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The Challenger (2015)
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Miller, they're ready for you. Sneaker, you're late. I had to run. Run faster. Get a move on, Sanchez. That car's got to be ready by 3:00. All right, boss. -What's up, man? -What's up, brother? Damn it. You couldn't tell me this last week? I looked at the brakes last week. -They looked good then, I... - Oh, "good then"? I'm not playing with you, boy. Go get Joey for me. You want me to get him? Yeah, go get Joey now, all right? I looked at the brakes, and I'm telling you... Oh, you didn't look at the brakes, all right? They did, they looked good. No, you didn't look at the brakes... Last week your mom needed the car and the bus was late. -Bus wasn't running today. -Look, sneaker. -It's Jaden. -That's twice already. You been here a month. One more thing, you're gone. Now you get the hell out of here! Ramirez was finally released from the icu yesterday and said you were his most frequent visitor. Not his fault that his manager made a bad decision. Ramirez was the second opponent you've hospitalized, and still you've never even been knocked down. Is it true? Are you just undefeatable? I guess no one's found my weakness. We'll see what happens next week. Good luck. Thank you. Sneaks. You gonna punch out? Yeah, I'm sorry. Yo, j. You need a ride? Yeah. Cool. You know, you're the only one that calls me by my name. Hell, I'm the only one that knows your name. Still live at your mom's, huh? Can't afford the rent on her own, you know. Oh, man. I understand. Tough times. Yeah. Well, uh, thanks for the ride, man. And, j... Be on time tomorrow. Yeah. Oh, Jesus. What the hell are you doing, kid? Get out of there. Yeah? At least I'm not late, right? He's not late. Stay as long as you need. Joe's gonna kill me if I don't get that oil out of my suit. There's a laundromat on prospect, man. They get anything out. The address is on the fridge. Hey, I dropped a suit off in here before. You know where the guy is? Uh, Duane. Um, in... In the market. Should I wait in here? He's been there a while... The one on the corner? The red and yellow sign. He's probably sitting to the... in the door to the left of the... -All right, thanks. -S, bueno. Hey, do you know where the laundry guy is? You know that guy? Banging there? You're hearing banging? That guy, crazy guy back there? Every day the same thing. -Thanks. -He's crazy, man. Uh, Duane? I just came by to pick up my... Hold on. Yo! The machine's broke again. And this time it's mine. Let me see. Let me see. Quarters are mine, gum is yours. Let's go. What? I just do that when it gets slow. I do lottery tickets. That's dumb. Lottery. Feet. What is it? It's a pack of gum wrapped in a 20. I got a spot 20 blocks from here, I just heard they got 50s and 100s. This all from today? Twelve bucks. What's up, Duane? There's a boxing gym across the street, huh? Can you just walk in there or... Five bucks a day. 20 bucks a month. Cool. Thanks. Oh, man, you're crazy, dog. Right. Hey yo, j. -Yeah. -We're all gonna go down and check out my boy's fight tonight. You down? What kind of fight? Boxing, bro. Come on, you know I'm a boxer. I mean, I knew you boxed. I didn't know you were a boxer. Oh, homeboy said you box, but you ain't no boxer. - Man, shut up! Dumbass. What? Is that not what he said? That's not what I meant. So, is that how you make that extra cash? I mean, it's not much. But it helps. What do you guys think? This guy any better than you? It'll be a good fight. I promise you. Get up and fight. - That's it! Stop! Well, it lasted longer than I thought. Winner by way of knockout, and still your champion of the Bronx, Manuel Rodriguez. I thought you said he was good. He is. This Rodriguez guy must be... Must be a hell of a lot better. You cannot do that with that guy. I told you that too many times. Yeah, well, the next fight's got to be better than that. We staying for another ass-whooping, man? Of course. -J? -Guess not. Fists in front of the face, firm. Off the ropes. All you do is rotate. You don't listen. Damn it. You could have beaten that guy. So could my girlfriend. Did not listen, that's why you lost. Excuse me. Excuse me. Lottery ticket? What're you doing here? Dt. This is j. J, this is... Duane, I know. You guys know each other? It's Mr. Taylor. That's your gym, isn't it? What do you want? I want you to train me. In what, tennis? I don't train rookies. - I got experience. - Come on, sneaks. No, I do. Fighting, but... Look... I'm not good at many things, Mr. Taylor, all right? But, I can do this. I know I can. Lottery tickets, huh? 6:00 tomorrow. You know where it is. I'll see what you can do. Thank you, Mr. Taylor. You won't regret it. You serious? You really gonna train this guy? That's 6:00 A.M., understood? Yes, sir, I'll be there. All right. Terrence, see you Monday. Yeah, coach. Come on, dt! So, you're a boxer now, huh? I didn't even know you boxed. Yeah, well. I don't, yet. You're killing me, man. Turn your hips into those