tzarinna
Mamochka
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2006
- Messages
- 24,829
- Reaction score
- 327
- Points
- 73
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16227453/
Best Beat-Downs
Boxing's most brutal fights
By Jason Katzman
•The Narrator vs. himself in “Fight Club” (1999)[/color]
With the office substituting for the boxing ring, the Narrator (Edward Norton) finally gets fed up at work. Not wanting to work and needing money to fund the fight clubs, the Narrator beats himself silly in order to blackmail his boss. With the Narrator bloody, kneeling at employer’s feet, and begging for mercy, security arrives and assumes the boss is the culprit.[/color]
•Mickey O’Neil vs. Horace “Goodnight” Anderson in “Snatch” (2000)
Bare-knuckle fighting champ Mickey (Brad Pitt) just won’t take a dive. Despite this fact, Tommy (Stephen Graham) and Turkish (Jason Statham) arrange yet another fight for him where he’s supposed to go down. Although Mickey actually makes it look competitive and avoids dropping his opponent quickly, he has plans of his own. He takes a beating in this brutal bout, but the fight ends like the others — with one of Mickey’s patented upper cuts. Goodnight says good night without ever realizing that he had no chance.
•Clubber Lang vs. Rocky Balboa in “Rocky III” (1982)
While Rocky fans focus on his ultimate victory over Clubber (Mr. T), they may forget how a soft Rocky gets steamrolled in their first meeting, suffering a knockout in the second round. Unlike the previous two films, Rocky begins this one as a champion living the high life while Clubber is the hungry challenger.
Not only does Lang annihilate Rocky, Rocky’s crusty old manager, Mickey (Burgess Meredith), suffers a heart attack and dies in Rocky’s arms following the fight.
•Stoker Thompson vs. Tiger Wilson in “The Set-Up” (1949)
Over-the-hill fighter Stoker Thompson (Robert Ryan) is supposed to take a dive — only, assuming he’ll lose like always, his corner men haven’t told him. But Stocker still clings to the dream of landing that one punch. He and the much younger Tiger (Hal Baylor) go toe-to-toe until Stoker lands one too many overhand rights and finally floors Tiger for good. Unfortunately for Stoker, he gets a beat-down from Little Boy (Alan Baxter) and his gang in the alley after the fight is over since it was their fix that was foiled.
•Jake LaMotta vs. Sugar Ray Robinson in “Raging Bull” (1980)
LaMotta (Robert De Niro) gets absolutely destroyed by Robinson (Johnny Barnes) in this, their sixth and final fight, losing by TKO in the 13th round. LaMotta’s inability to see life clearly is illustrated in the ring as Robinson pounds away, sending LaMotta’s blood everywhere. When the fight is finally stopped, LaMotta wobbles over to Robinson and declares, through his pathetic, swollen visage: “You never got me down, Ray,” merely proving that LaMotta’s head is even harder than his chin.
•Michael “Midge” Kelly vs. Johnny Dunne in “Champion” (1949)
All three fights between Dunne (John Daheim) and Kelly (Kirk Douglas) are brutal.
Despite being the film’s hero, Kelly gets beat up badly in two of them. In the first, the inexperienced Kelly gets pummeled, but survives. In the last fight, as champion, Kelly is getting beaten and is cut badly, only to rediscover the anger that drove him to be champion in the first place. Unfortunately, the win comes at a high price as Kelly suffers a brain hemorrhage after the fight and dies.
•Butch Coolidge vs. Floyd Wilson in “Pulp Fiction” (1994)
Even the most ardent “Pulp Fiction” fans are probably asking themselves why they don’t remember this scene. That’s because it’s not something that’s witnessed on screen. The aftermath of this fight, in which Butch (Bruce Willis) is supposed to take a dive in the fifth round, is only heard via radio. Butch kills poor Floyd in a fight described by one announcer as the “bloodiest and hands down the most brutal fight the city has ever seen.”
•Tommy McCoy vs. Johnny Martin in “Killer McCoy” (1947)
This is the fight that gives Tommy McCoy (Mickey Rooney) his nickname. While not particularly competitive, it’s an emotional moment that drives the rest of the film. Tommy is the up-and-comer. Johnny (Mickey Knox) is Tommy’s mentor, friend and former champ trying to make a comeback. Tommy carries Johnny for as long as he can, but Johnny isn’t in shape and a freak punch kills him. While it leads to fame and more fights for Tommy, it also makes the self-reflective lightweight fighter realize that boxing isn’t a life he needs.
•Maggie Fitzgerald vs. Billie ‘The Blue Bear’ in “Million Dollar Baby” (2004)
Quite possibly the worst refereed fight ever put on film (and that includes the fights that didn’t even have a referee). The fight features numerous elbows, illegal punches and shots after the bell, including the one that knocks Maggie out and onto her wood stool, paralyzing her from the neck down. It’s a beat-down that’s both psychologically painful and physically painful as Maggie’s manager, Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood), eventually helps her end her life in the hospital.
•Ivan Drago vs. Apollo Creed in “Rocky IV” (1985)
Soviet freak Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) appears to be more machine than man, punching with power never before witnessed in the ring. It’s an exaggerated metaphor for the differences between the U.S.S.R. and the U.S.A. during the Cold War. Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) comes out of retirement, trains for the fight with the help of his close friend Rocky, and is killed in the ring by the brutal Drago providing Rocky with the motivation to fight and avenge Apollo’s death.
