What we see in the ring is only a fraction of boxing’s story.
Boxing has produced many great fighters and fights. But a good share of what boxing is about doesn’t happen in the ring. Outside of the ring, there are issues and problems galore.
Courtesy: The Independent
In 2015, the film, Southpaw (the modern day ‘Rocky’), put a spotlight on boxing’s underbelly.
Southpaw is the story of Billy”The Great” Hope, an undefeated heavyweight boxing champion, who has everything one could ever wish for in life. But one night at a press conference, a new boxer, Miguel, taunts Billy and tries to pick a fight. Later, Miguel threatens to steal Billy’s title and also take his wife.
So Billy fights Miguel, and that decision changes his life, including the loss of his wife, who dies.
From there, Billy’s life continues to slide. He starts drinking, loses his home, Children’s Protective Services takes his daughter, and he attempts suicide.
His life literally on the line, Billy turns it around. He sobers up, secures a gym job, gets his daughter back, and–in the biggest surprise of all–reclaims his boxing title.
Jake Gyllenhaal plays Billy in a film that also stars Rachel McAdams, Naomi Harris, 50 Cent, and Rita Ora. The soundtrack was executive produced by Eminem. Southpaw was the last film scored by James Horner, who died in a plane crash soon after the film was in the can.
Rated NC 17 (cursing, sexual content, and violence) the film offers an inside view of the boxing life.
