This story is inspired by real events.
The people and events shown are made up for artistic purposes.
Any similarity to reality is purely coincidental.
[camera flashes]
[audience shouting]
(70,000 USD PURSE)
[breathing heavily]
[announcer, in Spanish] After a great performance in Germany,
Bonavena is soundly defeated by American Jimmy Ellis,
who gave him a solid beating, knocking him down three times,
once on the last attack.
Thus, Bonavena has missed his chance
to fight for the world heavyweight championship.
"GOD MADE ME A BOXER.
WELL, GOD OR I COULD SAY MY MOTHER.
I DON'T KNOW GOD. I DO KNOW MY OLD LADY,
AND SHE'S THE GREATEST THERE IS."
[Sally, in English] Welcome to my place in the world.
This is my room.
Ringo, you can take Joe's.
Yours is a little further down.
Okay.
[in Spanish] Take it.
[whispering] Fucking hell.
[groans]
[in English] If you hear coyotes at night,
don't worry.
They come up to the door, but they never get in.
Except for that one time.
Just keep the door locked.
[alarm beeping]
[piano playing]
[sighs]
WE WENT WITH THE OLD LADY TO GET SUPPLIES
COFFEE IS READY ENRIQUE
[phone ringing]
V. MONEY, MONEY, MONEY
[ringing continues, stops]
[in Spanish] Hello.
[Ringo] Hi.
Look who it is.
How are you?
Good, I guess.
- You? -Good, here in the mountains.
If you saw the Confortes' house, you'd keel over.
How's boxing?
-It's going. - Going where?
Looking for opponents.
It used to happen to me in Argentina too. I didn't have opponents.
Seems like you should have had a twin, huh? [chuckles]
Can you imagine?
One boxing in Buenos Aires, the other at the Square.
You'd be a millionaire.
Listen up, millionaire.
When do you plan to come back?
Soon.
I'll fight for the title or a big purse.
Nothing in the middle.
Mom is asking questions, you know?
The kids are asking questions too. Everyone is worried.
Once I get it, I'll be back. I won't do anything else.
Is that Titi?
It's Mom.
-Tell her I'm fine. Don't worry. - Give it to me.
- I'm talking. - Give it to me.
- [Vicente sighs] - Hi.
Hi, Mom.
[Dominga] You don't want to talk to me?
No, no.
No, it's not that.
- How are you behaving? -Good, good. I'm behaving good.
Are you cooking?
All the time.
All your brothers come around. The kids too.
Make sure little Ringo doesn't eat too much junk, eh?
At grandma's house, he can eat whatever he wants.
- When are you coming back? -Soon.
Soon like when?
Mom, I'm about to get a fight with Ali.
Get out of there, Titi.
What?
Get out of there. It's over.
Why keep beating up
and beating up on other kids that have mothers too?
Mom, let me be world champ.
Otherwise, I can't die in peace.
The ambitious one in our family.
I don't like to get stagnant.
You know that stagnant water goes bad.
You're a poet.
-All right. - All right, Mom.
Take care, Titi. Don't mess around.
Take care.
Get the ravioli ready for when I arrive, okay?
[sniffles]
[inhales shakily]
Little Ringo's toys are so ugly.
I don't know how this rabbit doesn't give him nightmares. [chuckles]
Palermo, man. Remember.
It's all mechanics over there, Oscar.
They're all scammers.
Go there at night and you'll leave naked.
Well, the reason they steal there is that it's easy to get lost.
There's Santa Fe Avenue, Juan B. Justo Avenue,
the train, the bus, the subway.
- We'll invest there, end of discussion. - Listen, Recoleta is the place to be.
Okay... [grunts] ...but it's my money and I do what I want. Mmm?
- [phone rings] - Money, money, money, money.
Oscar, phone for you. Some guy speaking English.
[person on TV, indistinct]
[sighs]
[in English] Yes?
Yes.
Yeah... Yeah, of course.
You can talk to me.
I'm boxer, manager, singer, everything. [laughs]
Who?
Oh... Okay.
When?
Yes, yes, yes.
Yes, of course.
Thank you very much, eh? [chuckles]
[sighs]
[Pedro, in Spanish] Who was that, Titi?
Oscar?
[Ringo sighs]
[exhales deeply]
[sighs]
Not gonna tell me who it was?
No.
[gunshots]
[announcer, in English] Days of pain and fury in Philadelphia.
The police chief, known for his brutal attitude towards African Americans,
declared a state of emergency
in an attempt to suppress any arrests over the assassination of Martin Luther King.
The Mafia's taking advantage of the situation to impulse its illegal activity.
Some sources say their influence has made its way to boxing,
with fight fixing and gambling.
[in Spanish] You're crazy.
You know what you're getting involved with?
Yeah, with Frazier.