punches. Morning. You're early. You're late. When did you get here? Around 5:30. Good. You should be warmed up then. Well, i mean, I was just... Whoa, hold on. First thing's first, lottery. This ain't fighting. Boxing is one of the hardest sports in the world. It requires endurance, strategy, technique. I'm not looking for a fighter. Show me your stance. Feet shoulder-width apart. Left foot forward. Spread your feet like a triangle. Back foot always up. These up, firm. Okay. Throw a punch. -What was that? -What do you mean? That's a straight right. It's a power punch. Where's the power? Where does the power in that punch come from? -My arms. -That's a jab, rookie. Power punches aren't thrown with your arms. Okay, we're gonna try this again. This time, rotate your hips, and shift your weight from your back foot to your front. Snap back immediately and return to defensive position. Okay. Again. Hips. Again. Harder. --Hips! Swing your hips again. --Harder! --Harder, hips. --Again! --Harder! Okay. So, why are you here, kid? I don't know. I want to be somebody. Sick of playing the lottery. What'd you mean when you said you used to fight? I was 11. Was gonna start private school in the fall. And then I, uh, got in my first fight. Got kicked out of school. Lost the scholarship. Got in more schools, more fights... Never finished high school. Never finished anything really. Been job-to-job ever since. Why do you fight? The right reasons. You win? Always. I don't, uh, train boxers anymore. What do you mean? What about... What about Maxwell and Terrence? Exactly. I really just run the laundromat. My last real boxer was Keenan Anderson. After four years, we were finally gonna get a shot at the title. But the other manager needed a win for one of his fighters. So, I matched him up with another one of my guys. Malik Jones. He threw that fight. I remember. In three months, I lost two fighters and my reputation. I'm sorry. It's like playing the lottery, kid. Dumb. So, that's why they call you "sneaks"? Yeah. When you come in here tomorrow, I want you to get some new ones. Tomorrow? Those things will ruin your back. So, uh... that means you're gonna train me. I think it's time Hector did some damn work at that laundromat. Thank you. Okay. So, um... I never got your full name, or is it just "j"? No, it's... it's Jaden. Jaden Miller. Jaden Miller? Well, Jaden. Same time tomorrow? Yes, sir. I'll be here. All right. Jaden Miller. Jaden Miller, have you lost your mind? I need to get us back home, ma. No. Not like that, j. No. Uh, excuse me, this ain't your place. So, look. You go to this... Uh, trainer... I can't even watch my own damn TV. Regina, please. Hush, Regina. Go and tell this man that you're not doing this anymore, you're not trying this. -But, ma, I... -Promise me, honey. Look, I am proud that you're doing good on your job. See, that's how you help. Another week, I'll have enough money, and we can get... Get the hell out of here. -Regina, please. -What? It's only gonna be a few days. And whose couch were you sleeping on before you moved into this place? -Couch? -That's right. That thing was plywood with a cushion. -Oh, so now you're... -That thing ain't no couch... That marks the champ's sixth straight title defense, and still renders him undefeated. It begs the question, is there a challenger out there that can beat him? Damien Wright sure thought so, but as we saw last night, Wright was proven wrong. When are you gonna find me a real challenger, vin? Keep embarrassing them like that and no one will fight you. I can't change the way I fight, you know that. Maybe you can find someone who can. One, two! One, two! One, two! One, two! Come on! Why you holding back? -One, two! -I'm not! One, two! One, two! You're hitting like a girl. One, two! One, two! One, two! Stop holding back. -One, two! -I'm not! So you do have a pulse. I'm doing my best, all right? No. -What do you want from me? -Your best. You want to tell me what's going on? What are you afraid of, huh? What are you afraid of? What the hell am I doing wasting my time with you? You think i came back to boxing to get embarrassed again? Look, my mom doesn't know I'm here, all right? -She doesn't want me fighting. -Oh. Mama's boy. How long you gonna keep that up? You want to keep living from job-to-job, fine. But I've seen too many boxers waste their talent, waste their lives, because they were afraid. Afraid of losing. But mostly, afraid of winning. You can be great and you're already quitting. If you don't stand up and fight for who you are now, right now, you never will. I better not see you in here tomorrow. I'm here, all right? I'm ready. I'm ready! Really? Show me. One, two! One, two! One, two! One, two! One, two! Come on! One, two! Harder! One, two! One, two! Harder! Harder, come on! Keep moving. You can't stop. Ain't no days off. I told you that. You wanna be the champ, that's what you got to do. Harder! Harder, come on! Let's go! One, two! One, two! One, two! One, two! One, two! One, two! Come on! One, two! Harder! Where do you wanna