For two weeks in early 1976, Burgess Meredith had shadowed Steindler, observing how he spoke to fighters and ran the gym, soliciting insights and advice from him, so he could better portray Mickey ...

"Especially the front of the gym, Mickey's gym, it's exciting." Olga Gerasimova was so excited she came all the way from Russia. "For me, it's 100% resilience," she said.