The Challenger

1

Miller,

they're ready for you.

Sneaker, you're late.

I had to run.

Run faster.

Get a move on, Sanchez.

That car's got to

be ready by 3:
00.

All right, boss.

-What's up, man?

-What's up, brother?

Damn it.

You couldn't

tell me this last week?

I looked at

the brakes last week.

-They looked good then, I...

- Oh, "good then"?

I'm not playing with you, boy.

Go get Joey for me.

You want me to get him?

Yeah, go get Joey now,

all right?

I looked at the brakes,

and I'm telling you...

Oh, you didn't look

at the brakes, all right?

They did, they looked good.

No, you didn't look

at the brakes...

Last week your mom needed

the car and the bus was late.

-Bus wasn't running today.

-Look, sneaker.

-It's Jaden.

-That's twice already.

You been here a month.

One more thing, you're gone.

Now you get

the hell out of here!

Ramirez was finally released

from the icu yesterday

and said you were

his most frequent visitor.

Not his fault

that his manager

made a bad decision.

Ramirez

was the second opponent

you've hospitalized,

and still you've never even

been knocked down.

Is it true?

Are you just undefeatable?

I guess

no one's found my weakness.

We'll see

what happens next week.

Good luck.

Thank you.

Sneaks. You gonna punch out?

Yeah, I'm sorry.

Yo, j. You need a ride?

Yeah. Cool.

You know, you're the only one

that calls me by my name.

Hell, I'm the only one

that knows your name.

Still live at your mom's, huh?

Can't afford

the rent on her own, you know.

Oh, man. I understand.

Tough times.

Yeah.

Well, uh,

thanks for the ride, man.

And, j...

Be on time tomorrow.

Yeah.

Oh, Jesus.

What the hell

are you doing, kid?

Get out of there.

Yeah?

At least I'm not late, right?

He's not late.

Stay as long

as you need.

Joe's gonna kill me

if I don't get that oil

out of my suit.

There's a laundromat

on prospect, man.

They get anything out.

The address is on the fridge.

Hey, I dropped a suit off

in here before.

You know where the guy is?

Uh, Duane. Um, in...

In the market.

Should I wait in here?

He's been there a while...

The one on the corner?

The red and yellow sign.

He's probably sitting

to the... in the door

to the left of the...

-All right, thanks.

-S, bueno.

Hey, do you know

where the laundry guy is?

You know that guy?

Banging there?

You're hearing banging?

That guy,

crazy guy back there?

Every day the same thing.

-Thanks.

-He's crazy, man.

Uh, Duane?

I just came by

to pick up my...

Hold on.

Yo! The machine's broke again.

And this time it's mine.

Let me see. Let me see.

Quarters are mine,

gum is yours.

Let's go.

What? I just do that

when it gets slow.

I do lottery tickets.

That's dumb.

Lottery.

Feet.

What is it?

It's a pack of gum

wrapped in a 20.

I got a spot

20 blocks from here,

I just heard

they got 50s and 100s.

This all from today?

Twelve bucks.

What's up, Duane?

There's a boxing gym

across the street, huh?

Can you just

walk in there or...

Five bucks a day.

20 bucks a month.

Cool. Thanks.

Oh, man, you're crazy, dog.

Right.

Hey yo, j.

-Yeah.

-We're all gonna go down

and check out

my boy's fight tonight.

You down?

What kind of fight?

Boxing, bro.

Come on, you know I'm a boxer.

I mean, I knew you boxed.

I didn't know

you were a boxer.

Oh,

homeboy said you box,

but you ain't no boxer.

- Man, shut up!

Dumbass.

What?

Is that not what he said?

That's not what I meant.

So, is that how you make

that extra cash?

I mean, it's not much.

But it helps.

What do you guys think?

This guy any better than you?

It'll be a good fight.

I promise you.

Get up and fight.

- That's it! Stop!

Well, it lasted

longer than I thought.

Winner

by way of knockout,

and still your

champion of the Bronx,

Manuel Rodriguez.

I thought you said

he was good.

He is.

This Rodriguez guy must be...

Must be

a hell of a lot better.

You cannot do that

with that guy.

I told you that

too many times.

Yeah, well, the next fight's

got to be better than that.

We staying for

another ass-whooping, man?

Of course.

-J?

-Guess not.

Fists in front

of the face, firm.

Off the ropes. All you do

is rotate. You don't listen.

Damn it.

You could have

beaten that guy.

So could my girlfriend.

Did not listen,

that's why you lost.

Excuse me.

Excuse me.

Lottery ticket?

What're you doing here?

Dt. This is j. J, this is...

Duane, I know.

You guys know each other?

It's Mr. Taylor.

That's your gym, isn't it?

What do you want?

I want you to train me.

In what, tennis?

I don't train rookies.

- I got experience.

- Come on, sneaks.

No, I do. Fighting, but...

Look... I'm not good at

many things, Mr. Taylor,

all right? But, I can do this.

I know I can.

Lottery tickets, huh?

6:
00 tomorrow.

You know where it is.

I'll see what you can do.

Thank you, Mr. Taylor.

You won't regret it.

You serious? You really gonna

train this guy?

That's 6:
00 A.M., understood?

Yes, sir, I'll be there.

All right.

Terrence, see you Monday.

Yeah, coach.

Come on, dt!

So, you're a boxer now, huh?

I didn't even know you boxed.

Yeah, well. I don't, yet.

You're killing me, man.

Turn your hips

into those punches.

Morning.

You're early.

You're late.

When did you get here?

Around 5:
30.

Good. You should be

warmed up then.

Well,

i mean, I was just...

Whoa, hold on.

First thing's first, lottery.

This ain't fighting.

Boxing is one of the hardest

sports in the world.

It requires

endurance, strategy,

technique.

I'm not looking for a fighter.

Show me your stance.

Feet shoulder-width apart.

Left foot forward.

Spread your feet

like a triangle.

Back foot always up.

These up, firm.

Okay. Throw a punch.

-What was that?

-What do you mean?

That's a straight right.

It's a power punch.

Where's the power?

Where does the power

in that punch come from?

-My arms.

-That's a jab, rookie.

Power punches

aren't thrown with your arms.

Okay, we're gonna

try this again.

This time, rotate your hips,

and shift your weight from

your back foot to your front.

Snap back immediately

and return to

defensive position.

Okay. Again.

Hips. Again.

Harder.

--Hips!

Swing your hips again.

--Harder!

--Harder, hips.

--Again!

--Harder!

Okay.

So, why are you here, kid?

I don't know.

I want to be somebody.

Sick of playing the lottery.

What'd you mean when you said

you used to fight?

I was 11. Was gonna start

private school in the fall.

And then I, uh,

got in my first fight.

Got kicked out of school.

Lost the scholarship.

Got in more schools,

more fights...

Never finished high school.

Never finished

anything really.

Been job-to-job ever since.

Why do you fight?

The right reasons.

You win?

Always.

I don't, uh,

train boxers anymore.

What do you mean?

What about...

What about

Maxwell and Terrence?

Exactly. I really

just run the laundromat.

My last real boxer

was Keenan Anderson.

After four years,

we were finally

gonna get a shot at the title.

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