Against the Ropes Page #2

Pedro, I'm a man who hates defeat,

but I'm not too proud

to be candid.

You won because you worked

and Greene didn't.

He's a lazy-ass fighter,

and lazy-ass always loses.

That's a fact.

Right, half-pint?

Well, I'm...

I'm not sure why Devon lost.

Maybe he just felt

insecure about his corner.

You know, boxing is a team sport.

If a boxer doesn't feel

support in his corner,

sometimes it comes out

in the ring.

Listen to the Barbie doll

with the glass balls.

What do you know about support?

What do you know about boxing?

Executive assistant.

You wipe Irv Abel's ass for a living.

I cover Irv Abel's ass for a living.

And I know as much

about boxing as either of you.

What's that mean?

- Nothing. Forget it.

- Forget it?

You talk like you think

you can do what I do.

What's the point in thinking that?

I don't have a boxer.

Do you think

you can do what I do?

- Possibly, if given a chance.

- A chance? That's all you need?

- Yeah, probably.

- Greene's contract. It's yours.

- Sure it is.

- Hey! You don't want it?

- I can't afford it.

- You can't afford it. I'll make it easy.

- It's yours for a dollar.

- I don't have a dollar.

I'll lend you a dollar.

I tell you what, half-pint.

I'm gonna forget

what you said

since you don't know

what you're talking about.

Because if you did,

you'd know it don't pay

to shoot your mouth off at me.

I just bought a boxer for a buck.

I think it pays pretty well, Sam.

I'm not keeping him.

I'm not keeping Greene.

It was a thing that became a thing.

LaRocca insulted me.

So what?

Sammy insults everybody.

You're gonna call him, make up,

kiss his ass if you have to.

If anybody asks

about Greene,

it was a joke, a little parlor trick

that you and Sammy played.

You lost your temper,

you said a few ridiculous things.

You set it right.

It'll blow over.

Sammy won't think you're trying

to grow a brain on me.

It wasn't ridiculous, what I said.

And you shouldn't be

drinking that coffee.

Welcome back to the live weekend

edition of the Reese Report.

Fight fan or feminist,

you're going to love this story.

After watching Devon Greene

crawl off the canvas,

fight promoter Sam LaRocca

managed to lose his boxer

and his ego in a round

of verbal sparring

with Coliseum employee

Jackie Kallen.

LaRocca thought he had

Kallen in the corner,

but she outmaneuvered him

and wound up walking away

with Greene's contract.

The price tag? A dollar.

That's platinum stuff.

You couldn't write a check big enough

for the look on LaRocca's face.

It was priceless,

and I enjoyed it for free.

Renee, it's me. Quick.

Turn on Channel 28.

I'm on TV!

Hey, Sam, do you know what

a coup d'tat is? Look it up.

I'm Gavin Reese for the Reese Report.

See you next week.

Girl, what the hell

happened to all his money?

I didn't have a chance to ask.

His phone's disconnected,

so I had to come.

I got here, I was fine,

and then I wasn't fine.

So you called me for blackup.

Like I need Gangster Incorporated

in my life.

Like LaRocca is gonna

let you waltz off with his boxer.

Like any of this makes any sense.

Last night, after I vomited

and ruled out suicide, I realized

I'm more scared

not to do this than to do it.

Devon is a ranked boxer.

God practically dropped

him in my lap.

How can I walk away? I might

as well spit in the face of destiny.

Now he's your destiny?

Devon, are you in there?

It's Jackie Kallen.

We tried. We failed. Let's go.

Wait, wait, I hear something.

He's unlocking the door.

He's home.

Devon, did you know

your phone's not work...?

You know Stormy.

This ain't no double date.

Get the sh*t.

We don't have any sh*t.

- Then why'd you page me?

- We didn't.

- Why?

- Devon, it's me.

It's Jackie from the arena.

We just...

Anyway, we came by to say hey.

And you're busy,

so we'll come back.

You b*tches ain't going nowhere till we

get our rock! Give my man your bag!

There's just enough tokens

in there for my laundry.

- That's all I have with me...

- A dollar bill, maybe.

What am I, a punk?

A chump? You can just

smoke T.J.'s sh*t like it's a gift?

Man, come here!

Man, you done messed up my high.

Come on, Jackie, let's go!

Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!

- I'm sorry.

- I don't forgive you.

"Where's my rock, b*tches?"

What about that guy, the way he

waxed the floor with both their asses?

- That was off the hook!

- Honey, no.

He was a thug

who out-thugged another thug.

A thug-and-a-half

if you count your boy Devon,

who is pathetic, Jackie!

His contract only cost a dollar.

You still overpaid!

- Call me later.

- I'm sorry.

You better be.

I'm going to see my cousin Malik.

I don't know why you mess with me,

all these criminals out here, man.

Oh, hey, Luther Shaw.

Jackie Kallen.

I bailed you out.

- I know you?

- No, no. Not exactly.

Listen. Do you have a minute

for a cup of coffee, a beer?

- How about a milk shake?

- A milk shake?

Yeah. Yeah, whatever you drink.

Listen, I know this is unusual.

Believe me, I don't make a habit

of bailing strangers out of jail.

That would make me a nut,

a broke nut.

And I'm not. I'm not nutty.

I'm just a person

taking a chance.

You might be interested in who I am

and what I have to say.

If you're not, I totally understand.

You don't owe me a thing.

lf, on the other hand, you are,

my car's parked around the corner.

I'm harmless. Really.

Really, the worst

I could give you is a ride.

It was brutal, you know,

it was beautiful the way you fought.

Yeah. I can tell you fought before.

You boxed.

You had some training,

you won some amateur bouts.

- You were good...

- Do you always talk like this?

- Like what?

- Too much?

- Actually, people have said...

- That's a yes.

Know what, pull over right here.

- Right here. Pull over right here.

- OK, Luther.

This sh*t you're talking is crazy.

I think you're crazy. You gotta be.

Hanging with crackhead Devon.

I wasn't hanging with him.

I came to see...

Look, I didn't know he was

doing crack, OK? It's sad.

Another black man bites the dust.

Thanks for the bail, b*tch.

- Jackie!

- What's up?

My name is Jackie!

Crazy broad.

What's happening?

Now, Luth, we ain't saying that

you ain't bad. We know that,

but don't be selling us some bullshit,

because you know you ain't mopped

the floor with no Devon Greene.

I'm telling you, man, I gave that fool an

old-fashioned, project ass-whupping.

I'm telling you, his partner

tried to get brave and sneak me.

I had to dust his ass off too.

- You still here?

- Yeah.

- Go home.

- I can't.

You didn't let me finish.

- Following him and sh*t.

- What's up with that?

A little uptown piece.

I know. It must seem a little out there.

All right, way out there.

But that is where all the good stuff is,

Luther. Like talent, and you...

...you're talented.

So this chance you call yourself taking,

why you taking it on me?

Because I've been around

boxing my whole life.

I know it like the back of my hand.

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