1
It's an honor to finally meet you.
You're a great warrior.
There's no one else in this region
that I'd ever say that to.
Do you really think you'll win?
This one's for you.
Having a string of losses
on your recent record,
now you're going up against
a undefeated boxer.
What are your thoughts on that?
Masahiro is a great warrior.
And everyone expects him to win.
But I guess we'll just
have to wait and see.
Hey... how are you feeling, man?
Oh, I don't know.
I'm in my head, I guess.
This guy... is gonna smash Masahiro.
Clint knows that.
- You know that, right?
- Yeah. Yeah, I know, Silas.
Hey, listen... there's a few things
we need to talk about.
Here they come.
Glad you gentlemen
could make it back here to see us.
We are very grateful
for this opportunity.
Clint. This is Satoshi-San
and his brother Shichiro-San.
They're the ones that
invited you to fight Masahiro.
They don't look like Federation guys.
Well, things in Japan are done
a little bit differently.
Just bow your head, Clint.
Silas, I hope you understand.
Japan very much anticipates
this Roman spectacle tonight.
Satoshi, the head of
our company, is obliged
to make an offer to your prized fighter.
No need to hide behind
Old World manners, Shichiro-San.
Just tell me what you want.
Satoshi would like to offer to
your fighter seven-fold salary
for tonight's bout in exchange
for the fighter
going down in tonight's fight.
You can tell your brother
that I decline his offer.
Go. Go!
Shichiro-San,
you said it was gonna be
a fair fight back in the States!
You said it was clean.
No bullshit. And that was it.
You call this honor?
You've strayed so very far away from
the path of your people, Mr. Satoshi.
And your lack of faith in Masahiro...
Well, that's disgusting.
For he is a true warrior.
They say he's been reborn from
the ashes of Tokugawa...
Bred in the wilderness...
In the snow...
And in the ice.
Now, I don't know if I can win.
Hell, this may be a fool's errand.
But you let this one thing be heard:
I'm gonna beat Masahiro,
or I'm gonna die trying.
We will resolve this later.
Nice one, Silas.
Who knew that Shichiro had a heart, huh?
Did you know that they
were gonna pull this?
They said it was gonna be a clean fight.
So, these guys march in here
like your best fucking pals,
and you're gonna stand there and tell me
that you don't know a goddam thing?
These guys have
their hands in everything.
Casinos, sports, companies, stocks,
and most of all, fucking boxing.
I believe it was you that asked me to
get you this fight, because you
were having a hard time and...
Well, of course everything
revolves around you,
because you're a selfish prick.
Well, what have you done?
I make the connections
to book you the fights.
I get you into any place
that you want to go
and make sure that you're comfortable,
in your little hotel room.
Now, I gotta go smooth these guys over.
Because they could come back and
cause a lot of problems for us.
Japanese fighters seem
keen on surprise attacks.
So, I'm just hoping for a fair fight.
This a bad time?
What do you need?
I need a word with Shichiro and Satoshi.
Shichiro-San, Satoshi-San.
I apologize on behalf of Clint.
It wasn't right.
He's a prizefighter. What do you expect?
He wants to win.
I mean, these guys,
you could crack an egg on their head.
Silas, my brother believes
this is bigger than one fighter.
He has a grand strategy here.
You cannot back out now.
Clint will honor the agreement.
I know what's at stake.
So... it's under control?
Yes. It's under control.
But you let a couple a years slip by,
living a life you shouldn't have.
Part of it is my fault.
Couldn't get to you the way I should've.
Maybe it's all my fault.
But we're here now.
Man, if I could barely
get by the way you did
past couple years, I'd die a happy man.
Yeah.
- You OK?
- Yeah.
You sure?
I'm fine.
You gotta think about the wife
and the kid coming.
I really tried... to put
the work in on this fight.
Some people, they want to rob you
of your skill and your hard work.
To them, they just see it
as talent and luck.
But special don't mean nothing
without hard work.
I can win this. Right?
Look...
If you want something real,
you gotta make it of stone and metal.
You gotta make it strong.
You gotta build it up day by day.
And in the end, you've something
very fucking real!
You were dragged into the wilderness
of your life to find me.
I came to you as a father to guide you.
Where? You are a child...
Wandering but never lost.
And if you find him,
he will breath calmness
into your son.
And his life will be fruitful.
For what is God to man
but a father to a son?
Turn around.
An old woman said something
about these trees.
Cherry blossoms...
They're known for their very short
and brilliant blooming season.
She told me it's a reminder that
life is so tragically short...
But beautiful.
Did you finally talk to him?
He's always listening.
But does he answer?
In his own way, he does.
He's not real, my love.
Put faith in yourself.
You can't keep waiting for a miracle.
Look at where we are.
You dragged us all the way here
for one more chance at glory.
I'm not talking about this again.
He's been watching over us,
Genevieve. I know he has.
You need to focus,
on your skill and perseverance.
You need to know how you're
going to finally win this one.
When I win... when I win, Genevieve,
we go back home and we're back on top.
And everything will be fine.
Just the way it was.
And what if you don't?
What about our family?
What about our son?
I came here to beat Masahiro. And
that's exactly what I'm gonna do.
I don't believe you.
