Hands of Stone Page #2

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were not happy about that.

Boxing is

a New York City sport,

and that it's gonna remain.

But this national television

tour of yours

is taking the spotlight

off of the Garden.

And that we can't afford.

Well, I... (sighs)

I think it'll help you

in the long run... Frank.

If you can trust

what I'm saying.

TV will turn boxing

into a nationwide pastime

and you'll have talent and fans

from every part

of the country coming

to see championships

at the Garden.

I don't give a sh*t about

every part of the country.

New York is the heart

of the cow.

It's the prime meat.

If any boxing fan

wants to see a fight

in the flesh or in front

of your little dirty tube,

better understand

that all roads

go through New York.

RAY:

When they heard I survived,

we made a deal.

They would spare my life

as long as I never made

another dollar from boxing.

It's a familiar smell.

Where were you?

What, what are you

talking about?

Did you go there?

Where?

That's what I said-- where?

Please, you make it sound like

I've been with some woman

or something.

I would rather you were

with some woman.

Don't always be

a district attorney.

I was seeing an old friend.

You know, it's fine.

I'm blonde.

I look great in black.

I will be a very hot widow.

Is that what you want?

(sighs)

How many years do I have left?

R3)'-

These people will kill you.

Yeah, well.

I might as well

be dead already anyway.

Oh, what a lovely thing

to say to your wife.

I don't mean... you, honey.

I mean...

(sighs)

we are what we do.

And if you just make money,

you become money.

This thing that everybody wants

that everybody craves,

it's just symbolic.

It has no real value.

I have to do something

that I really care about.

I'm not an idiot.

I know you're miserable.

I get it, but those animals

run everything.

I'd rather live in fear.

("La Luna y el Toro"

by Gabino Pampini playing)

Pick it up a little,

pick it up.

You're gonna have

to learn to breathe.

And you're gonna learn

to pace yourself.

There's technique

and there's strategy.

Technique is your every move,

your every punch

covers all your short-term

decisions.

Strategy is your plan

for the whole fight.

It's your long term.

It defines how you

apply the technique

to achieve your major goal.

It's okay if your technique

fails for a beat

as long as you're

following the strategy.

Buchanan knows you're gonna try

to knock him out

in the first round.

And then he'll wait for you

to get tired and try

and catch you,

and that's his strategy.

Comprende?

He expect (rapid humming)

but if you slow down

and go (whooshing, sputtering)

slow, slow, slow, slow,

slow, slow, slow...

Buchanan no comprende.

Get off the fence.

Excuse me?

Get off the fence.

Ah, shut up, schmuck.

SOLDIER:
Who do you

think you are, old man?

I'm Ray Arcel from Harlem, USA.

You know where that is?

And this is

the future world champion

you're talking to here.

F*** off.

He's in a jail and he thinks

he's in charge.

- We in jail.

- No, he-he's in jail.

- They put jail here.

- No, no, he...

He's... It's all in the head.

Boxing is a mental sport, aqui.

What you do with your body

is one-third of the job.

You got to learn to be

the boss, which you are.

Say it, "He's in jail."

Say it.

"He's in jail."

- He's in jail.

- He's in jail.

See? In jail.

I thought I told you

to f*** off.

You in jail.

You don't know

when to stop, do you?

You in jail.

- Okay, okay.

- You, you in jail.

Get the f*** out of here.

- Is that the way you want this

to go? -DURAN:
You in jail.

You are in jail.

I'm champion.

This is Panama.

RAY:

Nice.

Hook after the right.

Hook

Double up. Jab. Jab.

That's it,

that's it, there you go.

There you go.

("Plastico" by Rubn Blades

playing)

That's it. That's it!

-(bicycle bell tinkles)

- RAY:
Nice, nice.

Ciao.

Hey, you are the boxer.

Yes.

And you are?

I heard you won.

Yeah, that was easy.

Now I'm going for the world championship.

That's good.

Can I walk with you?

What school did you go to?

I went to the Plomo Quifiones school.

Now I'm in the Ray Arcel.

Ray Arcel?

Uh-huh.

American school?

Yes, American school.

You didn't go to school, did you?

But you can read, right?

This is like a job interview.

I thought I was walking you home.

Yes.

I can continue alone.

Why?

We come from different worlds.

It's all in the head.

What?

It's all in the head.

Turn the right hand over,

turn the right hand over.

RAY:
The first thing

a future world champ

needs to be taught

is to be lucky.

And luck is a woman

you must learn to seduce.

FA:

Be the host of the ring.

This is your temple,

and everyone does as you wish.

Be the master of time.

You and only you

should decide when to strike.

(thunder rolls)

(shouting in Spanish)

(rain pattering on roof)

Come See.

This is the kitchen.

Aqui.

My heavy b89-

Some perfumes.

Come see.

I'm looking at it.

FA:

You don't like it?

I'm just used to...

FA:

FA:

FA:

CARBO:

Hey, Ray.

How you doing, huh?

No worries.

You look good.

How's the wife?

She's good, thanks.

2O years since

your heroic mission

to expand boxing to the nation.

Boxing expanded.

I wasn't wrong.

Yes and no. But yes,

the sport makes

for fantastic television.

And now you're back.

Sort of.

I like you, Ray.

I feel really bad

for what they did to you.

I don't need to look

a gift horse up the ass

to know there's sh*t in there.

I thought we had a deal.

We do.

Maybe I'm confused

about what kind of deal

we're talking about.

You weren't meant to make money

from boxing again.

I'm training him for free.

You can check

with Carlos Eleta.

He's the fighter's manager.

You're a classy guy,

but you're not going to teach

me how to hide money.

Buchanan's favored 14 to three

against Duran, right?

That's right.

Except Durn's going to win.

Put all your money on Durn.

Make a bundle.

Leave me alone if he wins,

shoot me if he loses.

(chuckles)

You're a classy guy.

JOURNAUST".

Mr. Arcel,

why come back from retirement

with an unproven fighter?

I just turned 73.

You know,

seven decades and change.

And myself

and Freddy Brown here

have probably forgotten more

than most trainers

will ever learn.

But I remember well,

from the '20s to the '50s

we lived

the golden age of boxing.

Then television took over

and we all became... ambitious.

The sport turned

into a spectacle,

show business with blood.

And it was a good thing,

because we reached audiences

nobody thought we could reach.

The problem, inevitably,

is that the fighters

started doing it

for the fame, for greed,

for self-importance.

Independent promoters

faded away and, with them,

the true hungry fighters,

the lifeblood of this game.

Tonight, however, you'll meet

the best lightweight

New York has seen in 5O years.

Atrue, true hungry fighter.

Like in the old days.

He's got the soul, the rage,

the mental energy and

determination the sport needs,

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