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.
ARGENTINEAN CONSULATE
Mr. Bonavena.
Come in, please.
Now that you have your passport,
I think you should go back to Buenos Aires.
It's for the best.
You have no idea what they're capable of.
Get to Reno, buy the ticket, and that's that.
Come on, Sally!
Promise me you won't go back to the Mustang Ranch.
"I WANT TO TELL EVERYONE
THAT I LOST BECAUSE I WANTED TO WIN."
Are you ready
for an unforgettable evening?
- Yeah! - Yeah!
Ready to hear the best
rhythm and blues band in the whole damn USA?
- Yeah! - Yeah!
I see a lotta losers came out tonight.
Hey, Jim!
You didn't tell me that Thursday was "Loser Night" at your place.
But there is one very special loser
to whom I wanna dedicate this next track.
Ladies and gentlemen!
Give it up for
Ringo Bonavena.
Muhammad Ali's next victim.
Ah!
Ringo, may the Lord have mercy on your soul
because the next song I'm gonna sing you will be a gospel at your funeral,
the day after the fight.
♪ I woke up to The morning sky first ♪
♪ Baby blue, just like we rehearsed ♪
♪ When I get up off this ground I shake leaves back down ♪
♪ To the brown, brown, brown Till I'm clean ♪
Faster with the jab. There!
One, two! One, two! There we go! Good!
Good! That's it!
♪ Then I walk Where I'd be shaded by the trees ♪
One, two! One, two! One, two!
You're too slow, Ringo!
Move your feet, Ringo!
Come on, Oscar! You gotta be quicker than that!
He's the toughest fighter you've ever fought.
You gotta be tougher than that! Come on! You gotta be quicker than that! Tougher!
You're stuck in the ground.
Move your feet. You gotta balance. You gotta move to the rhythm.
He's a tough fighter.
This is for your protection.
And this is so you don't have to eat that shit those weirdos give you.
Mom.
♪ It's a good day to be ♪
♪ It's a good day for me ♪
♪ A good day to see My favorite colors ♪
♪ My sisters and my brothers ♪
♪ They see 'em like no other ♪
♪ All my favorite colors ♪
Guard! Move your feet! That's it!
Put your back into that jab!
Come on! My sister does a better job than you!
Time!
Good job, Oscar. Good job.
To think that the first time I came to this city, I was a dishwasher,
and now I'm going to fight Ali.
- Plus they're paying you like $100,000. - Well, yeah.
Convert that to pesos.
The seasoned Tito Lectoure comes out fighting with a left jab
- looking for an opening with the right. - Move!
The young man slides to the brink of a knockout,
only a miracle could save him.
A miracle, or his famous friend.
Left!
Come on! Harder than that!
Harder than that! One more. That's it.
You need to be stronger.
That cheating gringo is gonna make him break his hand before the fight.
There's nothing we can do, Oscar asked for him.
And what the fuck did we come for?
One more! I know it hurts!
Work through the pain!
One, two! That's it!
One, two! Harder than that!
♪ All my favorite colors ♪
♪ All my favorite colors, yeah ♪
♪ My sisters and my brothers See 'em like no other ♪
♪ All my favorite colors ♪
Adrianita, my love, look at me.
Take a good look, 'cause you'll never see me like this.
Your dad will never be old.
♪ My sisters and my brothers ♪
♪ They see 'em like no other ♪
♪ All my favorite colors ♪
Time!
That's it!
- Give me a puff. - Ringo.
Never mind.
Have you thought of some hubbub to promote the fight?
Anything but fireworks, 'cause here they'll throw you in jail, eh?
No, Rolito. No circus this time.
All I'm thinking about is the plan I'm building with Clancy, that's it.
He already laid into me about that fire extinguisher shit.
You're right.
Although...
...there could be a some little surprise.
Excuse me, Rolo, I need Oscar for a minute.
Yeah.
What's up?
A problem with Bautista.
What are you doing, coach?
Making a roast. Can't you see what I'm doing?
Packing my bags. I'm leaving.
- Leaving for where? - I'm getting out of here.
Back to Buenos Aires. I can't take it anymore.
You can't do this to me right now.
You have the American, who, in your mind, knows it all.
He's from here, he knows the environment, he knows every one of Ali's tricks.
You know that's important.
Just as important as having you guys in my corner on fight day.
To pass you your water?
To clean your mouth guard?
