Inspired by a true story from the Los Angeles Times, written by J.R. Moehringer and adapted by Michael Bortman and Allison Burnett for the silver screen, comes a redemption tale focused on the worlds of boxing and journalism.
Rookie sportswriter Erik Kernan (Josh Hartnett) is ambitious and wants fame quickly. He is living in the shadows of his late famous father's limelight. His father was a legendary radio sports announcer. Erik's position at the Denver Times is a handout job from his father's old friend Metz (Alan Alda) who is his demanding editor. Erik is a man looking for approval and acceptance from his estranged wife Joyce (Kathryn Morris), who is a creditable staff writer for the same tabloid.
Josh Hartnett's style of acting works well for this movie because it shows a necessary naivete and immaturity for his character. Due to the genuine lack of chemistry between Josh Hartnett and Kathryn Morris on screen as separated husband and wife, I can only assume that casting had that in mind when they put these two actors together. She seemed more like his older sister than his wife. But the strained relationship worked well on the screen.
One day Erik comes across a gang of delinquents beating up an old homeless man named Champ (Samuel L. Jackson). The old guy calls himself Battling Bob Satterfield, who everyone thought died many years ago. His reputation was that he was Rocky Marciano's sparring partner and was ranked #3 in the heavyweight division. Erik befriends Champ and thinks this man's life story is his claim to fame in the literary world. Erik peddles his idea around the tabloid and the newspaper's magazine section picks it up for a major story. Meanwhile, the relationship between Erik and the Champ becomes co-dependent. But Erik's major problem is with due diligence of his material.
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