I knocked him down twice. Third time's a charm, eh? [chuckles]
[Tito] Yeah, at the Square.
But now you're going to Philadelphia, which is on fire and is also his city.
And?
Do you know how bad the Mafia that manages boxing in Philadelphia is?
You think they're going to let you win? That any judges will be on your side?
Well, I'll win by knockout.
Oscar, bring home the wad of dollars they're going to pay you,
but don't get any illusions about the title.
You're the underdog, not the favorite.
[sighs]
Are you coming with me, yes or no?
I'd love to, but I wasn't involved in organizing the event,
and I don't think it's right to go where I'm not invited.
Well, I'm inviting you now.
It's too late, Oscar.
[exhales deeply]
You're going to Japan.
You're going to Japan with that kid that only dodges and doesn't throw punches.
When is that little fight of his?
You're calling the world title "that little fight"?
- Yeah, when is it? - December 12th.
[huffs]
You're mad that you don't get a piece of my purse.
Why don't you admit that it bothers you when I manage my career myself?
So, why do you want me to go if you know everything?
I don't know.
Maybe because we're making history.
Because the whole world will be watching us.
Because when the camera zooms in on Oscar Natalio "Ringo" Bonavena's corner,
I want Tito Lectoure by my side,
next to the biggest boxer from Argentina of the 20th century.
That's why I want you to come.
- The biggest. - Mmm.
Since you're talking so much about money, know what would be good business for you?
Buy yourself for what you're worth and sell for what you say you're worth.
- Then we'd all be rich. - Tito, don't leave me now.
Not now when I'm so close, please.
[sighs] Oscar, it's simple.
You organized the fight alone. Since you know so much, you can go alone.
You're a traitor.
Pedro, you're going to travel three weeks ahead.
Stop with the smoke and mirrors, you two.
You're going to get a luxury hotel,
with a spa for Dora, to keep her entertained,
and an event hall, since it's going to be Adrianita's birthday.
Then you'll get me two sparring partners who are good, but not too expensive.
You really enjoy spending money that's not yours.
When's the fight, Oscar?
Very good, Vicente.
That's what I want, for you to pay attention.
You're going to take care of that.
You're going to call this number. Say you're Tito Lectoure.
You'll schedule the fight for December tenth.
- [Dominga] Mmm. - [chuckles]
[speaking English]
- [in Spanish] Remember. - [Dominga] What are you saying, Oscar?
I don't get it. Vicente calling, Pedro traveling, neither knows English.
- I lived in New York. - Yes, on top of it, as always.
- [Pedro] Shut up. - Typical friend of the champ. Idiot!
- Shh. - [Dominga] Can you stop?
Pochita, update your passport, because you're coming too.
Listen up.
If this works out like I have it planned,
first I'll be world champion,
then I'll get the fight with Ali,
and then
we'll all be rich. [chuckles]
Money, money, money, money, money.
- Money, money, money, money, money, - [all] Money, money, money.
Money, money.
[Ringo] Come on, Mom!
[all] Money, money, money.
Money, money, money, money.
Money, money, money, money, money.
[in English] My mom makes the best pasta in the world.
I'd watch her when I was a kid.
And now,
I am a chef.
[chuckles]
- Your mom? - Yes.
My mom, Dominga.
Doña Dominga.
Let's make a toast.
A toast?
To Doña Dominga?
[In Spanish] To my mom. [chuckles]
[in English] Is that right? Doña Dominga.
Yeah. [laughs]
[Sally laughs]
[birds chirping]
[Ringo, in Spanish] Kike. Come, the food's almost ready.
[muffled music playing on record player]
[Enrique snoring]
[chuckles] Fucking drunk.
[Enrique sighs]
[gospel song playing on record player]
[sighs]
[music continues]
- [sighs] - [shuffles]
[Adrianita chattering]
I knew that, but it's like I forgot.
- That's why. - [Dora murmurs, laughs]
[chattering continues]
[all] ♪ Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you ♪
♪ Happy birthday to Adrianita Happy birthday to you ♪
[cheering]
Blow hard! Good job!
- Raise your hand if you want cake. - Me.
- [Dora] Two here.
[Pedro] Two here, three.
Can you tell me what your problem is?
What's your fucking problem?
[Vicente] What's this?
[Ringo] I found it in the hall.
- Who made it, Adrianita? - I don't think so.
[sighs]
Yesterday I went for a run, and two guys followed me for two blocks.
They followed you?
[engine revs]
They would come up next to me, roll down the window, glare at me.
Are you sure? Could it have just been your impression?
I don't know.
What if I can't fight?
What do you mean you can't fight? What are you talking about, Oscar?
Maybe Tito was right and these guys really are dangerous.
Don't get ahead of yourself. You don't know, eh? Relax.