Why didn't you tell us ahead of time?
Bautista, don't be like this, please.
We're all part of the team here.
We're all important.
Now you want to kiss our asses?
You think my brother and I are idiots?
That we don't realize that Clancy was your idea?
Who said anything to you?
This is not a fight at Huracán Stadium against some guy from the hood.
You know nothing about winning big, here or in Europe for the world title.
- I'm going to kick your ass, motherfucker. - Hey, Juan. Hey!
Hey! Stop! What's happening, have you all lost your minds?
Hey! Enough! Enough!
Don't do this to me right now, please.
I don't know if I have much of a chance of beating Ali,
but if we're fighting among ourselves, I definitely have none.
- I'm sorry, Juan. - Suck my dick.
You may place your bet.
Eighteen.
Too many.
Mr. Bonavena, you've got a call.
Yes?
Hey, Ringo!
Has it been a good night?
I'm sure it has.
We're all here.
And Joe is here too.
The weather is good.
Goodbye.
Hello?
Hi.
Did I wake you?
No, it's 10:00 a.m. here.
Where are you?
I couldn't sleep.
What are you all doing?
Just thinking about going to your mom's thing.
Little Ringo is unbearable.
Are you okay?
I wanted to tell you I'll be there on Monday.
How come, all of a sudden?
I'm taking care of a few things and then I'm coming.
I'll be there just in time for your birthday, you know?
I was thinking of bringing you some really pretty candles I saw,
but I don't think I can afford 60 of them.
You jerk!
We can order food at the café on the corner,
some really cold bottles of imported champagne
none of that national shit that your friends drink.
All right, Oscar.
Get back here and stop being a pain in the ass.
As soon as I get the contract back I'll get on the plane.
What do you mean "get it back"?
Dora,
take good care of the kids...
and take care of yourself.
Oscar.
BONAVENA vs MUHAMMAD ALI OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN
Why you not go in the army? You chicken?
- The boxers... - Just say that one more time.
Say that one more time.
Why you not go the army?
Why you not go in the army?
I'm gonna tell you Monday night in the first clinch we get in.
Chicken. You're a chicken.
Good deal. Keep talking.
Keep talking.
I'm gonna punish you. You will be punished.
Commissioner, will you get up for one minute?
Keep talking Monday night.
We're on television.
Keep talking.
Yes.
What kind of surprise is this?
What surprise do you have for him?
Many.
- Too much. -Many, many surprises.
Ooh.
He will have to fight.
Bonavena - Ali, Official Weigh-in.
- And I will. - The pre-fight...
You put the hand. You put the hand.
Don't touch.
No touching.
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN DECEMBER 7, 1970
You know something?
You were right.
About what?
You're the best Argentinean boxer.
The only thing I ask is that you enjoy every second.
You're about to make your dream come true, and a whole country's.
Tito,
thank you for everything.
Do you remember the first time you came to the Huracán gym?
Of all the boxers, all those great, athletic, hard-hitters,
the only one who made it here was you.
The flat-footed kid.
The most handsome of all.
You have nothing to lose.
He does.
Hold out.
Hold out, hmm?
Are you idiots? You put me in San Lorenzo colors.
Come on, Titi, eh?
Like Dad used to say,
"Money and fear are two things we never had."
Endure it, Oscar, all right?
Endure it.
We're from the hood called La Quema,
the hood of Ringo Bonavena.
It's Ringo.
Hey!
Come on! Open up!
Come on.
I just want to talk with Joe!
Come on. Open the fucking door!
Come on, I just want my contract back.
And I go back to Argentina.
Okay? I don't want any trouble. Please.
Open the door, come on, you old cuckold! Fucking hell!
Hey!
Come on!
Come on, open up!
Come on, I don't want problems, please.
Vinnie.
Joe, I know you're there!
Sally, please!
- Tracy, I know you're there! Come on! - Girls, go inside. Nothing to see here.
Go inside.
Hey!
- Hey. - Ringo.
Please, keep it down.
Vinnie, please, let me in.
I just wanna talk with Joe, eh? And you won't see me no more.
Keep your voice down. We still have customers inside.
I just want my contract back.
I'll go back to Argentina with my family, please.
Joe won't see you.
Why he doesn't want to see me?
You know very well why he won't see you.
Listen, do me a favor. Get your shit together and get the fuck out of here.
Okay?
I just wanna talk with him face to face.
He's a coward.
He's a coward. He sent Tracy call me.
- I gotta go in. - He's a fucking coward!
You leave, or there's gonna be big trouble.
Vinnie, please. You're my friend!
Please.
You promised me a fight with Ali!
You lied to me! I knew that you were lying, Joe!
Come on!
Open up, fuckers!
What is it, you scared of me? Huh?
And now,
for the thousands of fans who came out
and the millions around the world
who wish they could be here,
ladies and gentlemen,
you are gonna witness
a clash of the titans tonight.
Introducing, from South America,
he's wearing blue trunks, he weighs 204.
The heavyweight champion of South America,
Oscar "Ringo" Bonavena!
Let's go, Oscar!
His opponent, from Louisville, Kentucky...
he's wearing red trunks,
he weighs 212 pounds...
the return of the champion,
Muhammad Ali!
The crowd roars ecstatically.
Only Muhammad Ali can ignite this kind of passion.
It's his second fight in six weeks.
-And his first fight in New York City... - Let's go.
...not only called his rival Clay, something Ali hates, but also called him...
Bonavena enters the fight
as the WBA's number one ranked heavyweight contender.
He knocked Frazier down twice
in the second round of their first fight,
but he eventually lost by split decision.
I'm gonna fucking kill you, you fucking son of a bitch!
Many would agree with me that Bonavena is a tough opponent.
He's definitely one of the most remarkable heavyweights we have around today.
Gil Clancy is working with Oscar for tonight's fight.
If you ask me,
I think Bonavena will attack Ali right away.
First, he'll feign to the right. Then, he'll use the left.
It'll be the fight of his life.
Let's have a clean fight.
Protect yourselves at all times and follow my instructions.
You can touch gloves.
Go back to your corners.
AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH,
OSCAR "RINGO" BONAVENA WAS 33 YEARS OLD.
BONAVENA MURDERED
FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE START OF
THE 1976 MILITARY DICTATORSHIP,
A CROWD TOOK TO THE STREETS TO WALK THEIR IDOL HOME.
MORE THAN 100,000 PEOPLE SAID GOODBYE
TO RINGO'S REMAINS AT LUNA PARK.
AFTER RINGO'S DEATH,
SHE VISITED BUENOS AIRES AND MET WITH DORA
OFFERING HER EDUCATION FOR HER CHILDREN
AND AN APARTMENT IN THE US, IN EXCHANGE FOR NOT SUING THEM.
IN 1977, SHE FILED SUIT AGAINST JOE CONFORTE.
THE INVESTIGATION DID NOT RESULT
IN AN INDICTMENT FOR RINGO'S MURDER,
BUT IT DID EXPOSE TAX EVASION
THAT FORCED CONFORTE TO SELL THE MUSTANG
AND LEAVE THE COUNTRY.
IN 1981, HE ESCAPED TO BRAZIL,
WHERE HE OPENED RESTAURANTS AND NIGHTCLUBS.
ON VACATION WITH HER CHILDREN,
DORA UNKNOWINGLY ATE AT ONE OF THEM.
SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS IN NEVADA STATE PRISON
AFTER HE WAS FOUND GUILTY OF RINGO'S MURDER.
HE WALKED FREE A YEAR AND A HALF LATER
WITH A $50,000 BOND PAID BY JOE CONFORTE.
THE ALI-BONAVENA FIGHT
HELD THE RECORD FOR RATINGS IN ARGENTINA
WITH RATINGS OF 79.3.
THIS WAS ONLY SURPASSED YEARS LATER
BY THE ARGENTINEAN NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM.
ALI HAD SAID, "BEFORE ROUND NINE IS OUT
THE REFEREE WILL JUMP AND SHOUT
'THAT'S ALL FOLKS, THIS TURKEY IS OUT.'"
IN ROUND NINE, RINGO HIT HIM SEVERAL TIMES
WITH STRONG LEFT HOOKS, SHAKING UP HIS RIVAL.
IN THE FIFTEENTH ROUND, ALI WON BY TECHNICAL KNOCKOUT
WHEN RINGO, GIVING HIS ALL, FELL FOR THE THIRD TIME.
AS HE WALKED TO THE DRESSING ROOM
WITH SWOLLEN EYES AND SPLIT EYEBROWS,
RINGO EXCLAIMED, "I WAS HANDSOME, HUH?"
No! No!
RINGO CHAMPION OF THE PEOPLE