
I done it, so I know.
[TV announcer]
Wearing the chrome gold,
weighing 139 pounds,
he is undefeated.
Three wins, all by knockout.
From Flint, Michigan,
I give you Jason Crutchfield!
["The Thrill"
by Miguel playing]
I just wanna feel
The wind blow
In my face
'Cause these moments
Come one blink at a time
That's why I never wanna
Close my eyes, yeah
I can feel the riot
In the air tonight
Kinda trouble
You can taste
And I can't wait
And I can't wait
It's the thrill
I feel my heartbeat race
And I can't wait
Zay.
Zay, wait.
Zay!
Look, if this is why I'm here,
this the only reason
you with me...
No, it's not
the only reason...
Listen to me.
[sighs]
All right.
Aye, I gotta
tell you somethin'.
And you might not
wanna hear it but, um...
I gotta tell you.
Look, when I was little...
When I was a little girl...
My mama friend, he, um...
He used to touch me.
He used to touch me like that.
I mean, he locked up now.
I'm good, I just...
I just need to take it
extra slow.
It's okay.
I ain't scared to be touched.
Not by you.
I'm sorry
that happened to you.
But it don't
change nothin' for me.
["Ayy Ladies"
by Travis Porter playing]
[people laughing]
Where you comin' from?
-Nowhere.
-Nowhere?
Talk to your mama.
I'm goin' to bed.
I got training in the mornin'.
Oh, you too good
for your mama now?
[man] Come on,
dance with me, Ressa.
You lookin' fine here tonight!
Leave her alone, Alfred.
She too high
and mighty for us.
She a big shot now.
-She the champ!
-Yeah!
[Jackie laughing]
She got trainin'
in the mornin'.
I'm just playin'
with you, girl!
Why you can't
have some fun with us?
Come on, just a little dance.
God damn it, Ressa!
-[woman] Yo, you see that?
-[man 2] Think he bleedin'.
-Get your ass outta here.
-Mama.
[Jackie] This is my house,
you hear? Mine!
I said, get the fuck
outta my house!
-[snoring]
-[cell phone ringing softly]
[groans] Jason.
-Jason.
-Hmm?
[police siren wails
in distance]
-[car honks]
-Ressa!
Ressa!
Ress!
Ressa! Ressa!
Hey, Ressa.
Ressa, come on, now.
Ressa, it's me. It's me.
Ressa, hey.
Come on, now, it's me.
[softly] Hey.
Hey, okay.
[sobs]
Okay.
-[crying]
-It's okay.
It's okay. It's okay.
It's okay, okay?
It's okay.
All right, come on.
It's okay.
Let's get you off the street,
okay? Come on.
Corey, wake Ressa up
before she late for school.
[Corey] Come on, Ressa,
wake up.
Boo!
[both laughing]
I got you!
What you scared for, huh?
What you scared for?
[sighs]
[Jason] You all right?
I'm good.
You can stay in Keisha's room
while she away at school.
-Thanks, Coach.
-Mmm-hmm.
Now, look,
this don't change a thing.
I'm still your coach,
you still my fighter.
I ain't gonna
treat you different
just 'cause you here.
Yes, Coach.
[Mickey] Ressa, you hungry?
Nah. I'm good, Mick.
So, you, uh...
-You tell my mama?
-[Jason] Mmm-hmm.
She thinks it's probably best.
Hey.
Road to the Olympics,
that's through China,
so get your mind right,
you hear?
All right.
Mmm-hmm. Yeah.
Uh-huh. We went down there
and got it.
They had her name
in the system already
and everything.
[Nicole on phone] That's
great, Jason. Thank you.
All her flights have been
taken care of as well.
Mmm-hmm.
All she has to do is
check in at the counter.
Claressa, you must be excited
to go to China.
Yeah.
Yeah, she good.
She ready. [laughs]
What about Jason?
I'm sorry, Claressa.
Jason's not sanctioned
with AIBA,
let alone USA Boxing.
What, you ain't comin'?
Hey, look, Ressa, now,
you know, China, that's...
It's a long ways away.
I'm so sorry, Claressa.
We can only travel in
officially-sanctioned coaches.
Jason would have to
fly himself there,
and even then
it would only be
to support from the sidelines.
Coach.
Our coaching staff
is excellent.
Hey, Ressa.
Nicole, I'mma call you back.
Aye, Ressa!
Ressa!
Ressa, I know you mad. Aye!
Ressa! Come on, now.
Ressa, aye. Aye, come on...
Ressa, now.
Hey, look, gettin' to China,
that ain't cheap.
Aight?
My cable job
the only one that pay, aight?
I can't afford to miss
no more shifts.
Oh, no. Come on.
Don't start cryin' on me.
Don't go cryin' on me now.
Aye, the only tears we cryin'
is tears of joy, right?
I tell you what,
you go over there,
you get that gold medal
and I'mma be the one
cryin' like a little bitch.
[laughs] Right?
[laughing]
Right.
Hey, even when
I ain't there...
I'm there, okay?
You hear me? I'm there.
All right.
[sweeping music playing]
[announcer on computer]
And that looks to be
another point for Shields
who is riddling Rani
with body blows.
[Jason] Aight.
Some sensational
combinations here.
Yeah, there you go, Ressa.
That's it, that's it.
There you see,
again with the left hand.
There you go.
Jab to the head,
hook to the body.
There you go, Ressa! Come on!
That's it, that's how we do.
That's how we do.
Here comes Shields again!
Right there!
Right there, that's it!
Rani, nowhere to go, flailing.
She can't escape
that thrashing from Shields.
[laughing] Come on! Aye! Aye.
Ressa over there
destroyin' her. You hear me?
Aye, it ain't even close!
Shields, undoubtedly
the aggressor
from the start of this match
-is not backing down.
-[Jason whoops]
That's it!
[reporter] 27-10.
That's quite a debut
out there. Really impressive.
Pooja Rani
didn't stand a chance.
Is that why
they call you T-Rex?
No, that's account of
my short arms, actually.
