December ,
Elton John
"Philadelphia Freedom"
I used to be a rolling stone
You know if the cause was right
I'd leave to find the answer
on the road
I used to be a heart b*ating
for someone
But the times have changed
TOP DOG BOXING CLUB
ROCKY VS APOLLO: THE REAL THING!
MAURICE "MAD MO" BELL VS
"STUBBORN" JERRY STONE
'Cause I live and breathe
this Philadelphia freedom
From the day that I was born
I've waved the flag
C'mon! Punch'em!
Break, break, break, break!
I'm okay, I'm okay.
I'm not going down, Mo.
Attaboy, Jerry, attaboy!
C'mon, now!
You're my great white hope!
That's it! That's it!
Stop it! No more!
I love you, Jerry.
Look, you're k*lling him!
Don't you see?
Doctor!
We need a doctor!
I arrived for morning visits when
Sonny had taken the turn for the worst.
Sonny Carroll?
Yes. / He has information on prize
fighter who was k*lled?
That's right.
Sonny hasn't made a last confession.
He wanted to talk to you first.
Sonny? / Hmm?
The police are here.
This is detective Rush and
lieutenant Stillman.
Hi, Sonny.
'Course you'd have to
be a pretty young gal.
Serves me right.
Sonny, you officiated in
a boxing match back in ?
And that kid d*ed in the ring.
Who d*ed?
Jerry Stone.
What a gutless wonder.
Jerry was gutless?
No, me.
I should have stopped the fight.
Stopped it because Jerry was hurt?
Real bad.
Why didn't you?
My hand was in the pot.
Someone paid you off, Sonny?
Fifteen hundred dollars.
That was the deal.
To not stop a fight that should
have been stopped?
Sonny?
Do you really think he'll forgive?
So, someone wants to do Jerry harm.
And pays Sonny $ , to let the fight
go on longer than it should.
But, Sonny didn't say who.
And he's not going to.
Hey.
How's it going?
What's up?
On my way in.
Thought I'd stop by. I called, but-
Nah. I must have been
in the shower.
Hit your cell phone a couple of
three times, too.
Yeah, my cell...I think I left it at work.
Mind if I come in?
Yeah, okay. If you want.
Have a seat.
What's up with your furniture?
What do you mean?
Your setup is horrible.
Couldn't be more...
- awkward.
- I was about to skip some rope.
Gotcha.
So, how long have
you been doing this?
Since, uh... pee wees?
Wrestling.
No, I mean...
Pushing back the furniture.
Ah, So, I don't like the gym.
What? Too much room?
Nah, too many people.
Listen, Scotty, I, uh-
Just wanted to say
when my wife d*ed...
Well, I've been where you've been.
Yeah, I know.
So, if you ever want to talk...
Guess you'll let me know.
Jerry Stone.
Twenty four.
d*ed in the ring after going rounds
with Maurice "Mad Mo" Bell.
Autopsy showed massive swelling
on the brain as cause of death.
So no question the punches
he took k*lled him.
Top Dog Boxing Club.
December , .
Rocky versus Apollo, the real thing.
Hmm, what's that about?
The idea of the fight was to try
and recreate 'Rocky',
- the hot movie at the time.
- Sort of gimmicky, huh?
Ha, supposedly it
lived up to the hype.
'Till someone got k*lled.
Nick, the other fighter "Mo".
Was he questioned first time around?
The assigned put him through
his paces but...
boxer dies in the ring,
what are you gonna do?
But knowing the referee was on
the take, that changes everything.
So we figure out who paid Sonny.
Maybe Gina will know.
- Who's that?
- Sonny's daughter.
And Jerry's girlfriend.
Says here, she was ringside
when Jerry d*ed.
So Gina looks on as her own dad
allows her boyfriend to
get b*at to death.
Maybe it explains
why she wasn't ringside today.
She wasn't at the hospital?
Start with her.
Jerry was short on talent.
Big on heart.
He said that's
why they picked him for the fight.
Because they knew he'd never quit.
No matter how badly he was hurt.
No, he'd stay in and
take the punishment.
Like Rocky did.
