Somebody Up There Likes Me Page #8

with the offer.

We need your help

to get rid of these vermin.

You're the only one involved,

not Cowboy Shank.

You say you had a sore back.

We say you faked the injury.

You didn't want

to double-cross anyone...

...and you didn't have it in you

to take a dive.

It doesn't make any difference

who's right.

The important thing is

you didn't accept the bribe...

...you didn't listen to these men.

You've already admitted

that our information was correct.

- You were approached.

- Well, yeah.

Finish the work you started.

Give us the names of these men.

- Look, I can't. I'm telling you, I can't.

- Why not?

Because I don't know who they were.

Look, there's always characters

like that hanging around.

They're creeps. Disturbers. They crawl

out from underneath the rocks.

Now, who bothers to ask their names?

Rocky, have you ever read the rules...

...of the New York State

Athletic Commission?

Oh, come off it. I mean, I don't know

nothing about no rules.

All I know is what my manager tells me.

- lf he tells me something is so, it's so.

- One of the rules states...

...that failure to report a bribe

is punishable...

...by having your license taken away.

Rule 64. If you'll tell us the names

of the men who approached you...

...I'll pass it to the commission.

You'll have complied.

Is that fair enough?

- I ain't got no names to name.

- Don't force our hand, Rocky.

We don't want to hurt you

unnecessarily.

Now, are you sure

that's your final answer?

It's my final answer.

I ain't got no names to name.

Rocky, do you know these men?

No, I never seen them before, I swear.

Okay, bring in the others.

Do you know these men?

No, I...

I never seen them before

in my whole life.

We find from the evidence

and from your own admissions...

...that a request was made

that the Shank bout be conducted...

...as a sham or collusive contest...

...in consideration of an offer

to you of $ 100,000.

You never reported this request

or suggestion to the commission.

The Shank contest was

called off subsequently...

...because of a back injury reported

by you to a commission doctor.

That has no bearing on this hearing.

Taking into consideration the facts

and circumstances adduced before us...

...and in accordance with

responsibility and discretion...

...vested in us by the state...

...the commission hereby revokes your

license as a boxer...

...effective immediately.

It follows that the proposed contest...

...between middleweight champion,

Tony Zale and yourself...

...in the state of New York

is hereby cancelled.

This hearing is adjourned.

Look, he's got nothing to say.

Please, fellas, have a heart.

He's got nothing to say.

Maybe you got something

to say about this.

How about a statement, Mrs. Graziano?

What does he have to do

to please them...

...become a thief again?

Turn off the lights.

What are you sitting in the dark for?

I'm thinking about all my friends...

...like the commissioner

and the D.A., that...

Turn off the lights, I can see them

better in the dark.

How long are you gonna

go on like this?

Listen, darling. Listen to what Bill Corum

says in the Journal American.

"Until Rocky has done more wrong

than I can find he has done...

...I'll sit here and fight

for his right to fight."

Yeah, sports writers. What?

They was always good to me.

But what about them other guys?

Smearing it all over the front page,

what a rat I am.

- What a liar, what a bum I am.

- Stop it, Rocky.

Sure, Graziano, he's a no-good criminal,

a coward, a yellow rat.

Remember, Graziano's the scum

of the slums. He'll never...

Stop it.

Hello.

Yeah, who is it?

- What do you want?

- I don't want nothing, Rocky boy.

I've been reading about your troubles,

I had nothing to do...

...with that story breaking

in the Chicago papers.

- You got a real raw deal.

- Peppo, you always want something.

Now, whatever it is,

I ain't interested. You get it?

Sure, kid, I get it.

Any time you decide

to stop playing patsy...

...for these guys, just give me a holler.

Maybe we do some business yet?

Peppo, don't call here no more.

Stay out of my life.

You got that? Stay out.

Come on, Irving. What's up?

- Irving, how about something?

- Come on, Irving.

Slip out the back,

take off for Florida?

Come on, Irving. Let's have it.

Look, look, within the hour...

...you may be in the living room.

- What do you mean?

- That's all I can tell you.

- How about more?

How about something?

Where's Rocky?

I've something to tell him.

- Good news?

- Oh, I've heard worse.

He's getting his license back.

No, but you get Rocky.

Rocky, it's Irving.

Yeah, what?

You ready? Here it is.

It's all set. July 16th. Chicago.

Fifteen rounds with Tony Zale...

...for the championship.

- Isn't that wonderful?

The Illinois commission wouldn't go

along with New York.

Oh, no, I ain't gonna fight

in no Chicago ring.

They hate me there.

The newspapers, the people.

Some rat blew the whistle. Look, now,

why have I gotta fight in a foreign city...

...where I ain't got no friends?

They don't want me to win there...

...I gotta tell you that?

What am I gonna do with him?

You're gonna take him to Chicago

and get him back into shape.

Then he's gonna take the title away

from Tony Zale...

...and show everybody in the world

who he is and what he is.

- Chicago. You heard him.

- It isn't Chicago.

He's got no stomach

for fighting anywhere.

Don't you see, Irving?

For three years he sweated hard,

the only way he knew how...

...trying to become a member

of what he calls the legit world.

He thought he had made it.

But now he's convinced that whatever

he tried didn't work and can't work.

And what's the use of trying anymore

if you're no good and never will be?

But it did work, Irving.

And it's got to work again, it's got to.

Rocky.

What's the matter with him?

- What do you think you're doing?

- Let me see those hands.

We're supposed to be

working out a defense for Zale...

...and you stand here beating

the heads off these stiffs...

...and maybe even breaking a hand

or two.

Okay, so I made a mistake.

- How are they?

- I'd rather be hit by a railroad train.

Lucky.

Here.

- Hey, where you going?

- Yeah. We got a lot of work to do yet.

Look, it's too quiet here.

I gotta go someplace...

...where there's buildings and noise.

I'm off my rocker.

Now, look, wait a minute, Rocky.

I got an idea.

You see, we'll move out of this suburb.

We'll set up shop in town.

You'll work out in a gymnasium,

like Stillman's.

They have one in the heart of Chicago.

Yeah, well, maybe Chicago's

got a heart...

...but I ain't found it.

- That's a pretty good line, Graziano.

- Can I quote?

- Stay away from me.

You Chicago guys is nothing

but trouble for me.

Well, I got my lead

for tomorrow's column.

Rocky Graziano is a beaten fighter...

...and Tony Zale hasn't

even laid a glove on him.

- Now what?

- Did you see that driver?

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