be? Where do you wanna be? Come on. That's how you got to work. Got to keep working. That's what I'm talking about. That's how you do it. That's what you need. Don't be out-worked. Maybe outclassed, maybe out-techniqued, but don't be out-worked. You got to train like that. You can't get tired. It's endurance, technique, strategy. Ain't no days off. Keep working. One, two! One, two! One, two! One, two! Hips! Hips! Harder! Harder! Keep moving! One, two! Come on! 50 more seconds. Last round! Last round! Last round! Last round! One, two! Hips! Hips! Let's go. Come on! How do you want to be remembered? Champ or chump? How do you want to be remembered? Huh? What do you want out of life? Switch it, go around, go around! Let's go, come on, give me 10 more seconds. Come on, five more! Five more for the championship. Three! The champ is here! Two, one. Time! Show me something now. Yeah, there you go. Can't play hockey till you know how to skate, baby. Whatever direction you're going in, that foot leads. You need hips to throw a punch and balance to throw your hips. -Damn! -Hold on, let's try something. Hear that? Yeah. Okay? Try no hands. React to your opponent. Dance. Yeah. Yeah. No hands. There you go. Sway. Back and forth. He can't touch you. Down, down, back and forth. There you go. What's the difference between a fight and boxing? Endurance! Strategy. Technique. Yeah. Come on, come on, that's right. Move. Move your hands, move your hands. There you go. That's it, that's it. Yeah. Good work, fellas, good work. Sway the hips though, there you go. Okay, that's good. That's it for now. Great fighters. Yeah. You wanted to see me? I think you're ready for your first fight. What do you think? Yeah, sure. It's the only one in a frame. It's the only one worth framing. That's Derrick Taylor. Man trained me since I was a kid. Knew more about the sport than anyone. Never made it as a boxer, but... He was a great man. A great father. He used to say that great boxing was more of a dance than a fight. -A dance? -Yeah. One leads. The other one follows. And then it switches. You get two great equally matched boxers in the ring, and it's choreography. It's beautiful. You ever see something like that? Hmm. Once... Ali, Frazier. They called it "the fight of the century." Pop got us tickets for my seventh birthday. I never knew what he meant until I saw that fight. Lasted a full 15. Ali was quick and agile. And Frazier was a powerhouse. --It was 15 rounds of... Dance. That was real boxing. Boxing ain't what it used to be. You can't have great fights without great fighters, and it takes more than knowledge to be great. It takes something special. Pop and I never had it. I think you just might. Get some rest. I'm on a stairway to heaven right here. Stairway to heaven, baby. That's what we want. All these steps lead to something. All these steps lead to a better life. Pretty soon, it's gonna be the big venues, ain't gonna be this place no more. All right. Get to your feet as soon as you can. Control yourself, control the fight. And throw those hips, rotate. Okay, you can do this. You're ready? There you go. Let's go do it. And here's tonight's challenger, Jaden Miller. You're ready. Stay ready. Come on, get up in there. Get in there. Get loose. Newcomer Jaden Miller enters the ring. And here's your champ of the Bronx, Manuel Rodriguez. Stay warm, stay warm, baby. Move around, baby. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Make sure you're tough now. Make sure you're tough. That's it. Let's do it. Let's do it. Move around, get ready. Champ of the Bronx, Manuel Rodriguez, clearly looking for another stepping stone here. All right, come on, let's go, baby, come on. You sure about starting him with Rodriguez, coach? Yeah. Gentlemen. Give me a good, clean fight. Obey my commands at all times. And protect yourself at all times. And at this time, i want you to touch gloves. Touch gloves! Back to your corners. Good luck to both. Box! Get your feet. Get your feet! Come on! Get off those ropes! Feet! Feet! The crowd loves you, Jaden. It's you! Five, six, seven, eight... Box! Fists cover the face! Firm! Move, baby, move! Put him down! Put him down! Right now! - Hips! That's it! Out! Check this refrigerator. I bet you there's some science projects in here. It's still buzzing. Check the sink. Oh, he fixed the sink. Oh, that Joe is a good guy. Those extra hours really paid off, Jaden. Ah, well, let me get my coat off and get going. Whoo... I am so glad to get away from Regina, I don't know what to do. That girl was about ready to drive me crazy. --It's good to be home, baby. Yeah, it is. Get this stuff going. And then I can mop the floor. Get those dishes, get us some food. 