I ain't got reach,
but I'm as fierce
as they come.
Well, that's
clearly the truth.
So, Claressa, tell me.
Why boxing?
I like to beat people up.
-[audience chuckles]
-You like to beat people up?
That's right.
Excuse me. I'm just gonna
borrow Claressa for a moment.
You might wanna
rethink your strategy.
What you mean?
People expect female athletes
to behave a certain way,
look a certain way.
Boxing's no exception.
-That's bullshit.
-It sucks, I know.
But the reality is,
if you wanna succeed
outside the ring,
you gotta play the game.
Let me show you something.
-[Claressa] What's this?
-[camera shutter clicking]
Ain't she got a fight today?
[Nicole] Photo shoot.
CoverGirl picked up Marlen
right after the trials.
Man, I can beat that girl ass.
I'm a way better
boxer than her.
Well, that remains to be seen,
but that is exactly my point.
It's not fair, but for women,
it's not just about
how skilled you are.
[photographer] Beautiful!
[Mickey yawns]
Good mornin'.
I figured I'd watch it
out here so I didn't wake you.
[Jason chuckles]
You want some coffee?
Oh, yeah. Thank you.
[Mickey] Dang, that girl tall.
Yeah, but we ain't
worried about her, though.
-Thank you.
-Yeah.
[male announcer on computer]
Welcome back.
-We ain't worried about her.
-We're coming to you live
from the Women's World
Boxing Championships
in Shanghai, China.
The top eight finishers
here at Worlds
will qualify to move on to
the Summer Olympics in London.
That's right.
And Flint, Michigan's
17-year-old Claressa Shields
can punch her ticket to London
right now
with a victory
in this semifinal match
against England's
Savannah Marshall.
[female announcer]
Shields cruised through
her opening bout
here yesterday
with India's Pooja Rani.
But Marshall is a much
more seasoned fighter.
All right. Now, she has
a reach advantage
so you let her come at you,
and you counter, okay?
Wait, huh?
When she punches,
I need you to counter
and then give her the slip.
[audience cheering]
-Let's go, Ress!
-Come on!
[bell dings]
[referee] Box!
[grunting]
[male announcer on computer]
This sure is unexpected.
Savannah Marshall holding
Claressa Shields at bay.
See, she need to get in there
if she want the points, right?
-[Mickey] Mmm-hmm.
-That girl got them long arms.
[male announcer] Now that
was an astonishing blow!
[female announcer]
Claressa Shields
not on her usual game tonight.
-What's goin' on, little man?
-She can't seem
to find her way in.
Come on, now.
[Corey] What's wrong
with Ressa?
[male announcer] Savannah
Marshall, three inches taller.
[Jason] Nothin', baby.
Dominating with
her long reach.
She just need a minute
to figure it out, that's all.
They gonna get her right
when she get back
-to her corner.
-In the first round,
we're tied
at two points apiece.
Calm down.
-You listen to me now.
-Bruh, she keep runnin'!
-[female coach] I know!
-She ain't even comin' at me!
Calm down, Claressa. I need
you to listen to me, now.
-What I need to do?
-Look!
When she step to throw,
and I know she
way out there, Claressa,
-but when she step...
-[voice distorts]
I need you to give her
the slip to the left
-like we talked about.
-[breathing heavily]
All right?
[muffled audio]
[Claressa panting heavily]
[Claressa grunts]
Close her down!
Don't give her the reach.
Move with her.
Close that space.
Throw it to the body, Ressa!
You gotta get those points!
[both grunting]
[suspenseful music playing]
[Nicole] I've been lookin'
all over for you.
It's Jason.
I don't wanna talk to him.
Uh, Jason, I'm not sure
if you're aware
from the coverage over there,
but Claressa's
not out just yet.
If Savannah Marshall wins
the tournament tomorrow
it'll weigh Claressa's
strength of competition.
And that, along with
her impressive score
from round one,
should be enough for the final
seed into the Olympics.
Think of it like
a wild-card spot in football.
Yeah, that's good.
That's good. That gives us
somethin' to hope for.
[over phone]
Ressa. Aye, Ressa?
I know it's a loss,
but that's your first loss.
You know, it happened already.
That loss is done.
But this a new day.
Yeah? This a new day.
It's time for you
to get back up.
See, this ain't
no physical thing.
About what's in your head,
what's in your soul,
what's in your spirit.
Now, if you stay down,
then you down,
that's your character,
but you get back up...
you know, you the truth.
So it's gonna be up to you
to show who Claressa Shields
really is.
[grunting]
[exhaling forcefully]
[female announcer
speaking Mandarin]
[in English] Yes!
Claressa, that's you!
You made it!
You're going
to the freakin' Olympics!
[laughs]
[announcer continues
in Mandarin]
[woman in English]
Good luck, Savannah!
[teacher] I want your papers
to focus on one of three
Native American peoples
from the Northern Woodlands.
The Ojibwe, the Odawa,
or the Potawatomi tribes.
[Jason sighs]
-Hey, baby.
-Hey, baby.
[Jason] How many times
you gonna watch that?
How many times? Hmm?
-You okay?
-I'm fine.
[Jason] You fine? Aight.
You sure about that?
I don't feel like talkin'.
Well, you need to.
You can't keep watchin' that
fight over and over again,
hatin' on everything.
You need to let it out.
Ressa.
-I hear you, man! Dang!
-[Jason] Don't ignore me then.
Jason, why you bothering her?
I don't like
when people ignore me.
-She don't feel like talkin'.
-You just keep flyin' at me!
You keep flyin' at me
and I keep tellin' you,
I don't feel like talkin'
about the stupid fight.
I lost.
I lost, and I'mma try
to do better next time
and it's just like,
it's not enough.
Even when I win,
it's not enough.
You told me you was gonna be
there, and you weren't there.
Oh, okay, so now she
blamin' me, right? Okay.
-Can't blame nobody else.
-Oh, you can't, huh?
-Jason.
-[knock at door]
If it's a girl,
I'mma name her Miracle.
And we could
dress her all cute
in one of them
bow headband things.
