Body and Soul Page #5

---

-Will you give me my glasses?

-Charles.

Leon, I'm very high, Leon.

-I am very high right now.

-What's wrong, Charles?

-They got away from me.

-What are they?

-They're demons.

-Demons?

Demons and monkeys

like in The Wizard of Oz.

-No, there are no monkeys.

-Yes, there are. Don't you understand?

Can't you see them? Are you stupid?

Don't you see them, Leon?

-Leon, will you get my glasses?

-I'll get them, Charles.

-Will you get my glasses?

-I'll find them for you.

-I can't see without my glasses.

-I'll get them.

I want my glasses.

-Leon, will you get my glasses?

-I'll get them for you. Calm down.

It's gonna be okay, Charles.

I promise you I'll make it okay for you.

-Calm down, Charles.

-Leon, we created monsters.

Back up. Let's get out of here.

Okay? My glasses, will you get them?

I'll find them.

I can't see without my glasses!

There's a guy that used to

never even touch a drink.

What's happened to everybody, Julie?

I think you have to answer

that question, Leon.

Do you realize it's been close to a year

since you fought?

What's the rush?

I got a new champion standing by...

and he's very hungry.

Off with the old, on with the new.

Let's just say

I can make more money with the new.

If I tell him, he'd fight every month.

You wouldn't do that.

No. Why should I? I paid my dues.

I'm the champ. Now it's my reign.

Your reign is over.

No. I never lost a fight in my life.

You'll lose this one.

You're too smart not to.

Besides, he'd beat you anyway.

This bum's an animal, he's a killer.

He's not like you.

He's not in it for money or glory.

He likes to fight.

If it wasn't for this,

he'd be in the slammer somewhere.

Or somebody would've killed him.

I'm just supposed to roll over

and play dead?

Leon, let me explain something to you.

This is strictly business.

The contract I had on you,

I put up for collateral.

Now it's being called in.

I need the money.

I'm taking everything I have

and betting it against you.

My entire career down the drain

just like that.

I am overextended. I need the edge.

I told you when we met I don't deal

in emotion, just dollars and cents.

There's $200,000 in there. Take it.

Bet it against yourself.

Get out of the fight game

while you still got your good looks...

and about a million in cash.

She's sleeping really good now.

She'll be fine.

Look, I'm gonna go.

I still got some runs to make.

What are you looking at me

like that for?

I'm just looking at what I sacrificed

the best years of my life for.

-Nothing.

-Oh, Mama.

Two marriages didn't work out,

I didn't try anymore.

I didn't run the streets. I stayed in.

I tried to make a home

and be two parents to my kids.

And what thanks do you get? None.

Mama, I really don't need to hear

all this again tonight.

You'd at least hope they'd grow up

to be somebody that you're proud of.

You have done absolutely nothing

with the brains I and God gave you.

-Look at Jerome down the street.

-Jerome.

He went and got his college education

and now he's fighting for his masters.

I make 10 times the amount of money

that Jerome makes.

I sacrificed for you to be a doctor.

You were supposed to be somebody.

I am somebody, Mama.

Maybe not

what you wanted me to be...

but a whole lot of people

would like to be me.

That's 'cause a whole lot of people

don't really know you.

You know, for most all of my life,

all I remember saying is, "Yes, Mama.

"Yes, Mama, I'll try and do better.

"Yes, Mama, I'll try and do it your way.

"If that's the way you want it,

then that's the way I'll do it.

"Yes, I'll try and get straight A's."

"Yes, Mama," to this and to that!

Mama, please,

why don't you let me off all of this?

I go through all that I've been through.

And I win.

And now I got money, I got results.

And I am somebody.

Ricardo Santiago.; Is he a madman,

a deranged man, or a machine?

Say all you want, but I've never seen

a fighter look so awesome...

in a way, frightening.

This man soaks his hands in brine

two hours a day, like the karate men.

He puts them in hot coals

to toughen them.

With these fists, he can break bricks

and smash through wood.

You can imagine what these hands

can do to the head of Leon the Lover.

Just look at what he can,

and does do to his sparring partners.

Get up!

Don't f***ing fall. Get up!

Get up.

Bring your ass over here.

Bring me some spar.

Bring your f***ing ass in here.

Get in here!

F***ing ass in here.

Let's get some real sparring in here.

Come on.

Get up, you....

What the f*** are you looking at?

Get your f***ing ass back here.

We're at the training facilities

of the challenger:

Ricardo "Madman" Santiago,

and here's the man himself.

Hey, Ricardo.

How are you feeling, my man?

Good to see you, Ricardo.

Listen, watching you spar,

I get the feeling you like to fight.

Can you tell our viewers

about the beach you live on?

-Do you own it? Did you buy it?

-I didn't buy it.

I just kicked everybody's ass.

They do what I say.

Yeah, I bet you do.

Somebody told me the other day...

that you were filling out

a medical application, and it said:

"Occupation." And what did you say?

It say, "What do I do for a living?"

I said, "I knock motherfuckers out."

Yeah, I'll bet you do.

Listen, can we use any of this yet?

All right, keep rolling.

I don't want you to get upset with me

because I didn't say this...

but it's been said

that you're not the cleanest of fighters.

You've been known to hit

below the belt at times, is that true?

The referee warned me,

maybe even take away a point...

-but by then, I'd done my damage.

-Okay, fine.

I hate to say this, but it has been said

you're not liked by your own people.

Did you, in fact, say that you hate

old people, that they kind of smell?

I ain't here to win

no popularity contest.

I ain't even here for the money.

I'm here to kick ass, man.

-Please, can I have your--

-Autograph!

Excuse me, ma'am,

we're trying to do a TV interview here.

I just want a quick picture

of my baby with the champ.

Look at Mommy.

-How long will this fight will last?

-I won't return to my country without....

Hey, lady, your baby peed on me!

Why don't you pick on someone

your own size?

Who the f*** do you think you are?

Get her out of here!

Get that f***ing camera out of here!

Get his f***ing ass out of here!

No more to say. I will be champion!

So it was with

Ricardo "Madman" Santiago.

And in contrast,

in this reporter's opinion...

the once-brilliant Leon the Lover

never looked worse.

-Judge, it's looking better every day.

-We don't want runaway odds.

He ain't faking. He ain't got it no more.

You took away his heart.

Now his mind's not focused.

You took away his stamina.

You took away his teen.

Now he has no goals. He's finished.

He's just another fighter

waiting to lose.

Come on, Julie. I know you're in there.

You're too damn strait-laced

to be out at this time of night.

What do you want?

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes