Resurrecting The Champ Page #3

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number three in the world.

Right. Okay.

- You told me that last night.

- Last night.

Yeah, you- Those, um, kids

came in here, and they were-

Oh, yeah, yeah! Yeah.

You done helped Champ

when he was down and halfway out.

Yeah. I'm Erik Kernan

of The Denver Times.

I was wondering

if I could buy you a cup of coffee.

I don't drink coffee.

I used to. But not no more.

Uh, how about a cold beer?

Yeah, I indulge in a beer

every now and then.

I think people would love your story.

I mean, you were-

You were almost champion of the world.

Ah, that was a long time ago.

You fought LaMotta.

You fought Patterson.

You heard a whole stadium of people

stand up and call out your name.

- You remember that?

- Sure. Sure, I remember.

People would know you.

You could walk down the street,

everybody would know your name.

So, what you gonna write about?

I'm gonna write

what you tell me, your story.

Nah. Everybody already

know my name. I'm Champ.

Well, just in case.

Kernan. Kernan, like that guy who used to

be on the radio a long time ago.

- Yeah, he was my father.

- You don't say.

I do, yeah.

Your father

ruined Christmas for me one year.

He was on the radio talkin'all about

how I was a disappointment.

Christmas Eve, 1953.

I went from up and coming

to a has-been.

Nothin' in between.

Pissed me off, your daddy did.

Well, let me make it up to you.

I'll come back around,

next day or two.

Maybe we can have another beer.

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. All right. Yeah.

Hey! You know,

I ain't gonna forget this.

You done helped the Champ

when he was down and damn near out.

I'm trying to find something

we can all listen to.

Well, I can put together a list, I guess.

There are a couple bands that are new,

that are good. But they're not too loud.

- Yeah. Not all that acid stuff.

- No, I wouldn't do that to you, I promise.

- Yeah, what?

- Boss. Hey. Miller's out with the flu.

Yeah, I know, it's going around.

You oughta get a flu shot.

- I did.

- They're giving 'em out on the second floor.

Yeah, I did. I just was wondering

if I could cover for him.

Trailblazers are in town,

and he was supposed to cover the game.

- I'll just put together a list.

- I need those quotes. I need more quotes on the golf story.

- Hey, Erik.

- Uh, I was wondering if I could cover for him.

No, no.

Duncan's got the Trailblazers game.

I thought Duncan was covering

the bantamweight fight.

You're gonna take the fight, and he's got

the Trailblazers. I promised him. I'm sorry.

Okay. Yeah. It's just that my kid...

I was gonna take him

because he idolizes the Trailblazers.

They're his heroes.

I'm sorry. The Trailblazers,

they're his- they're his heroes?

- Yeah.

- Now I know you're full of sh*t.

- See you, Ralph.

- You give it away like that. No, really. I know now.

Boom! That's just the way

it happened too.

- I broke not the big bone in his nose, but the small one.

- Damn.

You kicked some ass back in the day.

- That's right. Bob Satterfield,

number three in the world.

Yo, man, I gotta go though.

All right, youngblood.

Take it easy, baby. All right.

- Hey, Champ.

- Hey, hey!

You-You scared him off.

He thought you was the police.

- Well, I'm definitely not. You remember who I am?

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

You're the guy helped the Champ when he

was down and halfway out. You that reporter.

- I'm honored. How you feelin'?

- Oh, you know, about 60%.

Have you thought at all

about talkin' with me?

No, I ain't been thinkin' about nothin'.

I'm savin' that till later.

What are you doin' now?

Are you busy?

Corners.

So I'm sorry

I brought you to a dog, Champ.

No, no, no. The white kid?

He's gonna knock

the Spanish kid on his ass.

- Don't you mean the other way around?

- Mm-mmm.

Kernan, who's your buddy?

- Tillman, Bob. Bob, Tillman.

- How ya doin', Bob?

Oh, about 90% tonight.

Um, you got any more of those beers?

Sure. Have mine. Help yourself.

White boy's gonna knock

the spicky kid out.

No way.

Gomez is way too strong, man.

One, two, three, four...

five, six, seven, eight...

nine, 10!

This is over!

How did you see that coming, Champ?

The knockout, I mean.

Oh, oh, well, I, um-

I see the white boy, uh-uh-

- Durant.

- Yeah. I see Durant, he was...

he was, like, takin' that ass-whoopin'.

- But-But then I seen his eyes.

- What about his eyes?

Well, he, um- He figured out

that the Spanish fella, he had a tell.

See? A tell. When he switched over

from lefty back to righty.

See, I saw his eyes figure out

that the spicky boy...

he cocked his head to the left

before he made the switch.

He had that figured-out look

in his eye.

- You saw that?

- Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

I done seen it in my opponents' eyes

way too many times.

Ah, don't nobody want to read

about an old man like me.

Sure, they do. Most fight fans

think you're dead, Champ.

I mean, wait till they hear

what you've been through.

And that you're still around to tell

about it? They'll sh*t themselves.

You'll be a celebrity again.

Champ, I gotta tell ya.

I'm in real trouble where I work.

I'm just about down and out myself.

I'm havin'a real dry spell at the paper.

They're talkin' about firin' me.

Newspapers are being forced to cut bulk

because of the Internet and all that.

Champ...

this article is my title shot.

All right, son. All right.

You ask the questions. I answer.

Thanks.

See, Rocky Marciano...

he's gettin'ready

for thatJerseyJoe Walcott fight.

And Rocky, well, he hired

all the good sparring partners around.

And they paid us at that time,

oh, what was it?

Oh, yeah, $50 apiece, I think.

- Come on, Rock!

- It was on a Sunday.

We put on an exhibition

at Grossinger's in New York.

Keep your arms up! Keep your arms up!

You're gonna takeJerseyJoe down

in the first round!

Oh, he was strong,

I'm gonna tell ya.

Hit me on the glove,

still knock me down.

But not out. See? I got up.

Started fightin'harder.

And I kept hittin'him on the nose

and hittin'him on the nose...

till his nose started bleeding.

And every time he come to hit

with that overhand right...

I'd get back

and shoot a short right up to him.

- And-And then his nose wouldn't stop.

- You all right?

Everybody was all concerned and stuff,

but, you know, Rocky was tough as hell.

He came back!

But I had him.

He's goin'down, Rock. He's goin'down.

Whoo!

That's just the way it happened too.

Now, now, I broke not the big bone in

his nose, but the little bone. Busted it.

Now, I-I-I'm not one

to give my opinion, all right?

But every time Rocky fought after that,

his nose bled.

Defended the title six times,

but always had trouble with that nose.

I'm thinkin' that's why he quit.

What about your father?

He must have been proud.

No, no. He used to whoop me.

- Seriously?

- Yeah, yeah.

Look-Look here, see?

- When did he do that?

- Oh, I think I was... nine years old.

What? Your daddy never whoop you?

- No.

- Mmm. Well, you're a lucky man.

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