You sure?
Of course I'm sure.
What kinda question that is?
Ain't like I'm some dude
that can claim it ain't mine.
You talk to baby daddy yet?
Shit, Bri.
Where you gonna stay?
You can't stay at Mama's.
Well, when you
win that prize money,
we could get our own place.
Just us.
Yeah, well...
[sighs]
Don't get it twisted.
All right? No matter how
cute that baby is,
I ain't changin'
no stinky diapers.
[both laughing]
That's all you.
["Boom" by Royce Da 5'9"
playing on speakers]
You wanna come over later?
Come on.
How about tomorrow?
-Come on!
-Zay, focus, man.
In a minute.
I am focused.
[laughing]
Are you comin' over?
Ressa, come on.
I'm just messin' with you.
Ressa!
Yo, Ressa.
Yo. I was just playin'.
Aye, I think we need
to chill on us.
Jason wasn't even lookin'.
It ain't about Jason.
Huh?
Look, I ain't got time
to mess around.
I've been workin' my whole
life for this right now, man.
I don't need a boyfriend.
I need a sparring partner,
all right?
I need workouts and reps,
that's it.
You breakin' up with me?
No, I...
[sniffles]
Nah, I mean...
Until these Olympics...
kinda.
"Kinda."
I seeded last, Zay.
These girls I'm fightin'
over there are, like, 30.
They ain't got school
or homework.
They got people
workin' 'em out all day
feedin' 'em
green smoothies and shit.
I don't need
any distractions right now.
That's what I am?
I ain't even
mean it like that.
Nah. We good.
We good.
[bell rings]
[Lil Zay laughing]
Oh, Zay, she don't like that.
She don't like that. Oh!
[laughs] Ooh!
All right, Zay, come on.
[Jason whooping, exclaiming]
That's it. That's it.
That's it. Get in there.
There you go, there you go,
there you go.
-Whoo!
-Ressa?
-[Jason] There you go!
-Ressa!
Lookin' good up there, baby.
Mmm-mmm-mmm.
Jason Crutchfield,
long time no see.
Come to pick my daughter up.
We're havin'
a little get-together.
Yeah, well, she trainin'.
Come on. Come on, let's go.
Come on, man.
I just got out the joint.
[Jason] There you go.
That's it.
She can skip out
a little early tonight.
Ressa! Ressa, what you say?
Hey, Ressa, don't you pay him
no mind, you hear me?
[Claressa's dad]
Say, man, who the hell
you think you talkin' to
like that, though?
I'm talkin' to my fighter.
You talkin' to my daughter.
Oh, your daughter?
She your daughter now?
Yeah, that's right.
She my daughter.
-She always been my daughter.
-Oh, that's right.
She always
will be my daughter.
You do need
to think about that.
That's right? Okay. Okay.
I'mma change real quick.
Wait for you outside, baby.
Say, look here, man.
Look here, man. I...
I appreciate
everything you done for her.
But some things you gotta
recognize, you feel me?
Donte, what you waitin' on?
Come on, get in here.
[people laughing]
London, England.
Damn!
You did good.
You did real good.
I didn't even win yet, though.
You gonna.
Don't matter.
This a real proud papa here.
Hey, y'all.
My baby girl
goin' to the Olympics!
-[man] There we go! Yeah!
-[woman] Okay!
And I'm the one
done told her she a boxer.
-It was me.
-So embarrassing.
[singing]
We goin' to the Olympics
Dad, all right,
all right, all right.
-Chill!
-[Peanut] Stop it.
[laughing]
Goin' to the Olympics, man!
[Jason] Hey, there.
Aye, come sit down a minute.
Come on.
So, uh...
Daddy home again, huh?
That's good. That's real good.
We all need family, you know.
-Yeah.
-Mmm-hmm.
He ask you about London?
He on parole,
so it might just be Mama,
Bri, and Peanut, but...
Bri pregnant and...
I don't really know
if she gonna go.
So, I mean...
Aye, you want my opinion?
I'mma tell you.
You might not want mine,
but I'mma
tell it to you straight.
When you leave
all of 'em right here,
ain't no bullshit around you.
Mmm-mmm.
Hey, look.
This is the highlight
of your life, right now.
And the only person
you gotta look out for is you.
Yeah, but they my family.
They all I got.
I know,
I know it feel like that,
but you all you got.
You got more heart,
more discipline,
more fight than
any of them ever had.
So you gotta drown out
all that noise,
and you got to stay focused.
Huh? You wanna take care
of your family,
you gotta get that gold first.
And then the endorsements
gonna come.
Nike, Visa.
Look, just you wait.
They come lookin' already.
And when you win... ooh-wee.
You can buy your mama
a new house
with space for Bri baby.
You can get you a new car.
There's somethin' else, too.
I apologize
for not bein'
with you in China.
That's on me.
You been sacrificin'.
So... [sighs]
I gotta sacrifice, too.
I'mma be with you
in London, Ress.
I'mma be right there with you.
Yeah.
But the question is,
is you ready?
You want that gold medal,
let me see it!
Let me see it, Ressa!
-Let's go!
-[car horn honking]
That's it! That's it!
That's it. Run for the gold,
Ressa, run for the gold!
["A Tribe Called Red"
by Angel Haze playing]
Switched up the team
Let the magic begin
Told all you haters
I'm in it to win it
Way back when them losers
Wasn't letting me in
I'm out here living
My passions and more
Witnessing peace as it
Pass through my soul
Nothing can irritate masses
Like literally
-[car horn honks]
-T-Rex!
Haters gon hate
When you winning this
Done for these
they tend to forget
I'm out here yelling
"Look at me now!"
I was once underground,
Now I'm stuck in the clouds
14 whole hours
A trip out to Spain
High in the clouds
I'm gulping the rain
Just a year later
[girl] Claressa!
While facing my fears,
No more running from pain
Head is on straight
So I'm gunning with aim
[grunting]
Catch me out roofless
In something deranged
Ain't it funny how suddenly
Something can change?