'Cause Regina can't cook either. Ooh, that girl is toppy. Bronx boxing is making a comeback and there's a new kid in town. Last month, he took Rodriguez down in one round. He fights again tonight. Willis Avenue boxing gym. 8:00, the Bronx boy. -Check him out. -Yeah. Come on! Pick your punches! Pick your punches! Let's go. Get going! Come on! Hips! Endurance! Yeah! Good work, Jaden! The winner, by way of knockout... The Bronx boy, Jaden... -Jaden... -Jaden Miller! - Down! - Look at those feet! Stop showing off! Five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10. Out! Whoo! Woohoo! There you go! Oil's good, man. I checked it already. I can tell you've done a lot of work today. I make this look easy, bro. I can't believe he still keeps you around. Terrence? -Oh... -Hey. -Hey, Ms. Miller... Hey, baby. What are you doing here? Well, my car's acting funny, so I thought I'd bring it by for Jaden to look at it. Uh, he free? Um, actually Jaden is... Hey, ma. Check this out. No more buzzing. Where did you get the money for that, j? I told you, I picked up some extra shifts at Joe's... You haven't worked at the body shop for six months. Fighting ruined everything, j, don't you know that? No. It didn't. I did the right thing. Not the right thing for you. And what was that? Letting my friend get beat up? Oh, okay. All right then. Where's Alvin now, Jaden? Tell me that. -Where is Alvin now? -Alvin's alive, okay. Alive, and in an Ivy league school. Where are you? I'm a boxer now. And I'm winning. Yeah. Until you get knocked into a coma? You know, this time I mean it. You're gonna... You're gonna stop this thing and... You're gonna go back to your normal job. No. I said no! I finally found something I'm good at. I'm good at this. Can't you just be happy for me? So how do you like the fridge? It doesn't buzz. --Jaden... Yeah? I'm afraid of this. I know. This is what boxing needs. Anderson was ranked third by the wbc. He was next in line for a title shot. Last night, this kid knocked him out in the third round. We are a basic cable network. We haven't shown boxing since the '60s. But, that's what's so interesting. We all know, heavyweight boxing hasn't done big numbers in years. And that's because we haven't had a challenger anyone cares about. The crowd loves this kid. He's poor, from the Bronx, no high school diploma, was working as an auto mechanic when he and his mother were evicted. He quit his job to start boxing and won back her apartment. Hasn't lost yet. And what? We give him a shot at the title? Yes. I can see why the other networks turned you down. You're talking about a massacre. People are tired of watching three-round fights. No, Mike... People are just tired. They need something to believe in again. So... We make a show... The challenger. We show people his life. Home, training, everything. Follow him right up to the fight. Everyone's an underdog right now. America's an underdog. We get America behind this kid and this fight could bring boxing back. Thanks for coming. Jaden, you know i can't watch that. So, how's this new trainer of yours? You just can't let it go, can you? It's just that, I've heard some things about this guy... Like people heard things about me? They want to spin it as a public interest story. Give a no-name a shot. That's your idea of getting me better fights, huh? It's a pay day, James. Besides, they're paying double this time. I don't fight for the money. You're gonna tell me Ramirez wasn't a pay check? Come on. That's him coming. I'm rolling. -All right, here we go. -Jaden Miller? Jaden Miller. How does it feel? Are you ready for the opportunity of a lifetime? Yeah, man. Are you nervous -taking on burchard? -What's going on? J, my office. ...for one of your first big fights of your career? I mean, you've only had like seven fights... -Are you ready for this? -What are they talking about? Let's talk in my office. Get back. Hey, easy. Don't touch the camera. - Get back. - What are they -talking about, Duane? -They offered you a title shot. What? But it's got conditions. They want to film your training. Well, not just the training, not just the training... They want to film everything. Your life. They want to make it into a show. Why me? Apparently Anderson was next in line... if he'd won. But look, j... Anderson is one thing. You got to think about this. Oh. Easy, easy. Don't touch the camera, man. - Don't touch the camera. - Move. Uh, I need some time, all right? Go. Go. Move! Hey, man. That's not part of your contract. Get back here! Hey, what are you doing? - Get back here, baby! - Get back! Tell me you're not actually considering this. It's suicide, j. He'll kill you out there. Literally. Thanks. He's put three opponents in the hospital, one in icu. You're talking about the champion of the world. So what, man? What do you want me to do? Run away? Get this far and not finish? Where's that gotten me? Finish. But finish when you're ready, man. Hey, ain't seen that face in a while. No lottery ticket, champ? Hmm. I can't do it. What did you just say? I can't do it. Hmm. Let me tell you something, son... There's a reason why I found you. There's a reason why this fight found you. Now, I know I've tried to fight it... But this is your path. So take it. Hmm? Take it. I'm gonna take the fight. Oh, yes. There's one thing i need to know first, though. Okay. How do you know my mother? She says she's heard