Fat City

Hey, kid.

Want to spar?

You a pro?

I used to be. I'm a little out of shape now.

Come on. I won't hit you hard. Maybe we can just fool around.

I'll teach you a few things.

You'd better put this on.

You look good.

Ready?

Bong.

You all right? Good.

Hold it.

- You all right? - Yeah, I pulled a muscle.

You okay?

I should have warmed up better.

I haven't fought in a year and a half.

What's your name?

- Ernie Munger. - How many bouts you had?

- None. - You've never been in the ring?

No. I just came to the Y to fool around a little.

- How old are you? - Eighteen.

- You've never been in the ring? - No.

Well...

I think you've got it, kid.

I ought to know what I'm talking about.

I fought Efram Soto.

There was a time when nobody could hit me.

They'd try, but I wouldn't be there.

- You ought to start fighting. - No, I just come to fool around.

Listen...

don't waste your good years.

You know, you ought to go over to the Lido Gym...

and see my manager, Ruben Luna.

Tell him I sent you... Billy Tully.

- I saw you fight once. - Yeah?

- Did I win? - No.

Don't you ever go home?

I just got here.

What's keeping him? He can see we're sitting here.

- Can't you get him to serve us? - Just take it easy. He'll be here.

You spineless son of a bitch. You'd take anybody against me.

I want a cream sherry.

Earl and me got something very wonderful together.

I love that man more than any man's got a right to be loved.

If he left me, I couldn't make it. I couldn't live without him.

Do you think he'd even raise his voice and get me a drink? No.

He'll just sit there and let them ignore us.

- Here he comes. - Yeah, no thanks to you.

Two sherries.

I pulled a muscle.

I make up my mind to go back into training...

I hardly get the gloves on...

I pull a muscle.

Earl, this guy's a fighter.

- Oh, yeah? - Aw, Christ.

Why did I even mention it? What do you know about it anyway?

- Not much. - That's what I mean.

Sorry to bother you. Why'd I open my mouth?

I apologize.

What do you want? I said I was sorry. What more can I say?

- I hear you, baby. - Jesus, you sure don't act like it.

I was sparring...

with this young kid.

He's a good prospect. He'd make a lot of money someday if he was handled right.

A natural athlete.

What's his name?

You wouldn't know who he was if he did tell you.

- Just asking. - He's got to know everything.

Aw. Now he's mad.

He's not gonna talk. He buts in, then he shuts up.

- I want to hear this. Go ahead. - That's it.

Nothing more to hear. That is all.

The kid is a natural...

and they come along about one in a million.

He's so goddamned sour.

I don't see why I can't have a little fun.

I believe that everybody has a right to live his own life.

So screw everybody.

I want to say something.

I want to make a toast here to this gentleman.

I'll make it short... just a few words.

Here's to your health.

God bless you and keep you in all your battles.

What is it?

Oh, for Christ sakes. What do you want?

- Can't I even talk to anybody? - I'm not stopping you.

No. No, you're not stopping me.

You just sit with your face shut until the minute I start having fun.

I'm sick of your bellyaching. Is it my fault you can't fit in?

Why can't you mind your own business?

And that goes for the rest of you.

Oh, to hell with you.

Want to fight, kid?

- What's your weight? - 175.

Yeah, you've got a very good reach. Looking for a manager?

Yeah, I'm looking for Ruben Luna.

Thanks.

I'm Luna. You want to see me?

I thought I'd work out a little bit. See what you think.

- Billy Tully told me to come by. - You know Billy?

You got your stuff in there? Get into your trunks.

- What's Billy doing these days? - He didn't say.

I only met him once, at the Y. Just sparred a little.

How did you do with him? All right? You must have done all right.

Is Tully getting in shape? Why was he at the Y instead of the Lido?

I think he's afraid to show his face around here.

He was in about a year ago. Said he wanted to start fighting again.

Trained for three days, borrowed $20, I haven't seen him since.

Look what Felix Castillo done to me. You know how much money I gave that guy?

I used to give him $2, $3 nearly every damn day.

It was movies, movies, every damn day.

Tully didn't know how to punch when he first came to me.

I put him on his way to the top. He was the best fighter I ever handled.

He was tough and had heart.

But you can't watch a guy 24 hours a day.

He married some broad, and she undid all the good I did for him.

And she destroyed his peace of mind. He started losing, so she ran off.

- Come on, kid. You all set? - Time!

I'm not rushing you. I don't want you to think that.

I just want to get a good look at you. Wes.

Sorry.

Time!

You're okay.

Easy. It's okay.

All, right, now...

You step in with that jab, right?

His head goes back. Hit him again.

Okay, again. Hit him with the right!

Okay. All right.

That's it.

Feint him. Make your openings.

You make your openings, then bing, bing, bing!

- Understand what I mean? - Yeah.

Okay. There you go.

A white kid came in today that might shape up into something.

That's good.

He's got a great reach and a good pair of legs.

And he's white, you know?

Real clean, good-looking kid.

I've got nothing against coloreds, there's just too many in the game.

Anglos don't want to pay to see two colored guys fight.

They want to see a white guy fight.

This kid could develop.

Oh, you ought to see the reach on him. And he's tall, you know?

If he put on some weight, he could turn into a good-looking white heavyweight.

Oh, he could draw crowds someday...

if he ever learned how to fight.

Well, maybe he can if he just listened to me...

and let me put everything I know into him.

Sweetheart, you awake?

Who wants to go to work? Onion toppers, 20 cents a box.

Tomatoes, 60 cents a box.

Tomatoes, over here.

Let's pick those cucumbers! Twenty cents a box!

Who wants to go to work?

Let's go pick those melons.

Who wants to go to work? Onion toppers, 20 cents a sack.

Melons. Come on, let's go pick those melons.

Cucumbers, 20 cents a box!

How much per sack?

If a man wants to work, he could make $15, $20 a day.

- How much per sack? - Twenty cents.

Go on up.

Onion toppers over here.

Young feller like you ought to have a proper job.

I had a job. I just got fired.

What was it? Maybe I can get it.

Fry cook.

Oh, I can't cook.

I can't either.

Worked my ass for eight bucks yesterday. Good God. Here I am in this bus again.

You made eight bucks? Heck, you make more than I did.

I worked like hell yesterday.

After they made the deductions, I only had five bucks left.

It's sure tough to make a buck these days.

Now, keep that head moving. All the time, move it, move it.

- I bought Ernie an amateur license. - Great. You'll be out five bucks.

No, he won't quit. Guess what happened.

The doctor wanted to test his blood, could hardly get the needle in.

- Dull needle, huh? - No, he tried two needles.

- Who, Ernie? - Yeah.

- Doctor could hardly get the needle in. - Dull needle?

The kid's got leather skin.

That's very odd, Ruben.

Never would have thought that, looking at him.

Rudy Chavez had thick skin, but he was tough.

You guys know that. They don't make 'em like him anymore.

You haven't heard the half of it. He gets the needle in and blood out...

and it's almost black.

I had Chavez in against Chu Chu Montoya.

In the first round, my boy gets butted over the eye. Blood starts coming down.

So I said, "Well, there goes the fight."

It wasn't his blood at all. It was Montoya's blood.

Remember Estrada? I saw him open a Coke bottle with his teeth.

- What are you saying... - Will you listen, please?

You haven't heard the half of it. He finally gets the blood out...

and it's black.

So he stares at it for a minute and turns the tube upside-down...

and the blood don't run down, it hangs up there.

It turned to gelatin.