Get it, get it, get it!
Turn it around
Turn it around
Even when you feel
You dumbing it down
[students cheering]
A decision to be
The one difference in your life
And turn it around
Turn it around
Turn it around
Go!
Said I would do this
Back when I was 9
Said I would do this
Before I got signed
Said I would give all
These lost kids and doubters
A reason and purpose
To question their lives
Look where I am and then
Look where I've been
Tell me that I am not
Destined to win
Never give power
To none of you cowards
To tell me what you think
My destiny is
[fireworks bursting]
[all clapping and cheering]
Turn it around
Even when you feel
You dumbing it down
[Jason chuckles]
Soak it in.
We in the lion's den now.
[chuckles]
[whistle blows]
[female coach] Okay, Claressa,
fool me twice, shame on me.
Keep your distance now.
[Jason] No, no, no,
you gotta pivot!
Keep those feet movin'!
Close that gap!
There you go!
There you go!
Now you in your range!
-[chuckles]
-Excuse me?
Excuse me? Sir? I'm sorry,
but you can't do that here.
This area is restricted
to the public.
Oh, come on, Ress!
-Come on!
-Sir.
I'm going to have to
ask you to leave.
All right. All right, man.
I heard you. All right.
[female coach]
Stay on the outside.
Right in there. Nice!
I want you to parry.
Parry, then cross.
Hands up. Watch your defense.
Hands up.
[male announcer on TV]
Phelps is all the way down
-in seventh.
-Let's go!
And Deibler
was in the second spot,
but Phelps has
that great finishing speed...
[all chanting]
USA! USA! USA!
[cheering]
[male announcer] Another
strong finish by Phelps!
[crowd chanting]
USA! USA! USA!
I recommend the green ones.
Take, uh,
two Heinekens, please,
and a pack of vinegar crisps.
[vendor] Cheers.
That'll be 20.
-You can get the next round.
-[chuckles]
Thank you, Nicole.
I appreciate that.
All right, thanks, man.
-Cheers. All right.
-Cheers.
Mmm.
There's Laurell.
Hey, look, there's Ressa.
She look good!
She all fired up, too!
Go, Ressa! [chuckles]
Shouldn't you be
in a box suite or somethin'?
Need to win
a few more gold medals
before we can talk box suites.
And besides, I've seen you
at Claressa's fights.
This is where the action is.
Even brought my earplugs.
[laughs] Okay.
Okay, you got jokes.
The woman wearing red,
representing Sweden,
Anna Laurell,
is one of the most decorated
women amateur boxers
of all time.
Her opponent, representing
the United States of America,
it is the teenage phenom
from Flint, Michigan,
17 years old,
Claressa Shields!
All right. All right.
I know you still focused
on Savannah Marshall,
but you gotta get through
these next two girls
if you gonna get to her,
all right?
This one, she wiry, all right?
So I need you to keep your
feet movin' and your hands up.
Locate where them
punches be comin' from.
[referee] Boxers?
[inspirational music playing]
-[bell dings]
-Box!
[grunting]
Stay right there, Ressa!
Hold your ground!
Yeah! That's beautiful.
That's beautiful.
There you go. There you go.
[audience exclaims]
[music swelling]
Ressa,
finish what you started!
This all you!
-[grunting]
-[bell dings]
[laughing] Hey, hey!
-How you feel?
-I feel good!
Oh, yeah? Two down, one to go.
I'm ready, Coach.
Yeah, damn straight, you is.
[woman] Hey, Savannah!
[male announcer on TV]
In a surprising turn,
England's Savannah Marshall
is looking outmatched.
[female announcer]
And what a staggering blow
from Russia's Torlopova.
She got those heavy hands,
you see?
Yeah, you ain't lyin'.
It's like she's swingin'
sledgehammers out there.
[female announcer] Torlopova
is the slower puncher,
but she has the experience
and better technical ability.
-Coach.
-No, it's okay.
It's okay.
[bell dings]
[male announcer]
Marshall was heavily favored
to advance to
the gold medal match
with US boxer
Claressa Shields,
but it's looking like
Russia's Torlopova will be
fighting Shields instead.
-You scared?
-No.
It's okay to be scared.
I'd be worried about you
if you wasn't.
Say it.
Go on, say it out loud.
I ain't scared of her.
But it wasn't supposed to
go down like this.
I've been trainin' and
studyin' the reach advantage,
and now it's like
it don't even matter.
It ain't about Savannah
Marshall. It never was.
You ready physically.
You better than that new girl.
You better than
all of them girls.
Mentally,
that's all the trainin'
you gotta worry about.
You made it to the final.
And maybe
there's a part of you
that thinks that's enough.
You already done better
than anybody expected.
And if you don't win
that gold, then what?
You can go back home,
and things go back to normal.
And then you wouldn't
have to live up to
the challenge of what
everybody think you can do.
But I'mma
tell you somethin', Ressa.
That's bullshit!
That's bullshit.
It's way bigger
than boxin', Ress.
'Cause everybody
lookin' at Flint
like we some damn ghost town.
Like we don't even exist.
You ever wonder
why they name it Flint?
'Cause of the Indians.
They used to go
down to the river
and they find these rocks,
all this flint.
It's a hard stone.
Dark.
It's kinda glassy-lookin'.
Before metal came around,
the Indians, they
would make tools, arrows,
from flint.
It's a tough stone, flint.
And it's strong as hell.
That remind you of anybody?
[dramatic music playing]
[audience cheering]
[Jason yelling]
T-Rex!
T-Rex, we go all the way!
We go all the way!
Come on, Ressa!
Claressa Shields
has been on a mission.
Just 17 years old she starts
her senior year
of high school this fall.
Will she show up
to high school
-with a gold medal...
-Look, look!
...or a silver medal?
[male announcer] It's hard
to believe she's only 17.
Yeah, come on, girl!
[indistinct chatter]
[cheering]
Come on, Flint!
Nadezda Torlopova,
33 years of age,
representing Russia.