Now, you add a referee who's
willling to let that happen.
Gina, any idea on who could
have paid your dad that money?
No.
Well, how about someone
who had a problem with Jerry?
Besides Sonny you mean? / Yeah.
Nah.
So, Sonny didn't care for Jerry?
At fifteen, he made it very clear
that I wasn't to see him.
He said he was a bum.
How so?
He droped out of school, didn't work.
But he could always hustle up
money to drink.
So, how did you two got together?
Just another Friday night
going nowhere, and...
Then I saw something
my father couldn't.
Orleans "Dance With Me"
Drinking those eggs were so gross.
What about his apartment?
Yeah! That too.
Isn't that Jerry Stone?
Shh.
Hi, Jerry.
Hey.
Oh my gosh, what happened
to your face?
My face?
- Gina here can't stop looking at it.
- Okay!
Hey, I'll see you in a minute.
So, did you like the movie?
Uh, the love story part.
You sorta look like Adrian.
I do?
Me, I've seen the flick three times.
Yeah, Fifteen bucks for a locker
and a corner man...
Five dollar charge for shower and towel.
Hmm, very true to life.
So, uh...
my looks are comin' on, huh?
I said you looked, different.
That's all. / Yeah?
'Cause I feel different.
Oh?
This movie's got me thinking,
If some bum wants to be president
in the United States,
he really can be.
President, huh? / Ha, ha.
Well, I guess I'd better work one
of the few fights first.
My record's not so hot.
I gotta go do my roadwork.
Jerry.
Ah...Are you looking for
your own Adrian?
Are you for real?
Uh-huh.
So, that was the beginning of me
and Jerry.
And the end of you and Sonny.
Yeah...I told him that Jerry
had changed.
I said there was no stopping him now.
But Sonny didn't believe it?
Gina, just so you know...
Your dad was genuinely sorry
about Jerry.
Yeah. Too bad he didn't feel that way
before he let Mad Mo k*ll him.
Detective Will Jefferys, Mo.
And my partner detective Vera.
Where you all park car, man?
Up on the corner, we're good.
Yo, Booger.
Some good looking out
for Philly's finest.
You snug as a bug now, baby.
Let's talk about Jerry Stone.
Come on.
At the weigh-in you said
you were gonna m*rder Jerry.
For real, and you did.
Hey, hey, hey. Just talking bads, man.
Selling up tickets.
What about the press conference
when you were talking about
some black and white stuffs?
Ah, just pointing out the differences.
Our people was into James Brown.
Jerry Stone and you all might have
rather been square dancing,
not any r*cist.
It is a little bit.
Still, it don't mean I m*rder*d him.
Mo, we looked into
your juvenile records.
Arrested nine times
before you were fifteen.
Two years in the lockup for
putting step-pops in coma?
Those records were
supposed to be sealed.
Don't worry.
We taped 'em back up.
I did't even know who Jerry Stone was.
I- I didn't want to take
that fight in the first place.
Why not?
Cat was what? - - ..
something terrible like that?
What's b*ating a chump like
that gonna do for me?
So why did you fight him?
Tommy Sugar.
The promoter of the fight.
Man could sell you a house
in the Atlantic Ocean.
Parliament
"Give Up The Funk"
That's him in the maroon trunks.
Don't nobody care about these cats.
What? No, no- what, wait a minute!
Look, how many fights
you've won in a row?
All of'em.
And out of was knockouts.
And what one of 'em
was against a top five contenders.
Hey, ain't no top five giving me
a fight. man.
You wanna know why?
Why? / Publicity!
You are a wrecking machine
but nobody knows you.
But if I get down with this fight?
They will.
And fighting this fool's gonna
raise my status?
C'mon.
Let me introduce you to one of
the great bleeders of all time.
Jerry Stone.
I've opended up faces many a time.
But if he bleeds like this tonight
imagine what you'll do to him.
It's like you said.
Nobody cares about this cat.
I know I don't.
But everybody,
is gonna care about you.
Yeah.
C'mon, Mo.
Huh?
Yeah!
Yeah! Yeah!
So you agreed to the fight and
took Jerry apart.
The ref should've stopped.
