Small town boxer Charlie Davis (Ray Mancini) travels to Reno with his best friend and manager, Tiny O’Toole (Michael Chiklis).  Charlie wants to become a professional and he has the support of Tiny and Gina (Jennifer Beals), a saintly hitchhiker that they pick up on the way to Nevada.  Charlie managers to impress a legendary trainer (Rod Steiger) but, as Charlie moves up the ranks, he comes under the influence of a corrupt promoter (Joe Mantegna).  Seduced by a bad girl (Tahnee Welch) and allowing his success to go to his head, Charlie alienates Tiny just when he needs him the most.  A chance to become the champion is coming up and the promoter expects Charlie to throw the fight.

There’s not a boxing cliche that goes unused in this movie.   Simple-minded by talented boxer?  Check.  Loyal best friend?  Check.  Overwrought narration?  Double check because merely calling this film’s narration overwrought doesn’t begin to do it justice.  Saintly good girl?  Check.  Dangerous bad girl?  Check.  Gruff trainer?  Check.  Corrupt promoter?  Another double check.  It’s not that the cliches are necessarily unwelcome.  Most boxing movies follow the same basic plot.  Instead, the problem here is that the film neither has the direction or the performances to make the cliches compelling.

You would think that casting Ray Mancini as a boxer would give this film some authenticity but Mancini looks as uncomfortable in the ring as he does when he’s having to actually act.  As bad as Mancini is, his performance is nowhere near as desultory as Michael Chiklis’s.  Chiklis not only plays Tiny but he also narrates the movie and watching and listening to him, you would be hard pressed to believe that he would someday star in The Shield.  Meanwhile, Rod Steiger and Jennifer Beals are wasted in underwritten roles.

If there is one thing that redeems the film, it’s Joe Mantegna as the crooked promoter.  Using his Fat Tony voice, Mantegna at least seems to have a sense of humor about the film.

I always appreciate a good boxing movie but this ain’t it.