The Challenger Page #3

enters the ring.

And here's

your champ of the Bronx,

Manuel Rodriguez.

Stay warm,

stay warm, baby.

Move around, baby. Get ready.

Get ready. Get ready.

Make sure you're tough now.

Make sure you're tough.

That's it. Let's do it.

Let's do it.

Move around, get ready.

Champ of

the Bronx, Manuel Rodriguez,

clearly looking for

another stepping stone here.

All right, come on,

let's go, baby, come on.

You sure about starting him

with Rodriguez, coach?

Yeah.

Gentlemen. Give me

a good, clean fight.

Obey my commands at all times.

And protect yourself

at all times.

And at this time,

i want you to touch gloves.

Touch gloves!

Back to your corners.

Good luck to both.

Box!

Get your feet. Get your feet!

Come on! Get off those ropes!

Feet! Feet!

The crowd loves you, Jaden.

It's you!

Five, six,

seven, eight...

Box!

Fists cover the face! Firm!

Move, baby, move!

Put him down! Put him down!

Right now!

- Hips!

That's it!

Out!

Check this refrigerator.

I bet you there's some

science projects in here.

It's still buzzing.

Check the sink.

Oh, he fixed the sink.

Oh, that Joe is a good guy.

Those extra hours

really paid off, Jaden.

Ah, well, let me get

my coat off

and get going. Whoo...

I am so glad to get away

from Regina,

I don't know what to do.

That girl was about ready to

drive me crazy.

--It's good to be home, baby.

Yeah, it is.

Get this stuff going.

And then I can mop the floor.

Get those dishes,

get us some food.

'Cause Regina

can't cook either.

Ooh, that girl is toppy.

Bronx boxing

is making a comeback

and there's a new kid in town.

Last month,

he took Rodriguez down

in one round.

He fights again tonight.

Willis Avenue boxing gym.

8:
00, the Bronx boy.

-Check him out.

-Yeah.

Come on!

Pick your punches!

Pick your punches!

Let's go. Get going!

Come on! Hips!

Endurance!

Yeah!

Good work, Jaden!

The winner,

by way of knockout...

The Bronx boy, Jaden...

-Jaden...

-Jaden Miller!

- Down!

- Look at those feet!

Stop showing off!

Five, six,

seven, eight, nine, 10.

Out!

Whoo! Woohoo!

There you go!

Oil's good, man.

I checked it already.

I can tell you've done

a lot of work today.

I make this

look easy, bro.

I can't believe he still

keeps you around.

Terrence?

-Oh...

-Hey.

-Hey, Ms. Miller...

Hey, baby.

What are you doing here?

Well, my car's acting funny,

so I thought I'd bring it by

for Jaden to look at it.

Uh, he free?

Um, actually Jaden is...

Hey, ma. Check this out.

No more buzzing.

Where did you get the money

for that, j?

I told you, I picked up

some extra shifts at Joe's...

You haven't worked at

the body shop for six months.

Fighting ruined everything, j,

don't you know that?

No. It didn't.

I did the right thing.

Not the right thing for you.

And what was that?

Letting my friend get beat up?

Oh, okay. All right then.

Where's Alvin now, Jaden?

Tell me that.

-Where is Alvin now?

-Alvin's alive, okay.

Alive,

and in an Ivy league school.

Where are you?

I'm a boxer now.

And I'm winning.

Yeah. Until you get

knocked into a coma?

You know, this time I mean it.

You're gonna...

You're gonna

stop this thing and...

You're gonna go back

to your normal job.

No. I said no!

I finally found something

I'm good at.

I'm good at this.

Can't you just

be happy for me?

So how do you like the fridge?

It doesn't buzz.

--Jaden...

Yeah?

I'm afraid of this.

I know.

This is

what boxing needs.

Anderson was ranked

third by the wbc.

He was next in line

for a title shot.

Last night, this kid knocked

him out in the third round.

We are a basic cable network.

We haven't shown boxing

since the '60s.

But, that's what's

so interesting.

We all know,

heavyweight boxing

hasn't done

big numbers in years.

And that's because

we haven't had a challenger

anyone cares about.

The crowd loves this kid.

He's poor, from the Bronx,

no high school diploma,

was working

as an auto mechanic

when he and his mother

were evicted.

He quit his job

to start boxing

and won back her apartment.

Hasn't lost yet.

And what? We give him

a shot at the title?

Yes.

I can see why the other

networks turned you down.

You're talking

about a massacre.

People are tired of watching

three-round fights.

No, Mike...

People are just tired.

They need something

to believe in again.

So...

We make a show...

The challenger.

We show people his life.

Home, training, everything.

Follow him right up to

the fight.

Everyone's an underdog

right now.

America's an underdog.

We get America behind this kid

and this fight

could bring boxing back.

Thanks for coming.

Jaden, you know

i can't watch that.

So, how's this

new trainer of yours?

You just can't let it go,

can you?

It's just that, I've heard

some things about this guy...

Like people

heard things about me?

They want to spin it

as a public interest story.

Give a no-name a shot.

That's your idea of getting

me better fights, huh?

It's a pay day, James.

Besides, they're paying

double this time.

I don't fight for the money.

You're gonna tell me

Ramirez wasn't a pay check?

Come on.

That's him coming.

I'm rolling.

-All right, here we go.

-Jaden Miller?

Jaden Miller.

How does it feel?

Are you ready for

the opportunity of a lifetime?

Yeah, man.

Are you nervous

-taking on burchard?

-What's going on?

J, my office.

...for one of

your first big fights

of your career?

I mean, you've only had

like seven fights...

-Are you ready for this?

-What are they talking about?

Let's talk in my office.

Get back.

Hey, easy.

Don't touch the camera.

- Get back.

- What are they

-talking about, Duane?

-They offered you

a title shot.

What?

But it's got conditions.

They want to film

your training.

Well, not just the training,

not just the training...

They want to film everything.

Your life.

They want to make it

into a show.

Why me?

Apparently Anderson was

next in line... if he'd won.

But look, j...

Anderson is one thing.

You got to think about this.

Oh. Easy, easy.

Don't touch the camera, man.

- Don't touch the camera.

- Move.

Uh, I need some time,

all right?

Go. Go. Move!

Hey, man. That's

not part of your contract.

Get back here!

Hey, what are you doing?

- Get back here, baby!

- Get back!

Tell me you're not actually

considering this.

It's suicide, j.

He'll kill you

out there. Literally.

Thanks.

He's put three opponents

in the hospital,

one in icu.

You're talking about

the champion of the world.

So what, man?

What do you want me to do?

Run away?

Get this far and not finish?

Where's that gotten me?

Finish.

But finish

when you're ready, man.

Hey, ain't seen

that face in a while.

No lottery ticket, champ?

Hmm.

I can't do it.

What did you just say?

I can't do it.

Hmm.

Let me tell you

something, son...

There's a reason

why I found you.

There's a reason why

this fight found you.

Now, I know I've tried

to fight it...

But this is your path.

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