things about you. Everybody's heard things, j. She doesn't know anybody in the boxing world. -How old are you now? Well, about 23 years ago, your mother and I... We were in love. What? Even talked about getting married. She wanted a kid so bad. When she found out she couldn't have any, well... I think that's why she worked at that adoption agency for so long. One night I came home, a little bit later than normal. She was holding a baby in her arms... A white baby. She just said he was left on the doorstep. That it was a sign. She believed in that stuff... Although, i might believe in it too. So what'd you do? What could I do? I panicked. I was saving up to open up my own gym. Establish myself. I was trying to do like you... Be somebody. I could hardly take care of myself. I couldn't take care of a kid. Even if that kid needed you? You got to give us something. You got to give us something. The camera's heavy. Did you... tell me about the neighborhood. This looks like a rough neighborhood. You grew up around here? Did you... did you go to school around here? So man, what was it like growing up in this neighborhood, man? Hey, did you get in a lot of fights when you were at school? Is that what kept happening? Yeah, is that how you learned how to fight? How long have you been, uh, training with Duane? -Come on... -Come on, man... Open up. I'm telling you. -You're gonna wanna... -You signed a contract to do this, man. Come on. So is this, uh, how long have you been living here? I'm digging the, uh, the vibe in here. How long have you been in this place, Jaden? I told you, man. I'm done with questions. Ma! Ma? Are you all right? What happened? What's wrong with her? Are you okay? What's the matter? Call 911! Right now! Call 911! Okay, yeah, yeah... Get your phone! Just put the Mike down! Get out of here! She's stable now. I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. Has she been taking her medication? I give 'em to her every day. She hates taking pills. I don't know if it would've mattered. Her heart is very weak. I'd like to keep her in the hospital. Get her strength back. When she's ready, we need to operate. Operate? I don't see another option. Star boxing's new show the challenger has been canceled following the shocking news that Jaden Miller, at the very beginning of his promising career, has quit boxing. The sudden decision came just days after Miller's mother suffered a massive heart attack, last Thursday night. It has been reported that she will need to undergo a triple... Hey, what happened? Where'd it go? Cops took it. Said it was gambling. -Let me have a pack of gum. -All right. How you feeling? Better. Great. Hey, who got you these? He didn't leave me, j. What do you mean? Well, maybe for a day. But the very next day, he was at my door. With a dozen roses in one hand and a ring I wanted in the other. He proposed... Every day that week. I left. Why? I wanted to be a mother, more than anything. And I couldn't take a chance on someone coming in and out of your life. I chose you. I chose you. I love you, Jaden. I love you too, ma. -Hey. -Hey. She, uh... She told me everything. Sorry it took this long for you to hear. Me too. Flowers and everything, huh? She still didn't take you back? She's a tough woman. Yeah. That's the truth. You know she needs surgery. We can't afford it. Your mother never gave me a second chance, kid. But you did. Turns out, just a few weeks, the ratings of that show of yours... They want you to finish it, j. The purse is big. 70-30 split. If you win, it'll be more than enough. What if we lose? We don't fight to lose. Okay, breaking news, New York. Star boxing's hit show the challenger is back! Apparently, Jaden Miller has officially agreed to continue filming the show that will follow him all the way to the light heavyweight title. Now, where did Miller's change of heart come from? His mother. The fighter says he will continue the show and win the fight to pay for his mother's heart surgery. That little bastard. Good for you. -Good for you. -Jaden Miller is literally fighting for his mother's life. We have to take her in there now, Jaden. Mmm-hmm. Let's go. Anderson drives Miller back. Miller hasn't even thrown a punch yet. It's a one-sided fight so far. Anderson would've been your best fight in a while. Anderson with the jab, now the cross. Miller is on the ropes again. And this fight is turning out to be... oh! Miller's first punch is devastating! Anderson doesn't know what hit him! Miller with a left! Another left! There's another left. Another left! Now it's Anderson on the ropes! Anderson is saved by the bell! Wow! Who the heck is Jaden Miller? I'll tell you what... Miller knocks him out next round. He threw only eight punches the whole fight. Is that right? Let me take a look at that. Another left! Now it's Anderson on the ropes. Anderson is saved by the bell! Wow! Who the heck is Jaden Miller? Looks like we found our challenger after all. Doctor said the surgery went great. Thanks, honey. -Get some rest. -Hmm. I'm ready. Now first, we're gonna watch him in slow motion. Good. Good. Chin up. Confusion. Study his moves. Learn his style. Technique. To the body, to the body! Push him back, push him back. Good. Good! And then, gonna speed the whole thing up. Push him back on the ropes. Easy. Easy. Easy, stop! Stop! 