I could tell why
the boy's brain got wet
I'm k*lling him, and he's hollering.
He took the ring back!
This kinda nonsense.
The thing is, Mo.
Your career didn't rise.
It went downhill after that fight.
k*lling somebody has a way
of throwing a man off-track.
Not for Tommy Sugar.
He's been Phily's top boxing
promoter the last years.
Well that's some truth,
and here's some more:
The night Jerry Stone d*ed,
Tommy Sugar was born.
It was . The bicentennial.
And 'Rocky' was
as American as it gets.
And you saw a way to exploit that.
Saw opportunity.
For one and all.
That kind of timing don't come twice.
So the pressure was on.
- This fight had to live up.
- No doubt.
One thing for an underdog to go
rounds on the silver screen,
another to make that
happen in real life.
I tribute to the young man who fought.
And you did nothing to help it along?
Like what?
Jerry would bleed a lot.
Which was a good thing, right?
But if you were trying to
remake 'Rocky',
you need Jerry to go rounds.
So you don't want too
much of a good thing.
So maybe as insurance you paid
the referee to keep it going.
No matter what.
Well, Sonny took a deal like that?
Yep.
Ha, ha, ha- I wish I'd known
he was open for business.
You know, where you ought to
be looking is the C.Y.O.
Catholic Youth Organization.
Where I plucked Jerry from.
A half a dozen fighters
came to me
crying the blues
after being overlooked.
So one of these sore losers
from the C.Y.O.
pays Sonny , dollars to see
Jerry take the b*ating of his life?
Your best fighters,
always hold a grudge.
The C.Y.O. was
at it's height in the 's.
Instead of a kid sucking on cigarettes
all day long he had a place to go.
And Jerry Stone participated
in the boxing program?
Jerry would serve mass for me
on Sunday mornings
and then fight for me
on Sunday nights.
Which eventually lands him
this bout with Mo.
Right.
Heard not everyone was
overjoyed by that.
You gotta be remembered that
these kids had their noses
pressed right up against it.
And along comes Jerry,
He's got a chance
at a real professional fight.
Anyone so jealous they might wanna
see real harm come to Jerry?
Pay the ref off to see that happen?
Ah, deep down, these guys
knew they were not better than Jerry.
Just a bunch of ham and eggers.
- Except, uh- one of 'em, I guess.
- Who?
Bucky Lowsen
Best fighter we had.
Better than Jerry?
They wanted more of an underdog.
He had too good a record.
And how'd he deal with that?
Bucky didn't like coming
in second to Jerry
that seem to be happening quite a lot.
Marshall Tucker Band
"Can't You See"
Hey.
Can I borrow the key
to the gym, father?
I want to work the bags a little.
Mr. Carroll.
Must think Rome was built in a day.
Hey, go play some records.
I'll be right over.
You just won't give him a chance,
will you?
Why should I?
A bum is a bum is a bum.
Hey.
Hey, I've looking for you.
Buck. / Don't 'Buck' me boy!
You get the message I left you?
Look, Buck.
This is Mr. Sugar's fight.
- You should talk to him.
- I did.
My only way in that ring is
if you were out.
I'm sorry. I'm staying put.
- Hey, sucker, we ain't through here.
- Buck, Buck, back off.
You want to start
a donnybrook, start with me.
Fine.
Hey, Sonny.
You seen Jimmy the jeweler lately?
What are you talking about?
Jerry purchased a fancy
engagement ring.
Seems to think he's marrying Gina.
Bucky, give it a rest.
Maybe you fighting Mo
ain't such a bad thing.
After he puts you in a coma,
guess whose brawny shoulder's
gonna be there for Gina to cry on.
So, Buck and Gina had history.
Sweethearts. / In high school?
Elementary.
He'd been carrying a torch
for her since the fifth grade.
How do you know that?
Well, around here if you don't get the
story on some kid after the mass?
You believe your butt
you would at the bar.
So between losing both the fight
and the girl to Jerry.
Hmm, Buck was having a rough go.
Alright Scotty, I'll see you then.
Valens?
Yeah. / He alright?
We'er gonna grab some drinks.