Torlopova, the 2010
AIBA World Champion
and bronze medalist at
the Worlds earlier this year
where Shields seeded last.
[bell dings]
[referee] Box!
[rousing music playing]
[Nadezda grunting]
Ressa, don't let her push
you around! You gotta work!
Yeah!
Yeah!
Come on, Ressa.
Come on, Ressa.
Come on, Ressa!
You better than her!
Aye! Don't let her out
on the right-hand side!
[bell dings]
[indistinct chatter]
How you feelin'?
-I'm okay.
-You all right?
Keep your head now.
Keep your head.
Come on, Ress. Come on, now.
You're throwin' wild
right now.
We still got a long way to go.
What I gotta do?
I need you to just breathe.
Okay, just breathe.
-But what I gotta do, man?
-Listen, listen.
Don't let her
out on the right, Ressa!
The right-hand side!
[female announcer on TV]
It is tied at three points
apiece at the end
of round one.
[male announcer]
Going into round two,
US boxer Claressa Shields
needs to get
back on the offensive.
-[bell dings]
-[referee] Box!
[exhaling forcefully]
You gotta cut her off!
You gotta cut her off!
Watch that hook!
She don't hear me.
She don't hear me.
We worked too hard, Ressa!
We worked too hard!
You better than her!
Come on.
[woman] Come on, Claressa.
Hands up! Protect yourself!
[bell dings]
[male announcer on TV]
Welcome back.
We're about to start
round three.
[female announcer]
Still everything to box for
to see who will go home with
the first-ever gold medal for
-women's middleweight boxing.
-Come on, baby.
-Come on, baby!
-Let's go, Ressa!
She outpacin' you, Claressa.
I need you to slow her down,
okay? Use some jabs.
Hey, Ressa! Ressa! Excuse me.
Ressa! Ressa, aye, Ressa!
Stay with her! Stay with her!
Aye, don't let her
out on the right!
[female coach] Don't forget
your combinations.
Work the counters.
Your defense too, all right?
Keep your hands up.
Protect yourself.
[Jason yelling in distance]
Aye, get out your head, now!
We worked too damn hard!
You better than her!
She ain't seen nothin'
like you!
She ain't never seen
nothin' like you!
Let's go! Let's go!
Let's go, T-Rex!
[rousing music continues]
T-Rex!
Let's go!
-[Jackie] Ressa!
-Come on, Ressa!
Let's go, Ressa!
Come on!
Let's go!
[all cheering]
-[bell dings]
-Box!
[grunting]
There you go!
There you go! Get in there!
Ressa, stay with her!
Stay with her!
Don't let her
out on the right!
Oh! Oh!
That's it! Yeah!
[all cheering]
[all shouting indistinctly]
[Claressa exhales heavily]
[both grunting]
[bell dings]
Yeah! Ressa!
[all yelling and cheering]
[tense music playing]
Come on.
Gold medalist and Olympic
champion, representing
the United States of America,
-Claressa Shields!
-[audience cheering]
Yeah! Yeah!
[screaming and cheering]
Oh, my God!
[sentimental music playing]
[Claressa] I'm here
to pay my ma's bill.
Account number 206-8602.
Okay.
I'll, uh,
write a receipt for you
and then you'll take
this letter down
to City of Flint
Water and Power.
Okay.
So, you're her, right?
You're the boxer?
This Claressa Shields
right here.
-It's her.
-Good for you.
She our golden girl.
Yeah, for sure.
I watched it,
so congratulations.
-Thank you.
-I'm her mother.
Wow. You must be so proud.
Oh, I'm proud.
Overwhelmed.
[stamp clicks]
So, what's next for you?
Take over the world.
Right, baby?
[Jason] Hi, hello.
Yes, is this
Excel Sports Marketing?
Yeah, this is Jason
Crutchfield calling again.
I just wanted to, uh, see
if Danny Turner was available.
Uh-huh.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Claressa Shields.
Women's boxing.
Yeah, it's a female sport now.
You know what,
I'll take a fax number.
I didn't know we were still
doing that, but I'll take it.
Yeah, it's just that LA
is a long ways away, so...
There's no
little schedule book for you
to look through to tell me?
It's been a long day.
You know, I'm just...
Jason Crutchfield.
[line disconnects]
Hey, T-Rex. Let me hold
the G for you real quick.
[chuckles]
[girl] When you gonna
rep for Nike?
Soon, bruh, soon.
Hook a girl up
with some kicks, size nine.
Hey, you trippin', Dee.
Does what I did even count?
You really asking me that?
This just ain't
what I thought it would be.
Maybe it'll just
take more time.
[cell phone vibrating]
[clears throat]
[Claressa's dad]
Jason Crutchfield.
The man, the myth,
the legend.
Hey, hey, hey.
What's the rush?
Drink your drink, man.
Ain't no rush here.
No, man, I'm good.
I was just leaving.
Nah, nah, nah.
You gonna listen
to me first, okay?
I've been locked up more years
than I've been free
as far as Claressa goes.
So, every time
you give me that look,
I can't feel
no kinda way about it.
But here, the thing is though,
you say you wanna be her boss,
her daddy, her coach...
What the hell is it
you actually doing, huh?
We in February already
and ain't got
a pot to piss in.
"We." I'm trying to...
I'm trying to figure out
who this "we" is
that you talkin' about
'cause, uh,
Ressa won that medal.
Ain't none of us got shit.
You tellin' me she ain't got
a single endorsement yet?
That's on you, man.
That's on you.
[clears throat]
That's on me, too.
["Quiet Dog Bite Hard"
by Mos Def playing]
Say up jump the boogy
To the rhythm
Of the boogity beat
To the rhythm
Of the boogity beat
There it go like simple
The plainness
It's primal and basic
Zulu arrangement
Rockin' amazement
Flaco, radiating
From heaven to pavement
They phony as a facelift
I'm nothing to play with
Spent time hating it
But that ain't changing it
God give it to me,
Nobody is takin' it
Therefore, moving on
The base for stimulus
I'm standing in the twilight
And watching them get it in
The walls are tremblin'
The air is simmering
She movin' like more than
Her ears are listenin'
Whoa now
Testin' your equilibrium
Sonic wave booming
All over your intimate
Skin on skin
And skin on skin again
Put it all, get it all,
Get on, get it in
Ladies and gentlemen
Misters and mistresses
Cousins, uncles
Aunties, and synonyms
There it is, boogieman
[Jason] 20, 40, 60.
