In 2005 Kevin McBride was selected to be an easy opponent for Mike Tyson to make his return after being knocked out in his previous fight against Danny Williams. Against all expectations McBride walked out of that ring the winner having, as the title suggests, beaten Mike Tyson. Despite the suggestion he could build on this, he quickly returned to journeyman status and it is there this film finds him as he tries to get his boxing career back on track.
It is important to say that this film is perhaps a little generous to McBride in terms of the details of how he actually beat Mike Tyson. For copyright reasons there isn't much fight action shown here and not too much is said of the fight other than the result, but the truth is that this was not a glorious Rocky moment where the underdog pulled out all the stops, won the hearts of the crowd and eventually triumphed. No, instead Tyson was a mess, was accused of trying to break McBride's arm while the two were tied up and was deducted points for cutting McBride's brow with a headbutt. That round ended with Tyson sitting on the canvas (which we see in the film) but it was a slip following a push. It didn't matter though because Tyson quit the match during the break, remaining in his corner and thus giving the win to McBride by default. The film doesn't present it as Rocky but it certainly doesn't tell it like it was and I do think it would have been nice for some context even if it was just some brief text on the screen.
Anyway, in fairness the focus is not on that night apart from acknowledging the massive part of his name and life that the fight is and always will be. Instead the film looks at McBride and his family in a poor area of Boston where he appears to have a loving family but generally it put me in mind of the film The Fighter with its time and place. We see McBride facing another fight but he is not in great shape and it sounds like this dream of "making it" is what is driving him as it is pretty apparent that "one last fight" will be nothing of the sort (and indeed it isn't). The film is best as a very sober look at this journeyman – not sobering, but sober. It isn't a sad film but it isn't a happy one either, it just is. One feels for the man because it is pretty obvious that not only has tat boat sailed, but it is possible it was never really docking anyway, just passing back close to shore. His wife loves him and this shows as much as he loves her back; his kids are great and I loved the wise wee man sitting on the step talking to the camera.
The film is very well made and it has respect for its subject but not to the point of ever clouding reality and it is this that it shows. It makes for a sober and slightly depressing watch, although if I am honest I'm not sure why. McBride had a decent career working his way around and I really hope that the final fight we see in this film was/is indeed his last one.
