Director: Jonathan Dillon
Year: 2008
As an FYI - Fight Night is commonly called Rigged in some countries.
Michael Dublin is a full-time con man working the underground boxing circuit. A lonely drifter on the run from a past best forgotten, he moves from one scam to another, leaving a trail of enemies in his wake. Dublin invents his best scam yet when he meets Katherine Paker, a female fighter with the skills to take down a man twice her size. In a scheme Dublin calls "fight-rigging, in reverse", the two hit the road working fights in seedy basement bars, abandoned warehouses, and backwoods county fairs. But Dublin's shady past catches up with them and suddenly the stakes are higher - and more dangerous - than they'd ever imagined.
The film follows the story of a con man named Michael Dublin. Michael, who drifts between scam after scam, is involved with the underground boxing circuit where things quickly turn south on a deal gone bad. However, just before Michael is about to his ass beat by an angry street crowd he is rescued by a female fighter named Katerine Parker.
Weighing just over 100 some pounds, Michael realizes his new fighter is the best scam he has thought of yet. She can take down men twice her size and make him loads of money. In search of fights and money, both hit the road only to win fight after fight. Everything is seemingly going perfect for them up until Michael is pressured by a previous and powerful boss to make Katerine take a dive.
Katerine refuses to take a dive and therefore Michael is forced to drug her for the match, and this is where their relationship falls apart. The film then follows the two as they drift apart and yet ultimately come back together to have Katerine fight the boss who pressured Michael to force her to take a dive.
IMDB only gives the film 5.8 but personally I think that is too low. The film isnt the best thing ever but it is really nice to see films with unknown actors for once. Everything, especially underground boxing just seems so much more realistic. The film is entertaining and although it may not beat Rocky, I at least enjoyed it more than Fight Club. So... check it out.
Jonathan Dillon's FIGHT NIGHT (2008)