Listen, don't let Dora and the kids leave the hotel, hmm?
- You don't want them to go with you? - Don't let them leave the room.
[guests chattering]
[Sally, in English] You're a very good cook, Oscar. You should have a restaurant.
[Ringo] I know.
- [Sally chuckles] - [birds chirping]
It's been such a long time since I last smoked grass.
I used to smoke pretty often.
It calmed me down and...
helped ease the pain.
Why don't you smoke anymore?
Because I never smoked alone.
And I stopped seeing the guy I used to smoke with.
Joe doesn't smoke?
As far as I know, he does.
But Joe and I, we don't do much together.
We're just business partners.
Come.
I wanna show you something.
This tree has a lot of history.
It looks very old.
Right over there...
Joe buried his first million dollars.
[chirping continues]
[insects buzzing]
[panting]
Come, help me!
Come on, Ringo! [laughs]
[Ringo laughing]
I'm freezing.
Tomorrow...
we can come back and start digging.
Money won't go anywhere.
[announcer] The rioting cost the lives of 23 persons, according to the commission.
Hundreds of others were injured.
Our nation is moving towards two societies:
one black and one white.
Separate and unequal.
The reactions to last summer's disorders
have quickened the movement, rekindled all divisions,
and further fostered discrimination and segregation...
[door opens, creaks]
[hammer cocks]
[gunshot]
[panting]
[announcer speaking English on TV]
[Vicente, in Spanish] They don't have alfajores.
And? How much longer?
I don't know, about an hour still.
[sighs] Turn it off. It's making my head hurt.
- How are you? Ah. - She's thinking. Is it a surprise or not?
Should we go for a walk?
I'm sick of being cooped up in these four walls.
A walk for what?
We're fine here. Look, we have everything we need.
I don't understand why we didn't go to the fight.
I want to go out.
This city isn't safe, Dora.
What do you know? What are you, a detective?
- What's wrong, Vicente? - Nothing.
Oscar just asked me to do this as a precaution.
Precaution for what?
[Adrianita chattering]
What's this?
Oscar found it in the hall.
But Adrianita could have made this.
Did she make it?
You tell me. Did she make it?
She might not have made it.
Are you serious?
[Adrianita] It's magic too.
[siren wailing in distance]
[Pochita] Look at all the hair you drew. I love it.
[Adrianita] So much hair.
[Pochita] Oh, so pretty.
And what color do you want to use?
Inside the shirt.
[Adrianita] Could be this one.
He says he was threatened.
And that he had a nightmare where he saw something bad happen.
I don't know what to tell you, Dora, honestly.
But he's a nightmare.
Are you going to listen to everything he says?
And inside I'm going to draw a bed.
[Pochita] I love the bed.
- With yellow. - [Pochita] What color?
[muttering]
Shut the fuck up!
It's impossible to concentrate like this.
Oscar, what's wrong?
Are you okay?
[huffing]
I'm talking to you!
What the fuck is wrong with you?
Are we clear on the plan for the fight?
Yes, yes, we're clear.
[Bautista] You sure?
There's still a lot of time, eh?
If you're not sure, I'll call it off.
[Ringo] No, call it off?
I'm going to kill him.
Don't worry.
[huffing]
Get out of there. Get out of there, Oscar!
Move!
Hard. Hard, damn it!
[audience shouting, whistling]
(75,000 USD PURSE)
- Get away! - [shouting continues]
Get up. Get up!
[announcer speaking English]
Frazier still pressing the fight here, but Oscar comes back with a throw.
[announcer continues in English]
[indistinct] ...the two fighters, both waiting for the bell.
[Vicente, in Spanish] Come on, Titi. Come on, Titi.
[Bautista] Guard up.
There you go, give it to him.
Move. Let's go, damn it!
[audience shouting]
[Bautista] Move, Oscar, move. Get out of there!
Fuck!
Let's go, Oscar!
Move. Move, Oscar, move.
No!
Look at me, Oscar. Look at me.
Breathe, breathe. Don't let him come in close.
Keep moving left. That's it.
We didn't come to lose.
Move, damn it!
Ten more rounds and you're the world champ. Get him!
[bell dings]
[announcer speaking English]
...both men are extremely tired
as they wait for the decision.
The winner...
The winner, by unanimous decision,
Joe Frazier!
[breathing heavily]
[announcer, in Spanish] After becoming world champion in Japan,
the Untouchable returns to Argentina hailed by a euphoric crowd.
The master from Mendoza gave another unmatched example of how boxing should be.
The art of hitting and not getting hit.
Next to him, as always, his friend and promoter,
the renowned Tito Lectoure.
The Untouchable! World Champion!
[gospel song playing on record player]
[sighs]
[music continues]
[sniffs]
Oscar?
[music continues]
[floor creaks]
[music continues]