Good. Doing better than yesterday.
You talked to him?
Yeah.
Buck Lowson's got a record.
Two days before the fight,
Buck robbed a convenient store.
This says he was arrested in ' .
Not ' .
It took that long to catch him.
How much did Buck get away with?
Two thousand and a thing
of peanut butter.
And two whole years
to spread it around.
Yeah. But maybe only took two days
before he b*rned all , of it.
Right. Fifteen hundred.
Sonny's asking price.
I don't know what you're talking about!
Buck, I might even believe you
if not for the timing, I mean.
You never stole anything else
in your life.
That's the god's honest truth.
- Nothing before that day or after.
- But that day is the problem, Buck.
Because it was two days
before the fight.
- How do you explain that?
- I can't.
Start with the money.
What d'you do with it?
Buck, we know you wished Jerry ill.
And that you and Gina go way back.
Let him call a lawyer.
I don' want a lawyer.
I can't afford one.
Fine. I'll make sure
you get a PD.
If you're lucky you might even
get a good one.
You think a public defender's
gonna care about me?
Alright, maybe not. But, Buck.
If you're not gonna talk about the money,
what are we supposed to do?
Besides, if you're so innocent,
what are you hedging for?
Because I don't wanna hurt her.
Bachman Turner Overdrive
"You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet"
Hey, Buck.
- What are you doing here?
- Well, what are you doing here?
I'm waiting for Jerry.
He's running, too.
Oh, so suddenly he's humping
early morning runs, huh? / Um-hmm.
Priceless.
Well, Buck. Here he is, so...
Relax. He ain't gonna
see us. Look.
Got his head in the clouds.
What a clown.
He could run these steps like Rocky
all day, it's gonna mean zip.
No. He's been working real hard.
Gina, the fix is in.
What?
Mo's taking a dive first round,
Jerry's gonna win.
It won't be a real fight?
That'll hurt Jerry real bad.
Hey, there's nothing you can do about.
Except take advantage.
What do you mean?
You know what the odds are for Jerry
winning in a first round knockout?
What? / Twenty to one.
That's why I ain't busting
Balboa's bubble just yet.
There're some real dough
to be made first.
Gina couldn't resist a sure thing.
She was a gambler?
I robbed that store
so I could get her betting money.
Did you tell her how you got it?
No. I wanted to impress her.
Not tell her I was scum.
Had it bad for her, huh, Buck?
My whole stupid life.
So Gina acts all broken up for Jerry
that the fight's gonna be a fake.
But dries her eyes pretty quick.
And places her own bet on it.
Hey, boss.
- Can I talk to you for a minute.
- Scotty, hey, sure.
What happened in that interview
was % the wrong way.
I mean, thumping on anybody.
Doesn't matter who.
You can't do it.
Okay.
I assure you, it will not happen again.
Well, that's good Scotty
'cause it can't.
Anything else?
Well, I was hoping the uh-,
suspension could be lifted...early.
I didn't suspend you Scotty.
I encouraged you to take time off.
I'd like you to encourage me
to come back.
How are you feeling?
Great.
Sorry, Scotty. I can't do it.
What do you mean? Why?
Well, I'll ask you again.
How are you feeling?
I said fine.
You're not ready yet.
Boss...
How do you feel, Scotty?
Not...not that good.
Hey.
Come next week.
We'll get you back on the job.
I thought Jerry was your big love
of your life, Gina.
He was.
So why let him go ahead with the fight
you knew was rigged.
'Cause you had money on that fight.
Yeah, I did.
You took the dough from Buck and
the twenty to one odds that came with it.
Thirty to one, by the time
I placed my bet.
Hmm, couldn't resist it, huh?
Have a bit of a problem.
So all that talk about Jerry's big heart,
and how there's no stopping him.
Just words?
No!
But why should all the other shlubs
make money off of Jerry and not us?
So you did it for the both of you?
Yeah. / Why are we gonna believe you?
Because I did tell Jerry and it cost me.
- Nervous about tomorrow?
- No.
No?
Well, not like tonight.
What's so big about tonight?
Elton John
"Someone Saved My Life Tonight"
Well, what do you say?