All right, $860.
That's not bad.
-What's this?
-That's your share. 430.
What?
Nah, man, you my agent.
10% is what you get.
10%? [laughs] Okay.
[Claressa] Yeah,
everybody know that.
[Jason] Oh, yeah?
You know I'm more
than just your agent,
right, Hollywood?
Your publicist, lawyer.
Hell, I'm your life coach.
Start actin' like it, then.
-"Start actin' like it"?
-Yeah, start actin' like it.
You know how much
I had to pay them printers?
I'm losing money on your ass.
Hey, listen,
$430 is all you get,
period, point blank,
you hear me?
All right, then,
take your ass to court.
"Take my ass to court"? Okay.
-For $400?
-Yep.
Better go on somewhere
with that.
Talkin' 10%,
what's wrong with you?
Come on, bruh, not today.
There we go. Look at that!
[laughs] That's it.
Don't get tired!
I know you ain't tired!
[laughing] That's it.
That's it. Come on.
Yeah! You 40 minutes late!
All right, crunches, crunches.
-[whistle blows]
-One!
Two! All the way up.
Bean, take over.
Three!
Four!
Five!
What you doing?
Waiting on you.
You know what to do.
Work the bag.
We need to get you back
on your routine,
start eating right,
putting in that work.
What's the point?
Excuse me?
What's the point?
We already won the gold medal.
What are we working for now?
When I tell you
to do something,
you do it.
Work the bag, Ress.
What, you forget how to count?
13!
14!
-[whistle blows]
-[Jason] Fast feet, let's go.
[exhaling forcefully]
[melancholy music playing]
[Jason] Uh, Claressa's only
the second American
to win a gold medal in boxing
since 1988.
And she's
the first woman in America
to win a gold medal
in boxing... period.
And she's only 17 years old.
And look, I did
a little research and, uh,
you don't have that many women
in your portfolio, so...
[chuckles]
Now, you put her in some of
your commercials and your ads.
I mean,
people are gonna love her.
People are gonna love her.
You don't have to sell me
on any of this.
I've watched Claressa
in London.
Watched every fight.
-[laughing] All right.
-You have a fan right here.
All right! All right.
What Claressa has accomplished
is phenomenal.
Hey, and kudos to you, man.
For finding her,
for training her,
you deserve a lot of credit.
No, you do. You do.
Thank you, thank you.
I appreciate that.
I appreciate that.
I would love
to represent Claressa.
I genuinely would.
[laughing] All right!
Man! All right.
I do have to
level with you, though.
It's just much harder
with women athletes.
Then you amplify that
when they excel in a sport
that people don't expect
to see women in.
Like boxing.
Like boxing.
Look, it's difficult enough
with soccer
and basketball, but...
It's just,
people don't like seeing
their sisters or daughters,
or hell, even some moms
get punched in the face.
[Jason chuckles dryly]
You know, people wanna see
beach volleyball,
women in bikinis
diving in the sand.
Hey, I want Claressa
front and center
just as much as you do.
It's just that this industry,
for women in boxing,
there's no money.
Look, I'm really sorry, Jason.
[Nicole] Before Jason
gets here,
there's something
we wanna discuss with you.
How would you feel
about coming out
to Colorado after graduation?
You could work with USA
Boxing team to train for 2016.
Full access to
all the facilities, our staff.
We could talk about getting
you your own apartment.
It seems like a change
might do you good.
I mean,
can my family come, too?
Bri just had a baby,
and my ma on disability.
I'm sorry, no, the facilities
are for
our Olympic athletes only.
I can't leave them.
Peanut been getting in trouble
in school lately, and,
Fat Daddy, my nephew,
he like mine.
We can offer you
a $1,000-a-month stipend.
That would help, right?
I can't leave Flint.
My family need me.
Well, at least take some time,
think it over.
-Aye!
-Hey, Jason!
[Jason] Hey! Hey.
Nicole, you good?
-Yeah. Yeah.
-[Jason] Yeah.
I appreciate you driving up.
[Bob] Hey, Jason, Bob Coleman.
It's good to see you again.
[Jason] Hey, Bob,
I know you, yeah.
-Bob, all right.
-[Bob] Yeah.
So, I understand that, uh,
you two
have hit a few roadblocks.
[laughs] You could, yeah,
you could say that.
Well, the thing is, we, uh...
Well, I don't have
the connections,
the contacts, you feel me?
I mean, at first, it was a...
Look, all these other people
getting these endorsements
and sponsorships.
Meanwhile, I can barely pay
my mama rent.
Well, when it comes to someone
getting behind Claressa,
for someone to say,
"You know, I want this girl
to represent my brand..."
I've been wearing
the lip gloss
and them girly clothes
just like y'all said.
And that is helpful, Claressa,
it really is, but...
For example, we would
love you to stop saying
that you like hitting people
and making them cry.
[laughs]
Why?
It makes you
seem like a bully.
I box.
I am a bully.
Floyd a bully, Ward a bully.
Hell, even Ali was a bully.
Yeah, we understand that.
So, I can't be a bully
'cause I'm a girl.
I get what y'all saying.
I get what you saying.
It's a perception thing,
right?
-[Bob] Exactly.
-Right.
-Oh, so it's my fault now?
-Ressa.
Come on, now.
They trying to help us, okay?
What happened to
staying true to who you are?
I won that gold medal
by being me.
And now,
to get endorsements and shit
y'all saying I gotta
be somebody else?
I know that you're
disappointed. So are we.
You deserve
so much more recognition.
Nah, I don't deserve it,
I earned it.
All right?
I earned that gold medal.
It's a big difference.
She just wound up
right now, y'all.