'Course, nobody i put you against is gonna be as strong, or as quick, or as fast as burchard. Take it easy. I said the body. Easy! Stop! Stop! Stop, James! The hell is wrong with you? 'Cause in that ring, you gotta be a split second faster. The hell's wrong with you. You okay? -You sure? -Yeah. Okay. James. Every man is beatable, gentlemen. But to beat the man you gotta learn things about him. You gotta do your homework. This is homework. He's there for a reason. He has worked it. He has earned the right to wear that championship belt. So on those days you don't feel like working too hard, remember, somebody's workin'. That's him. When you don't feel like hitting that bag for three more minutes, he feels like it. He wants to be a champion. You want what he has. But he has worked hard to get it. How hard are you willing to work? Because I have seen him work. And believe me, you better be ready. Because he's gonna be ready. When I get on you, it's not because i don't like you. I want you to be ready for that right there. 'Cause that is a machine. That is gonna come after you. When that bell rings, it's going to be eye to eye. You lookin' at him. Him lookin' at you. And then you're going to see everything that I ever taught you. Technique. Endurance. Strategy. You gotta do those things, gentlemen, if you want to win. That's Jaden Miller. Hey, Bronx boy! Go get him, buddy! - Jaden! Bronx boy! I was wrong, bro. You're ready. Definitely ready. Oh, my god. Whoo. Come on, let's go. Let's go get a milkshake. - Come on! Ugh, god. These were my father's. Then mine. Now yours. Duane, I... He always wanted to be in the ring for a championship fight. You think you can wear 'em tomorrow? Of course. Thanks for giving me a chance. Thank you for giving me a second chance. For the first time since the 1960s, a boxing title fight is being broadcast on basic cable. That's right, America, it's free. Everyone will have the opportunity to tune in tonight for the fight of the 21st century. From his meek beginnings in the Bronx, to the heavyweight title in just under a year. And we've seen it all. America has fallen in love with the Bronx boy, Jaden Miller, and tonight he lives the American dream. Watch it here, 7:00 eastern. Tonight, the Bronx boy fights for it all in New York's capital city. I'm here in what has become the poorest neighborhood in the country. This is the south Bronx. And what Jaden Miller calls home. Here, it's more than just a fight. For these folks, Bronx boy Jaden Miller is fighting for them. Hi, Scotty. Hey, Joe. How you doin'? I'm good, how about yourself? Not bad. The fight of the 21st century. -What are you havin'? -I'll have a beer. ...really serious about that title. That title of course in reference to the... So, big night tonight for the j, huh? Yeah. Yeah, it's gonna be the big one. I think he's gonna do real well. I hope so. Heavyweight boxing is back. More fans are tuned in tonight than for any other fight since Tyson-holyfield back in 1997. And it's all due to one person. The challenger, Jaden Miller. Miller, they're ready for you. Listen to that. It's clear who the favorite is here tonight. Jaden! Jaden! Come on, champ, let's go! And here comes the challenger now. This is our fight. This is what we've worked for. Let's do it! The crowd really showing its appreciation for Bronx boy Jaden Miller. Well, I'm afraid it's all just wishful thinking. Jaden Miller has a better chance at hitting the lottery than winning this fight here tonight. This is where we wanna be! This is where we wanna be! Let's go, Jaden! Get him, baby! Get him, babe! You can do it! We all know what that sound means. And here comes your champion, James burchard. Get him outta here! This has got to be the first fight that burchard is actually getting less applause than his challenger. Besides Mrs. burchard, of course. Guess you owe that to the pride of the Bronx. And that good ol' American spirit. -What's that, the fight? -Shut up! This is the moment we've all been waiting for! Our main event of the evening! Introducing first, the challenger! He comes to us tonight from the Bronx in New York City! Big welcome to the Bronx boy, Jaden Miller! And how about Duane Taylor? This guy used to be one of the best trainers in the business until that fixed fight scandal. No one's heard from him since. He gets a second shot here tonight. Come on, Jaden. Go, go, go! ...you can't say he didn't put in the time and effort. Fighting out of the red corner... ...he weighs in at 175 pounds. No losses. 