Animation: Ends with a poster `Boxing Tonite! The Killer vs. The Champ. 15 Rounds'.
Cut to a dressing room at Madison Square Gardens, table, chairs, towels, and the usual paraphernalia. Noise of a crowd outside. The door opens and in comes Mr Gabriello, and two assistants carrying a boxer on a stretcher. Smoke, action, excitement come in with them.
- Mr Gabriello
- That was a great fight, Champ, a great fight, you hear! Oh boy, what a fight, Champ, what a great fight! You nearly had him, Champ, you nearly had him... where's his head?
- First Assistant
- I got it in here, Mr Gabriello.
He holds up a carrier bag. Gabriello goes over to it, looks inside and
shouts into it.
- Mr Gabriello
- You were great, Champ, d'you hear, you were great!
- First Assistant
- (looking in the bag) He's got a nasty cut over his eye.
- Mr Gabriello
- Yeah, I think it was a mistake him wearing spectacles. (gives the bag to the assistant) Oh well, get that sewn onto his body in time for the press pictures.
- First Assistant
- OK, Mr Gabriello.
- Mr Gabriello
- (to second assistant) Wasn't he great my boy?
- Second Assistant
- He was great, Mr Gabriello.
- Mr Gabriello
- The way he kept fighting after his head came off!
- Second Assistant
- He was better when the head came off, Mr Gabriello. He was really dodging
the guy.
- Mr Gabriello
- Yeah, I reckon that if he could've lasted till the end of that first
minute, he would've had the Killer worried.
- Second Assistant
- Sure, Mr Gabriello.
- Mr Gabriello
- Oh he was great. Did you see his left arm?
- Second Assistant
- No!
- Mr Gabriello
- OK, we'll look around the hall after everybody's gone.
- Second Assistant
- Do you realize Mr Gabriello, some of those guys out there paid over $2,000
for a ringside seat.
- Mr Gabriello
- And where did the head land? Right at the back, that's justice... (the
door opens; a black cleaner comes in) What d'you want?
The cleaner holds up a carrier bag.
- Black Man
- This your boy's head?
- Mr Gabriello
- No, no, we've got his head. He ain't hurt that bad.
- Second Assistant
- (looking in the bag) Hey, that's Gerry Marinello. He fought the
Killer last week.
- Mr Gabriello
- OK, give it to me. I'm seeing his trainer tomorrow. I'll give it to him.
The cleaner is ushered out.
- Second Assistant
- Hey, Mr Gabriello. The press is still outside. Are you ready for them?
- Mr Gabriello
- How's the Champ?
- First Assistant
- (working away with needle and thread) Well, the head's on OK. But
there's still a left arm missing.
- Mr Gabriello
- OK, well keep the dressing gown kinda loose, OK. (Gabriello goes to door and opens it) OK boys, come on in!
The press surge in. The fighter is propped up.
- First Reporter
- Hey Mr Gabriello, Mr Gabriello. Did you expect your boy to last the full twenty-eight seconds?
- Mr Gabriello
- This boy has never let me down. He's the pluckiest goddamn fighter I've
ever trained.
- Second Reporter
- Were you worried when his head started to come loose?
- Mr Gabriello
- No, no, we were expecting that. I told them to expect it to and it did. He
ain't stupid.
- First Reporter
- Hey, can we have a word with the Champ?
- Mr Gabriello
- Yeah OK. But keep the questions simple.
- First Reporter
- Hey Champ! How're you feeling?
- Mr Gabriello
- (angrily) I said keep the questions simple!
- Second Reporter
- Mr Gabriello. People are saying that the kid ought to be buried. His
head's come off in the last six fights.
- Mr Gabriello
- There's no question of burying the kid. He's just reaching the top.
- Second Reporter
- Well, shouldn't he just stay in hospital?
- Mr Gabriello
- No, he ain't going to no hospital. He's got the return fight next week.
Shot of the `New York Times' headline `Champ to be kept alive for big
return'.