Jerry...
Mo's gonna fall down
on the first round.
You're gonna win.
What?
Are you joking me or not?
We're gonna make some money.
Are you saying you put a bet down?
Baby...
Just go along with it.
There's nothing that you can do.
It's all set, huh?
Jerry, this is our chance.
We can get out of this stinking
neighborhood.
What, by being a bum?
That's exactly what I'm trying not to be.
I thought you believed
in what I was doing. / Jerry,
we're stuck. And when we are
fifty we will still be stuck.
We're not gonna get a break
like this again.
We'll make our own breaks.
You really believe that?
That's why I want this fight.
To prove it.
I guess I should take that back.
We see it all so different now.
Hmm, short engagement.
To make matters worse, I had to
go talk Frank Shavers what I'd done.
Who's Shavers?
From the old neighbohood
I worked in his bingo parlor.
If anyone had a bet on this fix,
it was him.
So you told him
that Jerry knew about it.
And to take his bet back
before it was too late.
What did he say?
There is no taking bets back.
So, Frank. You've been
big money on this fix,
then Gina opens up her mouth to Jerry.
I wasn't pleased.
So did you retaliate?
How would I have done that?
How about paying the referee
, bucks to not stop the fight.
No matter how bad off Jerry was.
Getting me what?
Jerry ends up maimed or dead,
The boxing world gets the message:
Don't mess with Frank Shavers.
Ha, ha, ha. I'm not a thug,
I'm a businessman.
And it was a bad day at the office.
So you never tampered with Sonny?
I never suspected anyone had.
Until now.
We're listening.
Jerry lasted fifteen rounds.
That's incredible, really.
But what's more incredible is,
Only one person bet on
Jerry to do just said.
There you go Frank.
It finally hit ya, huh?
What's that?
Three years from now, Mo Bell may
be heavyweight champion of the world.
That's what you're tangling with.
There's no shame in knowing
when to walk away.
No?
It's the same in respect to Gina.
Return the ring Jerry.
Let my daughter be.
Drink in the night before the fight.
Put it down.
Every reflex has to be right,
your mind clear.
Father, it don't matter anymore.
- What are you, freezing up?
- No!
Well then, fight!
Then you'll have tomorrow night
for the rest of your life!
- You really think I can do it, father?
- Son.
I got money on ya.
You too, father?
You bet on the fight?
Now I need you in that ring.
Father... / Son.
I've raised you from a pup.
If you won't do it for yourself,
do it for me.
So, father needs Jerry to
go the distance.
That night, seized Jerry's wobbly.
I didn't stick around but,
Father was huddled up
with Sonny when I left.
Maybe father bought
some insurance from him.
Made sure his 'pup'
got to the finish line.
Putting money on Jerry not to win,
but to make it fifteen rounds?
That's a pretty specific bet, father.
That's because Jerry set
that goal for himself.
I thought he could make it.
And your winnings must've been sweet.
I've threw in the towel for Pete's sake.
Yeah. With twenty seconds remaining.
Because of what I saw in his eyes.
Jerry always looked bad.
But this time I could see
he was cooked.
Or maybe throwing that towel
was just an act. Huh, father?
Look.
I can't force you two to believe me.
Did you know the fight was fixed?
Fixed?
Mo made a deal to let Jerry
to win in the first round.
And Jerry knew about it.
No kidding?
But didn't wanna go along with it.
I wouldn't think he would.
And if so, that explains why...
Why what?
That's why round one.
He's been standing around for two minutes!
- What the hell's going in out there?
- C'mon! C'mon!
C'mon, hit me!
Oh, wonderful. The boo birds.
C'mon, throw him a punch.
C'mon!
Show me something, chump!
- You know what, Mo...
- Don't talk! C'mon.
C'mon!
Stop it, now!
Well, you're gonna fight me now, Mo!
- What are you doing?
- Give me water.
What is your mind mush?
Want water? I'll give you
your damn water, huh? Huh?
You've got the rest of your life
to make eyes at that girl.
- That's not happening.
- What are you talking about?
I took the ring back.
Alright, fine. Come here.
Get up.