I'm just
keeping it real! What?
[Bob] What is it, Claressa?
Is it the money,
is it the recognition?
Money is recognition!
And no offense, Mr. Coleman,
but that $1,000,
it ain't shit.
Not when a man get
three times as much
and ain't none of them
won a gold medal!
Hell, or any medal.
-Ressa, come on and sit down.
-Nah, man!
[Mickey laughing]
Hey, baby.
Hey, baby.
Where you get off
talking like that? Huh?
-Jason. What...
-What?
What, baby? I'm just talking.
I can't talk
in my own damn house now?
You embarrassed me today,
you know that?
You embarrassed me!
It's embarrassing.
I'm done asking for shit
that should be mine.
So, what, you just gonna give
up now? That's how we do it?
Give up what?
It ain't no money
in pros for women.
And there ain't no money
staying amateur.
So what you gonna do?
What you gonna do?
You gonna get you a job
bagging groceries,
flipping burgers?
-Maybe.
-And then what?
[laughing] You gonna
move in with Zay?
You gonna move in with Zay
'cause y'all grown now, right?
Help watch Fat Daddy and Pea
or maybe have
some babies of your own.
Here go Ressa,
with all them damn babies.
What's so wrong
with that, huh?
Better than busting my ass
when it don't
mean shit anyhow.
See, y'all think
y'all know what it is,
but I'mma
tell it to you straight.
That ain't enough for you.
That ain't enough for you
'cause you different
than the rest of them.
Maybe I'm done
being different!
Man, that's weak. You weak.
-That's weak! Yeah!
-Jason, come on, man.
-[Claressa] I'm weak?
-[Jason] Yeah.
-I'm weak?
-Yeah!
I've been training since
I was 11 years old.
And now I got this damn
gold medal, and you...
[Jason] I don't give a damn
about that gold medal!
-Oh, really?
-Gold medal shit, all right?
'Cause before in London that's
all you wanted to talk about.
I don't give a damn
about no gold medal!
Gold medal this,
gold medal that.
I did my part,
-you didn't do yours!
-Oh, I ain't do my part?
I ain't do my part? Who taught
your ass how to box?
Claressa, please, come on.
Go to your room.
Who taught you how to box?
-I'm out, man.
-Aye, aye, remember this,
without me, there'd be
no Claressa Shields!
Without me, there wouldn't be
no Jason Crutchfield!
You said you had this, Jason.
You said
you had it all figured out.
[Corey] Mom?
Hey. Hey, baby, I'm...
Come on.
Maybe if I was still
undefeated things would be
-a little different, right?
-Okay. Okay.
We gonna take it all the way
back to China, then, huh?
You wasn't there!
You wasn't in the fight!
And why wasn't I there?
Huh? You know why.
'Cause we broke!
'Cause we broke.
I don't make one damn penny
being your coach.
I'm a volunteer.
I do this shit for free.
Matter of fact,
I'm losing money
and losing shifts
to coach your ungrateful ass!
You got a gold medal, well,
good for you, little girl,
'cause we got bills
around here.
And I got all y'all mouths
to feed, remember that.
You know what, I'm done here.
I'mma pack my shit and get
the hell up outta here.
Be one less mouth to feed.
Okay, then.
Okay, then, Big Time.
-You know the way out.
-Yep, I do.
No. Come on, Ressa.
You don't need to leave.
No, no, no, it's okay, Mickey.
I ain't mad at you.
But I'm gone, though.
Aye, and leave my keys
on the table.
Yeah, no problem.
[pensive music playing]
[sighs]
[Claressa] What is that?
My secret recipe.
[Peanut] Uh-huh.
Salt and garlic.
You the first
who think of that.
-Go ahead and make jokes.
-[Claressa chuckles]
This is how it's done,
right here.
[chuckles] I'm gonna go
to school for cooking
starting next month.
Yeah, you need to go
to cooking school
'cause you can't cook.
[laughs]
You heard it.
-[laughing]
-Shut up.
[Jason] Straight punches, go!
Turn 'em into uppercuts, go!
Yeah.
Is that yours?
[Briana] Ress?
What?
Watch Fat Daddy
for me tonight?
I gotta go grab something
from Ray and them.
[Claressa] All right.
What time he go down?
8:00? 9:00?
When he tired, fool.
-[Fat Daddy crying]
-No!
No, Mommy coming back.
She coming back.
She coming back!
She coming back!
Dawg, no. He still ain't home!
Bri didn't come home
last night.
I got Fat Daddy.
[Fat Daddy crying]
Bruh, if you see her,
tell her I'm pissed!
Damn!
No, no, no. It's okay, baby.
It ain't you I'm mad at,
it's your mama.
Yeah, all right. All right.
I'mma call you back. Okay.
I'm gonna
get you some diapers, okay?
Yeah, yeah, I know.
I know, I know, I know.
[crying]
I know, I know, I know.
It's okay.
[melancholy music playing]
How can I help you?
I wanna pawn something.
All right,
you come to the right place.
See what you got.
That's pretty darn rare
what you got here.
I don't have many gold medals
comin' through that door.
I gotta look it up
on the Internet.
Yes, sir.
It'll take a minute.
Feel free to poke around.
There was a girl that came
into the gym tonight
saying she wanted to be
the next Claressa Shields.
[laughs softly]
And she wasn't that much older
than Ressa was
when she first came by there.
Actually, she looked
a lot like her.
She fight like her?
[giggles]
I wish.
Call her.
You two peas in a pod.
Only difference is,
you the adult here.
[sighs]
Jason, she on her own.
She don't wanna hear from me.
[door opens and closes]
Hey, baby.
I apologize for the betrayal.
Weren't no way I was gonna
let you pawn this medal.
Thanks, honey.
AJ and I go back a ways.
I just wanted to help, Ma.
I know, baby.
I know.
But there's certain things
we just can't be giving away.
Fuck this thing.
I'm sick of looking at it.
What good did it do?
It ain't special.
No, it ain't special.
But you is.
You having this medal,
lets folks around here know
that if Claressa Shields
can do it,
they can, too.