29 wins by knockout. Mr. undefeatable, James burchard! Burchard looks to be in the best shape of his career. Good evening, gentlemen. This is 12 rounds for the light heavyweight world championship. Protect yourself at all times. Touch gloves now. Come out fighting at the bell. James burchard simply towers over the challenger, Jaden Miller. How is Miller ever going to hit him, if he can't even reach him? You hate to question his motives, Peter, but at some point, doesn't it come down to ethics? Taking a title fight with such a novice fighter? You said it, Jason. I mean, he has no business being in the ring tonight. And knowing burchard's history, Jaden Miller is gonna get hurt. Boy, this is it. This is what you've been training for. All that stuff you went through as a kid, all those early morning workouts, it's for this moment. Right here, right now. And no matter what happens out there, I want you to know, I'd be proud to call you my son. Thanks. Go out there and get him. All right, come on, let's do it! Look... I don't care what they say. We both know this is your biggest fight! He's never gone more than three rounds. You outlast him. That's how we win. You hear me? -Yeah. -Good. --Box! Miller trying to get something going. Come on. Not much going on here in the first round. There's a... A jab from burchard. And another stiff left by burchard and Miller's shaken! Shaken in the first round as burchard is landing punch after punch on Miller! Peter, this is not the end of the round that Miller wanted. Let's go! This is just the beginning! Come on! He may be out of his league here. Trying to stay in the round with burchard. - But backed into the corner. Burchard with total control after round one. Jaden Miller lasted one round longer than I thought he would but I gotta tell you, he didn't look half bad. Don't count him out just yet, Peter. His Bronx brethren must be proud. That's my man! Go get him. Go get him! Deep breaths, deep breaths. There you go. Relax. Look here. Good. Good. Burchard has never been knocked down. This round, knock him down. You hear what I'm telling you? This round, he gets knocked down. Not later, not tomorrow, right now, tonight. This guy gets knocked down! This round, by you! Because after today people are going to call you champ. After today, you are the champ! -You understand me? -Mmm-hmm. Okay, give me that. Come on. Relax, baby. You got this. Relax, but knock him down. As the second round continues, Miller can't seem to get anything going once again. He's taking stiff left jabs from burchard. And now a right, a nice left-right combination there from burchard. Miller... I can't believe he's still standing at this point. No, Peter, I can't believe he's still standing either. He's got the face of a rhino, the fact that he hasn't broken yet. Right now! Wait a minute. Now it's Miller getting in some shots! Actually, Miller is landing... Come on give it to him! Work that body! ...punch after punch and the champ is feeling it! Hit him! Come on, hit him! I can't believe what I'm seeing! And James burchard goes down! James burchard is down! What did I tell you? What did I tell you? I can't believe it! For the first time in his career, James burchard is on the canvas! Boy, Scotty, look at that! Look at that shot! Yes, yes! Did you see that? I know that kid! I have never seen James burchard down. He's not only down, he's bleeding and he's hurt. And he's struggling to - get back to his feet. That's my boy! That's my boy! Come towards me. -Let's see your gloves. -I'm good, I'm good! Box! And burchard is furious! That has got to have - shaken him up. Time! Whoa, whoa! Break it up! What a round! Where did Jaden Miller come from? That's easy. And I hope they're watching, because Bronx boy Jaden Miller is making history here tonight. The champ of the Bronx versus the champion of the world! Hold onto your seats, folks! We've got a fight on our hands! And now Miller is down! What a shot! Welcome to the big leagues, Jaden Miller! And he looks hurt. Get up, get up. Get up! Get up! Get up! Get up! -Come on. -Get up, j, not now! Come on. Get up! Jaden... Yeah? If you don't stand up and fight for who you are now... ...I'm afraid of this. Right now. You never will. I know. Get up. Get up! Right now. - Wait a minute. - One, two, three, four, five, six... Jaden Miller is back up! There is no doubt about it! Nobody is getting out of this fight easy here tonight. Whoo! Jaden! Jaden! Jaden! Let's see your gloves. Time! That's my son. He's out there fighting for me. As round 4 begins, Jason, this is uncharted territory for the challenger. The question is, how long can he survive? --How you feelin'? I can't feel my arms. That's all right. Believe me, he's hurtin' just as bad. Okay, do me one favor. -Yeah. -Forget the training, forget the pain... Just dance. Remember that? Remember the man with no arms? The hips, the hips, baby. That's all we gotta do in this fight. Forget everything else. Dance on him. Come on, you got this. You got this, come on! This is our fight, come on! This is what we worked for. Let's do it! The crowd is electrified, Jason. We've gotta be the only two people sitting down watching this fight. Round 4 may have done it. That's a knock-down! Shake that off! Shake that off! ...six, seven, eight, box! That's it! That's it! Move! Move! Keep moving! Keep moving! Come on, baby, come on! There you go, almost time, almost time! Beautiful. There you go baby, beautiful! --Come on, get up! Peter, burchard takes that round, but the champ has never seen a challenger like this. --Work the body, work the body! Burchard with another powerful right, but Miller answers again. That's it, that's it! Knock his ass out! Yeah! One, -two... -I'm okay. ...three, four, five... Here we go! Here we go! -I'm good, I'm good. -...Eight. Come towards me. - Let me see your gloves. What the hell's going on out there? Anyone who is scoring this fight has gotta give that round to the challenger. Endurance. Endurance, right? Speed kills, baby. Speed kills. