(2008) "Do you like violence?" asks Michael Dublin (Chad Ortis, who put me in mind of Tom Cruise), a 28-year-old promoter of underground fighting, actually bare-knuckle brawling. "In my line of work" as a loud, brash hustler exploiting people, fixing fights, Dublin (as his "friends" call him) says he has to "cultivate an image of success."

Looking for a new scam ("always control the situation"), he finds Katherine Parker (Rebecca Neuenswander), a pretty girl from Salt Lake City who makes big guys look ugly by beating the crap out of them. At first, after bailing her out of jail, it's fight-rigging in reverse with someone no one would think of betting on; but Kid Vixen may have what it takes to get to the top.

She warns him she'll kill him if he tries to take her down. "If you're not gay," he taunts her, "prove it."

Needing money to get to Miami, Florida, for the CRF bouts, Dublin reluctantly returns to his hometown in Kentucky where his mother (among "the other one percent" whom he can't fool) and his former girlfriend ("Don't you come back") leave no doubt as to why this southern boy can't go home again.

A former fighter and the man who taught Dublin all he knows about the game, Clark Richter (Kurt Hanover) persuades Michael under duress (and water inside a fish tank) to fix one more fight. Afterward Dublin puts up his personal freedom and $50,000 for one more match with Katherine going against the only fighter who ever defeated her legitimately. "You need to win," Dub tells Kat, "so you can go home."

It's not Million Dollar Baby, but you won't be taking a dive to see it either.

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Copyright © 2009 Patrick Ivers. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

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