So it ain't about a medal.
It about you.
Come here, baby.
[crying softly]
[somber music playing]
[sobbing]
[laughter]
You ain't slick.
[laughing]
I was worried you wouldn't
have enough fabric
for them big ol' thighs.
Ain't you mean.
You made me.
These your thighs.
Mmm.
The apple don't fall
far from the tree.
You got that right.
I bet I could have won
the gold medal
if they had boxing back then.
-[clicks tongue]
-[women laughing]
What the hell
are you laughing at?
Don't act like y'all ain't
never seen me throw hands.
All right,
that's my work done.
So, how much all this cost?
For you, baby girl?
It's on the house.
You out there reppin' for us,
so we gotta rep for you.
[Mickey] Mmm-hmm.
All right.
Come on, let me see.
[in sing-song voice] Mmm-hmm.
You look incredible.
Thank you, Mickey.
["The Riot's Gone"
by Santigold playing]
I've been
Looking for a fight
All the trouble that I know
Trying to
Lose the wild inside
But it's got no place to go
[crowd cheering]
At the whim of my command
Been searching for an angle
For a cause I can't defend
Oh take me on
Let me go all day
Just beat it till I know
Till I, I know that
The riot's gone
The riot's gone away
[Lil Zay] I know it ain't
turned out how you wanted,
but I'm happy you here
with me now, though.
Yeah, me too.
You know, I've been thinking.
We should get a spot together.
You could bring Fat Daddy.
Peanut, too, if you want.
[laughs] Okay.
I like that.
Maybe this just
how it's supposed to be.
I love you.
I heard it for a moment now
The riot's gone
The riot's gone
[music ends]
[choral music playing]
[Claressa] Hey, Bob.
So, I've been thinking a lot
about your offer.
If I'mma stay amateur
and train
for the second gold medal,
I'mma need $3,000 a month.
Exactly what the men get.
And one more thing...
Look, this ain't
just about me.
Y'all need to boost
the stipend for all the women.
Same as the men's.
[soft music playing]
Thanks.
[Fat Daddy fussing]
Why it gonna be
different this time?
It might not be.
Then why you gotta leave?
I can't explain it.
Boxing just make me
feel something
I can't feel
with nothing else.
It's just something I gotta do
right now, all right?
As long as I'm boxing,
I'm gonna be okay.
[Jason sighs]
So, why you taking a bus?
You know it take two hours
to fly there.
I won a gold medal
for this country.
I figure, I might as well
see some of it.
Yeah.
You sure about all this?
Yeah.
Drown out all the noise,
like you be sayin'.
[gasps]
-Oh, my God.
-Mmm-hmm.
Oh, my God,
I'mma have a heart attack.
I can't believe it. Claressa
Shields is finally listenin'.
-[laughing]
-I was listenin'.
How you think I won
in the first place?
All right.
You was trying to protect me.
You remind me so damn much
of myself, you know that?
You do.
[chuckles]
To be somebody
from where we from,
to be where I was...
You know, I had it all
in front of me and I...
I let it all go.
I just ended up being back
here with everybody else.
I couldn't have that
happen to you, Ressa.
You understand?
It's just that, the thing is
I thought that winning
was enough, you know?
I don't know.
I was way out of my league
with all that other stuff.
[scoffs]
Boxing's what I know.
And, uh, the rest of it...
Nah, man.
Nah, you don't
gotta apologize.
You ain't gotta apologize
for a damn thing,
Jason.
Hmm.
You go over there...
You go over there
and you show 'em
that you are too damn good
to be ignored, you hear me?
Because that first gold medal,
that was for Flint.
But your next one...
That one's for you, Ressa.
You hear me?
'Cause you deserve that.
You do.
Come here. Come on.
All right.
What you waiting for?
Get on outta here,
before you miss your bus.
[chuckles]
[car starts]
["Northern Sky"
by Joy Oladokun playing]
Never felt magic
As crazy as this
I never saw a moon
Knew the meaning of the sea
I never held emotion
In the palm of my hand
[laughs]
You stupid!
Felt free breezes
In the top of a tree
But now you're here
[sighs]
Brighten my northern sky
Been a long time
That I waited
Been a long time
That I've blown
I've been a long time
That I've wandered
Through the people
I've known
[announcer] Claressa Shields,
Flint, Michigan, in the red,
trying to become
the first US boxer
to ever win back-to-back
Olympic golds.
Quick combinations again
as Shields firing it in there.
The word for Claressa Shields
throughout this
Olympic tournament,
"Dominating."
Shields, 15 seconds away
from being the back-to-back
gold medal winner.
And she's saying,
"Bring it on. I'm the champ.
Can anyone dethrone me?
Not in these Olympic games."
Claressa Shields
closing out strong.
On her way to gold again.
[audience cheering]
["Set Me Off"
by Kaleena Zanders playing]
Big man, come out
This ol' girl
Is cutting you down
My hands, they scarred
But dang, they strong
To splinter your crown
I been scammed, been damned
But it's made me who I am
Oh, I swear, in quicksand
In the end, I still stand
Feeling like a god
When I'm in my zone
I throw the bags
On the table and bet it all
'Cause I'ma start a war
I'ma start a war
I'm harder than the game
So don't play me like a fool
Got the throne, I'm the queen
that I'm fighting for
Yeah, I'ma start a war
I'ma start a war
Big man, no plan
This hot
Gonna leave you for dead
I'm so on, stylin'
Rockin' Basquiat
All around my den
I've been bad, backstabbed
But it's gave me
Thicker skin
Oh, I'm a shark
Like Mark Cuban
I stay swimmin'
In the deep end
Feeling like a god
When I'm in my zone
I throw the bags
On the table and bet it all
Yeah, I'ma start a war
I'ma start a war
If you wanna play it rough
Then go ahead and set me off
Off
Set me off
Oh, yeah
If you wanna play it rough
Then go ahead and set me off
[choral music playing]
[uplifting music playing]
[rousing music playing]
[uplifting music playing]