Best Beat-Downs
Boxing's most brutal fights
By Jason Katzman
•The Narrator vs. himself in “Fight Club” (1999)[/color]
With the office substituting for the boxing ring, the Narrator (Edward Norton) finally gets fed up at work. Not wanting to work and needing money to fund the fight clubs, the Narrator beats himself silly in order to blackmail his boss. With the Narrator bloody, kneeling at employer’s feet, and begging for mercy, security arrives and assumes the boss is the culprit.[/color]
•Mickey O’Neil vs. Horace “Goodnight” Anderson in “Snatch” (2000)
Bare-knuckle fighting champ Mickey (Brad Pitt) just won’t take a dive. Despite this fact, Tommy (Stephen Graham) and Turkish (Jason Statham) arrange yet another fight for him where he’s supposed to go down. Although Mickey actually makes it look competitive and avoids dropping his opponent quickly, he has plans of his own. He takes a beating in this brutal bout, but the fight ends like the others — with one of Mickey’s patented upper cuts. Goodnight says good night without ever realizing that he had no chance.
•Clubber Lang vs. Rocky Balboa in “Rocky III” (1982)
While Rocky fans focus on his ultimate victory over Clubber (Mr. T), they may forget how a soft Rocky gets steamrolled in their first meeting, suffering a knockout in the second round. Unlike the previous two films, Rocky begins this one as a champion living the high life while Clubber is the hungry challenger.
Not only does Lang annihilate Rocky, Rocky’s crusty old manager, Mickey (Burgess Meredith), suffers a heart attack and dies in Rocky’s arms following the fight.
•Stoker Thompson vs. Tiger Wilson in “The Set-Up” (1949)
Over-the-hill fighter Stoker Thompson (Robert Ryan) is supposed to take a dive — only, assuming he’ll lose like always, his corner men haven’t told him. But Stocker still clings to the dream of landing that one punch. He and the much younger Tiger (Hal Baylor) go toe-to-toe until Stoker lands one too many overhand rights and finally floors Tiger for good. Unfortunately for Stoker, he gets a beat-down from Little Boy (Alan Baxter) and his gang in the alley after the fight is over since it was their fix that was foiled.
•Jake LaMotta vs. Sugar Ray Robinson in “Raging Bull” (1980)
LaMotta (Robert De Niro) gets absolutely destroyed by Robinson (Johnny Barnes) in this, their sixth and final fight, losing by TKO in the 13th round. LaMotta’s inability to see life clearly is illustrated in the ring as Robinson pounds away, sending LaMotta’s blood everywhere. When the fight is finally stopped, LaMotta wobbles over to Robinson and declares, through his pathetic, swollen visage: “You never got me down, Ray,” merely proving that LaMotta’s head is even harder than his chin.
•Michael “Midge” Kelly vs. Johnny Dunne in “Champion” (1949)
All three fights between Dunne (John Daheim) and Kelly (Kirk Douglas) are brutal.
Despite being the film’s hero, Kelly gets beat up badly in two of them. In the first, the inexperienced Kelly gets pummeled, but survives. In the last fight, as champion, Kelly is getting beaten and is cut badly, only to rediscover the anger that drove him to be champion in the first place. Unfortunately, the win comes at a high price as Kelly suffers a brain hemorrhage after the fight and dies.
•Butch Coolidge vs. Floyd Wilson in “Pulp Fiction” (1994)
Even the most ardent “Pulp Fiction” fans are probably asking themselves why they don’t remember this scene. That’s because it’s not something that’s witnessed on screen. The aftermath of this fight, in which Butch (Bruce Willis) is supposed to take a dive in the fifth round, is only heard via radio. Butch kills poor Floyd in a fight described by one announcer as the “bloodiest and hands down the most brutal fight the city has ever seen.”
•Tommy McCoy vs. Johnny Martin in “Killer McCoy” (1947)
This is the fight that gives Tommy McCoy (Mickey Rooney) his nickname. While not particularly competitive, it’s an emotional moment that drives the rest of the film. Tommy is the up-and-comer. Johnny (Mickey Knox) is Tommy’s mentor, friend and former champ trying to make a comeback. Tommy carries Johnny for as long as he can, but Johnny isn’t in shape and a freak punch kills him. While it leads to fame and more fights for Tommy, it also makes the self-reflective lightweight fighter realize that boxing isn’t a life he needs.
•Maggie Fitzgerald vs. Billie ‘The Blue Bear’ in “Million Dollar Baby” (2004)
Quite possibly the worst refereed fight ever put on film (and that includes the fights that didn’t even have a referee). The fight features numerous elbows, illegal punches and shots after the bell, including the one that knocks Maggie out and onto her wood stool, paralyzing her from the neck down. It’s a beat-down that’s both psychologically painful and physically painful as Maggie’s manager, Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood), eventually helps her end her life in the hospital.
•Ivan Drago vs. Apollo Creed in “Rocky IV” (1985)
Soviet freak Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) appears to be more machine than man, punching with power never before witnessed in the ring. It’s an exaggerated metaphor for the differences between the U.S.S.R. and the U.S.A. during the Cold War. Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) comes out of retirement, trains for the fight with the help of his close friend Rocky, and is killed in the ring by the brutal Drago providing Rocky with the motivation to fight and avenge Apollo’s death.
t:
