The Harder They Fall Page #2

none of them went over three rounds.

- Believe that, I'll tell you another.

- Who discovered him, Eddie?

I'll let his compadre answer that.

This is Seor Agrandi.

Seores, I'm so happy to be

with you lovely people...

...and to tell you all about El Toro,

who is like my own son.

- Where'd you find Toro?

- I have small circus in my country.

We went to Santa Maria,

a little village on the Andes.

There, my strong man challenge all

the villagers with the boxing gloves.

El Toro put the gloves on,

and two minutes later, finish.

El Toro is now my new strong man.

- But can he box?

- He's no Gene Tunney.

- Can he punch?

- Not like Dempsey.

What's he got beside being big?

An iron jaw and a cast-iron stomach.

No man can hurt him.

- Why did he become a boxer?

- Why?

His family were stonecutters.

He never wore shoes till he was 19.

I guess he got tired of

walking around barefoot.

- How far do you think he'll go?

- All the way.

We leave for the fight in 20 minutes.

Drink up, there's more on the bus.

- Hi, Art.

- Hello, Graham. How are you?

How are these guys treating you?

I'm finding out it's pretty rough

on this side of the fence.

It's always rough with people we like.

You should know.

It means you're a hit.

I rushed over from the station.

Just gave your boy a real plug

on my TV show.

- Hope he comes through tonight.

- He will.

I didn't get a chance to ask.

Must have been a shocker

when your paper folded.

Beth was real depressed.

Me? Well...

Can he fight? Big guys

don't have any coordination.

He's coming along.

What are you drinking?

- Anything.

- Same old stuff? Bourbon on the rocks.

How come you turned press agent?

To me you can talk plain.

I need a check every week.

Did it have to be

Nick Benko's boxing club?

The New York Times

didn't send for me, Benko did.

What's the difference? Money's money,

no matter where you get it.

- L 'chaim.

- I'll need it.

Ladies and gentlemen,

the main event of the evening:

Ten rounds of heavyweight boxing.

Introducing the heavyweight champion

of the Pacific Fleet...

...and one of California's contenders

for the heavyweight crown...

...at 196 pounds, Sailor Rigazzo.

And introducing, for his first

appearance in the United States...

...the heavyweight champion

of South America...

...the wild man of the Andes,

undefeated in 39 fights...

...at 278 pounds, Toro Moreno.

Get on the bus, Toro!

Remember, Sailor, you go in one.

What's with Sailor?

If he keeps it up,

he'll wind up in the bay.

- What goes, Max?

- I don't know. I told him to go in one.

- Foul! Foul! Break it up.

- Foul!

What's the matter with you, buddy?

What are you trying to pull?

Splash! Go down!

He's got nothing.

I'll flatten him.

Go on!

I wish I hadn't come, Eddie.

We'll fix Sailor.

Take care of him good.

Right.

Operator, what's holding up my

New York call? Hurry it up.

Well, try that number again.

Yes, yes. Call me right back.

Busy.

- How's Toro?

- I put him to bed. What happened?

Why was everybody so mad

at the stadium? We win, no?

Agrandi, go to bed.

- Don't talk to me like a child.

- What do you want?

Toro's my friend. To you men,

he's nothing but money.

Be quiet, Agrandi.

You've got a room, go to it.

- Leave him alone.

- They made lots of promises.

So far, we haven't received one penny.

We want some money right now

or we leave, Toro and me.

You think this is a freak show?

You get paid every night?

You're working for a corporation.

You'll get your share

when the time comes.

- When will the time come?

- It's up to the New York office.

Who you looking for?

- Are you Vince?

- You got the wrong room.

I'm Vince.

- Wait for me in the bar.

- Don't be too long.

- Broads, at a time like this.

- Better learn to relax, Leo.

- Agrandi.

- Frank, go buy Agrandi a beer.

Come on, let's hang one on.

- Keep tab on the dolls for me.

- Sure.

We're in the soup. The commissioner

is holding an investigation.

Let him. Who's gonna talk?

The whole press was there.

They'll talk.

Nobody reads these papers

in the East. That's where the money is.

Art Leavitt has a sports newscast

on TV. He's coast-to-coast.

- Your friend.

- Yes, my friend.

Commissioner's gonna subpoena him.

Leavitt has pull in California.

He can murder us.

Hello? Oh, hi, Nick.

No, nothing's wrong.

It's just a little setback.

They're investigating.

That's a little setback?

Oh, you know already.

You phoned him from the stadium.

I had to tell him

about the commission.

I want it fixed, you understand?

I don't care! I want it fixed!

- Is Eddie there? Put him on.

- All right.

Put Eddie on the phone!

He wants to talk to you.

- Hello, Nick.

- How does it look? Pretty bad for us?

- Yeah, pretty bad.

- It's Leo's fault. I should've known.

No, it wasn't Leo's fault.

It just happened.

Where there's an in, there's an out.

Can you fix it?

No. How could I fix it?

- You've got connections. Use them!

- Not a chance.

I'd fly out tonight myself...

...but my boys are fighting in

Boston, Philadelphia and Buffalo.

But I know you can do it, Eddie.

- No, I won't.

- Don't talk like that. I won't listen.

- Then don't. I'll hang up.

- Wait a minute. Don't hang up!

- Hold it.

- I'll give you to Leo.

I don't want Leo. You want a

bank account, I'll give you one.

- I'll give you 10%.

- Ten percent of what?

Toro. Ten percent of the whole deal.

You owe it to me to pull it off.

- I don't owe you anything.

- You owe it to yourself and your wife.

You walk out on me now,

you walk out broke.

Don't fight me. I'll give you

anything you want, I promise.

Never mind the promises.

Now, listen, Nick.

I want the same as Leo gets and

I want it in writing. No interference.

I'll have a contract

air-mailed to you tomorrow.

From here on in,

tell Leo you're the big wheel.

Okay, Eddie?

Okay.

I'm a partner if I get us out of this

bind. I get 10% /, same as you.

Only, from here on in,

I manage things.

Don't look so beat, Leo.

I could've aced you into the gutter.

What stopped you?

I hate to see a man lose his job.

Even you.

I'm not asking you

to give false testimony.

There's doubt in any fight.

All I want from you

is the benefit of that doubt.

You're saying it wasn't a bag fight?

You can't do this to me.

It's not you I'm after. It's Benko.

You can't put Benko out of business.

You can get Toro's license revoked,

but that'll put me out of business.

- Art, I'm asking you.

- How can you ask me to lie for you?

You don't have to lie. Just don't

say anything if you don't want to.

I've got 3000 in the bank.

I'll lend you any part of it.

I don't want any of it.

I want you to pay me what you owe me.

- What do I owe you?

- A favour. What friends do.

Why did you have to pick this fight

to make yourself a hero?

You knew it was crooked.

Why ask me to watch?

You never saw a fix and

looked the other way to hold your job?

You weren't born in this office

you have now.

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