I thought you had faith in me.
I see the fear in your eyes.
Looking good.
How is it, every time
I make a little headway,
you mosey on in with
your smug, fucking face?
I need a moment.
Get outta here, Silas.
I need you to listen to me, Clinton.
We got work to do, Silas.
- I need a moment.
- Get the hell outta here.
Clint. I need you to listen!
Get the hell outta here, you!
What the fuck do you know?!
Fuck you!
Fucking go!
...fuck go.
Enough.
Take a walk.
You too, Jules.
All right, Jules.
They won't let you win.
Well, it's not up to them.
You have no idea how much
of this is their creation.
They brought us here.
This is their domain.
And while we are here, Satoshi is God.
So, why'd you set this up then?
I didn't know what they
wanted until they came in.
I told you that.
You're fighting the Japanese champion,
and the way I see it,
you have no other outs.
No, I'd love to lose.
If he can beat me.
And if I lose tonight, it'll be
at the hands of an honorable man.
A warrior.
You see, Silas,
it's not all about winning.
At least not to me it isn't.
It's about the fight.
That's what matters.
Your preachy bullshit,
it's real sweet and all...
But there is a pathway for everything.
You hit a rough spot, and you
asked me to smooth it out.
We'll get you paid,
and then we'll have an honest
one back in the States.
But you will have to
fall before you can walk.
It's "crawl" before you walk.
The point is, I've never
not looked out for you.
And this time's no different.
I mean, what if you lose?
With no payout from these guys?
Then what?
Then I lose.
You're not...
You're not listening to me.
You reject this offer,
and they will kill you.
They will kill m...
You go out there, and you
fight for guts and glory,
and you win, and they will
kill you anyways.
You reject this offer,
and you lose on your own steam...
And then we're done back in the States.
We are fucked either way you like it.
So just take the goddamn money, Clint.
So, I dragged my pregnant wife,
halfway around the world, for what?
So she can watch me fall to the floor?
And be defeated by my own hands?
They're gonna fucking kill both of us!
What else do I have to say?
OK...
Well, look at it from this angle...
Silas, just go.
- No, no. Hear me out.
- Silas...
I said, hear me out, Clint.
You and Masahiro go head to head.
The cream-of-the-crop fighters
in the entire world.
Amongst political tensions, the
two men aim to fight for country.
Round One... and they come out swinging!
And it is a beautiful sight to see.
The mythic creatures
deliver blow after blow.
I mean, the audience is in awe
of their strength.
Round Two, Round Three, Round Four...
And it goes on.
The two men are unrelenting.
And exhausted.
Bloodied. Bruised. It doesn't matter.
Round Five!
The two men exit their corners.
And Clint comes out swinging,
knocking Masahiro back.
But his footing remains intact!
And he comes back with
a furious uppercut.
The hit rattles Clint's brain,
leaving him dazed.
Masahiro sees his opportunity to end it,
with a jab-cross-hook!
But Clint dodges them all and comes back
with a menacing shot to the body!
But this... leaves him open.
And just then, Masahiro comes in
with the kill shot.
And hits Clint in the jaw. Bam!
Clint goes down.
And the audience, already at
the edge of their seats, rises.
Oh, the anticipation!
Clint musters every last
bit of strength that
he has to rise up and finish it.
But he cannot.
Seven! Eight! Nine!
Ten, he's out.
Masahiro is victorious.
The fighter... comes to the aid
of his opponent.
He helps him up.
Then they raise their hands in victory.
And indeed the entire arena
is going mad!
Japan cheers them on.
The whole world cheers them on!
They have the world... on its knees.
Does this sound like
the story of a loser?
This is the story of
two fighters from opposing worlds
that brought it all together. Tonight!
You're not losing, you're
driving the narrative!
Making seven-fold. And that,
my friend, is not a loss.
Well, that was a beautiful story, Silas.
Now, get the fuck out.
Don't disappoint everyone.
Masahiro, Masahiro, Masahiro, Masahiro!
- No Tokugawa?
- Doesn't look like it.
Just keep your distance and
clock him. You got it?
Don't stand on the edge and
try to pick him off no more.
You gotta reverse the pressure,
move in closer. Got it?
Good. Go.
Genevieve...
What are you doing, that's my son!
What are you doing?!
What are you doing?! Genevieve!
Sorry.
My wife and kid left me too.
I didn't see you there.
Come on, Clint! Look where you are.
You're on top of the world!
Your past opponents.
The ones who didn't make it.
Fell straight down to ground zero.
No one's as good as
The Great Clint Sullivan.
No, no, no!
No, no, no!
Liar!
No!
Come to the bottom with us.
You were selfish in your path to glory!
I have to keep going, no matter what!
All of our dreams are
resting on your shoulders!
Make us proud, Clint.
Now we fucking have it!
He's scared over there. You
see him? He's fucking scared.
Come on, come on.
Breath, breath, breath!
That's it, that's it, that's it. Yeah.
Knock him out, right? Gonna
knock him out, right?!
All right, all right.
Take the water. Take the water.
Let's do it guys! Come on.
Do you know the one thing that
I wanted more than anything?
To be great?
More than that...
I just wanted you to see me.
Clint?
Down!
Two!
Three!
Four!