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do. Keep your arms up. Watch the body. Watch the body. -Just like we practiced. -Okay. -Just like we practiced. -Yeah. Let's do it! Keep movin' there. Keep movin', endurance! Both fighters are simply exhausted. Burchard with another weak jab. He can barely keep his hands up, Jason. Miller comes back with another shot to the body as he continues to pound the champ's midsection. Burchard now in excruciating pain! One-two, one-two. This could be it, folks! And burchard is saved by the bell! Unbelievable! Listen to this crowd! What was anticipated to be a one-round fight has now turned into an all-out war, with James burchard literally in jeopardy of losing his title! All right, everyone take a ticket! For good luck because it's the last round. Everyone take a ticket! Spit it out. Let me take a look. - They're broken. - You think? - Can you breathe? - -Yeah. -I'm good. -James, if they broke... -No, no... -Look, I can't let you... I said no, okay! You're not stopping this fight! Okay, kid... Keep 'em covered. -You hear me? -I got this. Keep 'em covered. Jason, how do you score the fight? Every round has been close, but I've got it 7 to 4, James burchard. But I've gotta tell you, what a job by Jaden Miller! Going the distance! Nobody saw this coming. If he has anything left to prove, it's to himself. This is it! -I got nothin' left. I know. I know. And in 10 minutes, this'll all be over. You can rest. You can go back to your mom and you can tell everybody about how you made it to the last round with the champ. Nobody can take that from you now. But if you can just find it within yourself, to give me three more minutes... 180 seconds... One day, you'll tell your kids, when you were up against the ropes, when you were down and had nothin' left, that you stood up and you fought for who you are! When I first met you, they didn't even know your name. Now listen to 'em! Jaden! Jaden! Jaden! Where we're from, we gotta fight for what we get. Seconds out! Okay, okay, okay. There's just 10 seconds left. Look, listen to me. Go for his ribs. They're hurting. You can do this, j. I know you can. Let's show 'em where you're from, j! Show 'em where you're from, baby! Burchard with a left hook, and another. -Miller counters with a jab... Burchard with a powerful right. Miller now with another shot to the body. Burchard is taking a beating here in the final round! Miller just attacking those ribs! Working so hard for the knockdown! Finish him! Finish him now! ...pounding away at the body with everything he's got left. Jason, I can't believe both of these guys are still standing at this point. And now it's Miller who's in the corner! Come on! Don't give up! Body! Body! Hips! ...two... ...four... - ...seven... it's over! You've taken enough punishment, champ. --I can't believe it! Jaden Miller has done the unthinkable! Miller, the new light heavyweight champion of the world! How about that! Oh... And you lost. Never did win these things. You ready? Yup. We did it, pop. Always the last one. You know, I never asked you how those sneakers feel. They're a little tight actually. Oh, really? Well, get your own next time. Here you go, ma. We don't train to lose. I'd just like to say it's been a pleasure working on the challenger. This has been one of the most innovative movies i have ever done and I told this guy right here, when I first met him at the airport... I said there's only two director-actors that I've ever worked with... Anthony Hopkins and him. He's in a really good category. From this guy right here... From this guy right here. This is our man. He's the sound guy. And all these guys standing over here, all you guys, come here. Come here. I want everybody over here, come here. I want everybody to see this. All these guys made the challenger... And are gonna make the challenger a great movie. - Everybody. And from me, Michael Clarke Duncan, I wanna say thank you to the cast and crew for really making this a unique experience. I didn't know what to expect when I got down here. I was truly flabbergasted that these guys are doing a hell of a job. From me to everybody in Hollywood, watch out for the challenger. Thank you guys. Thank you, Michael. Thank you so much. Man, that was awesome, seriously. |
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