Million Dollar Baby Page #4

One is you asked a question,

and two is you asked another question.

Now, what I want you to do,

it's not about hitting it hard...

...it's how good you hit it. So watch me.

You can count with me if you want.

It's just count. On a one-count,

I hit right through the bag.

- Can you show me that again?

- I just...

Just say "one," please.

- One.

- Okay.

- One. Okay.

- One.

Yeah, just say "one." That's good.

That's good.

Then I move over to my right foot. You'll

see my weight is shifting to my right foot.

Then I hit it with my back of my hand, sort

of like I'm chipping ice with an ice pick.

Then I come over, and I shift to my left foot,

and I hit it with my right hand.

And ice pick maneuver again.

And I come over on my right foot

and hit it right.

Don't watch anything but my feet.

Just do it like that. Just keep practicing.

You show them how to stand,

keep their legs under their shoulders.

To make a fighter,

you gotta strip them down to bare wood.

Rest when you're dead.

Come here.

You can't just tell them

to forget everything you know...

... you gotta make them forget it

in their bones.

Make them so tired

they only listen to you.

Only hear your voice,

only do what you say, and nothing else.

Move your feet.

Move your feet around. Let's see you go.

Show them how to keep their balance

and take it away from the other guy.

Not so low. Look at me.

Right hook and just turn right.

How to generate momentum

off your right toe.

And how to flex your knees

when you fire a jab.

How to fight backing up, so that the

other guy doesn't wanna come after you.

Then you gotta show them

all over again.

Over and over and over...

... till they think they were born that way.

Shift.

Shift away.

Okay. That's enough for today.

Good work. Good girl.

You think I ready for a fight, boss?

Hey. Hey, come here.

You're not breathing.

Hate to disagree with you.

Every time you get under pressure,

you're holding your breath.

- Now, stop doing that.

- Okay.

But other than that,

I'm doing pretty good, right?

- I mean, for a girl.

- I don't train girls.

Think I might be ready

for a fight, boss?

Well, we'll get a manager,

and we'll find out, won't we?

I'd like to,

but you been keeping me too busy.

- Got any family, boss?

- What?

You been spending all this time with me,

I didn't know if you had any.

No.

Well, I've got a daughter, Katy.

That's family.

We're not exactly close.

How much she weigh?

What?

Trouble in my family

comes by the pound.

Yeah.

Not very big.

Used to be real athletic.

Don't know if she kept it up.

So, what do you think?

I ready for a fight?

Hey, Sally.

Come here for a minute, will you?

Frankie, I need to see you

in the back for a minute, okay?

- Can I see you a minute?

- Sally here's a real good manager.

Has a couple of Golden Glove boys.

Looking for a girl, Sally?

I'm looking for a good one.

Well, see, there you go.

Nice working with you, girlie.

- What'd you want?

- Nothing. It's nothing.

I ain't lying, I've been watching you work.

You got a hell of a left.

Thank you.

So you wanna give this a try?

See if it's a fit?

- Yeah, sure.

- Good.

Because I think you're ready for a fight.

Break.

What am I doing wrong, Sally?

Every time I get inside, she's on me.

You're doing great.

You're wearing her down. Keep punching.

- I ain't doing great, I'm losing.

- You're wearing her down.

You okay, honey? Can you see okay?

- Come on.

- Do it.

Come on, let's do this!

That's it!

Nice night, eh?

Jesus Christ.

That's Lonnie Washington's girl.

Hell of a fighter.

Your left. Keep your left up.

Lonnie's got a lot of good fighters.

He's got Joey Adagio,

lightweight champ?

Yeah.

Your left, damn it.

Wouldn't have been my choice for

her first fight, but Sally's a good manager.

- He must think she can take her.

- Jesus H.

Your left. Keep your left up.

You think she can hear you

from back here?

Of course, if Maggie loses,

it wouldn't mean anything to Sally.

Might even help him.

Lonnie's girl gets another win...

...Lonnie might let Sally's lightweight

fight Joey Adagio for the title.

Sally's trying to set a fight with Adagio?

Hey, what do I know?

I just come because I enjoy the fights.

Mother of God.

Okay, break.

Hey. Come here, come here.

Hey. Get over here.

You're dropping your left hand.

Quit dropping your left hand.

Hey, Frankie,

you mind if I talk to my fighter?

You're doing a hell of a job.

Is this the way you advise your lightweight?

Dunn.

- What are you doing?

- I'm talking. What are you doing?

- Is this your fighter?

- It's my fighter.

It ain't fitting real well, Sally.

Fine, you take her.

She can't fight worth a sh*t anyway.

- Somebody tell me what's going on.

- I was late. Sally was just subbing for me.

You telling me this is your fighter?

Yeah, this is my fighter.

Then you got 10 seconds.

I keep holding my left up,

then I throw a punch and it keeps dropping.

- Well, let it drop.

- That'd be a lot easier.

She thinks she knows you.

Every time you drop it,

she comes right over the top.

So you just wait for her, see?

That's all she's thinking about.

- When she c*cks that right hand... You hear?

- I hear you, boss.

When she does, step to the side

and come with a good-night hook.

- Got one?

- Got it right here.

- Okay.

- Fight, or I'm calling it.

- Go give it to her.

- The body knows what fighters don't.

How to protect itself.

A neck can only twist so far.

Twist it just a hair more,

and the body says:

"Hey, I'll take it from here because you

obviously don't know what you're doing."

Neutral corner.

- See the way she did that?

- Yeah.

Sugar Ray would do that.

Girl's got sugar.

"Lie down, now, rest, and we'll talk

about this when you regain your senses."

It's called the knockout mechanism.

Don't get all carried away, now.

You did good.

Thanks, boss.

You... You forgot the rule.

- Now, what is the rule?

- Keep my left up?

It's to protect yourself at all times.

Now, what is the rule?

- Protect myself at all times.

- Good, good.

You gave me away.

How was that protecting me?

It wasn't.

It's okay.

- I'll work on my left, boss.

- Drink your water.

Other than that, how'd I do?

Fine. You did fine.

You gonna leave me again?

Never.

That place you work, do they have

homemade lemon meringue pie there?

- Sure.

- Not the kind with the canned-filling crap?

Oh, big can, yay size.

Says "homemade" on the label.

- I want you to take the weekend off.

- It's only Thursday.

- You gonna argue with me?

- Know better than to do that, boss.

Well, good.

All fighters are pigheaded

some way or other.

Some part of them always thinks

they know better than you about something.

Can you spare a few minutes

for the Immaculate Conception?

Truth is, even if they're wrong...

... even if that one thing

is gonna be the ruin of them...

... if you can beat that last bit out of them,

then they ain't fighters at all.

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