You, wake up!
Okay, You get it on with this guy!
- Get in there.
- Now you want a fight, huh, father.
Well, take a look!
'Cause we got one.
So in the entire first round
Jerry never threw a punch.
Making it impossible
for Mo to fake a Knock-out.
I told Jerry I put
some money on him but,
He must have thought
I'd taken this other bet.
The fix.
That poor kid.
In the end he must have thought
even I didn't believe in him.
Hey.
Hey. My man.
Where've you been?
Ah, per usual long day.
Well, you're here now.
We're celebrating.
We got a cause or
are we better without?
I'm back on the job next week.
No kidding? Yeah?
Way to go. / It's good right?
Tops.
Tops, brother. Tops.
What?
Just that simple?
Be simpler if I could get a roll in here.
Yo, Christina.
I'll go again, and get Nicky, too.
How you doin'?
Good.
Didn't know you worked here.
Yeah, it's fun for now.
Although I find some of the guys
who come in here are sort of...half ass.
No kidding.
Half ass, huh?
Uh, but that was before
you two came in.
Perfect.
I got it.
Thank you, kind sir.
You know, taking it back a sec...
You're telling me how happy I'm back.
Not asking how I'm doing.
Thanks for that.
When the hard stuff happens,
I say walk it off anyway you can.
Whatever.
You're the goods, Nicky.
But what you can't do?
Is Rush's sister.
You know what I mean?
Oh, what do you think?
What are you talking about?
Hey, Scotty.
Serious.
Anyone but that, right?
Mo said Jerry kept yelling
he took the ring back.
Thinking he was talking
about the boxing ring.
But now we think Jerry meant the
engagement ring he bought for Gina.
From Jimmy the jeweler.
Jimmy still in business? / Well,
in the day of the fight
Jerry took the ring in
and asked for the money back.
Well, how much was it worth?
Eighteen hundred.
But Jimmy wouldn't give him that.
He said that the ring had depreciated
over three days he'd had it.
So what did Jerry get for?
Fifteen hundred.
Even.
We know who paid off Sonny, Mo.
Oh yeah?
Yeah.
Jerry.
Now, how does that make sense?
Jerry knew you would open up
his face bad.
And the way he bleeds,
he figures the ref'll T.K.O. him.
It did pour out, sure enough.
He wanted to prove
he'd do the whole fifteen with you.
Yeah, it sounds like old Jerry.
Mo, could some of the things
he'd be saying
during the fight have been
meant for Sonny,
and not you?
Yeah, didn't make sense
coming my way.
I'll tell you what else.
I've never seen a guy change
so much over the course of a fight.
You mean Jerry?
No, I meant Sonny.
Before the fight he had
no ounce of respect for that Jerry.
But by he end?
Brother had tears in his eyes.
Jerry, I gotta call it.
No.
You can't.
The deal was a deal.
Attaboy, Jerry! Attaboy!
C'mon, now!
You're my great white hope!
Attaboy!
I gotta call it Jerry!
I didn't like you wanted.
Please don't take from me this...
Please.
That's it!
That's it!
Stop it! No more!
No, I took the ring back!
- No more, Jerry.
- I took the ring back!
You gotta stop! Please!
A deal's a deal.
I took the ring back!
Let's go.
Hang on, kid.
Hang on, kid.
Hang on, Jerry.
- I'm not a bum.
- I know Jerry.
I'm not a bum!
Hell no, kid.
Doctor!
Call the doctor!
Shadows grow so long
before my eyes
And they're moving across the page
Suddenly the day turns into night
Far away from the city
Don't hesitate
'Cause your love won't wait
Ooh baby I love your way
(everyday)
Wanna tell you
I love your way (everyday)
Wanna be with you night and day
Peter Frampton
"Baby I Love Your Way"
Moon appears to shine
and light the sky
With the help of some firefly
Wonder how they have the power
to shine, shine, shine
I can see them under the pine
Don't hesitate
Cause your love won't wait
Ooh baby I love your way
(everyday)
Wanna tell you
I love your way (everyday)
Wanna be with you night and day
Well don't hesitate
Cause your love won't wait