The Last Fight (1983) — friday night fights at the movies!
November 18th, 2011 by Mr. C
Director: Fred Williamson
Stars: Ruben Blades, Willie Colon, Fred Williamson, Don King, Nereida Mercado, Darlanne Fluegel, Joe Spinell, Tony Sirico
Genre: boxing drama
Fred “The Hammer” Williamson, former NFL football player from the 1960’s directed and starred in this entertaining nuyorican-barrio piece playing the role of Jessie Crowder–private investigator & ex-cop! This was a fun movie especially because it entailed boxing as the main course with a badass brother from another mother doing some CSI work. The cool breeze salsa soundtrack was performed by the Fania All Stars with two main members from the band, Ruben Blades & Willie Colon starring in film as well! Bada-bing, even Tony Sirico was in this movie portraying the role of what else…a gangster! Cameos included Celia Cruz (Fania All Stars), Don King, boxer-Jose Torres, boxer-Salvador Sanchez, Johnny Pacheco (Fania All Stars), Hector Lavoe (Fania All Stars), referee-Tony Perez, & Producer-Bert Sugarman! The film was shot in various locations throughout NYC including the upper west side of manhattan & the Gramercy boxing gym. The west side highway & west end avenue played home to a few street scenes as well.
The story unfolds with a troubled Andy “Kid Clave” Perez (Ruben Blades), an up and coming jr. lightweight boxing contender by night & professional salsa singer all other times, who is trying to get himself out of a huge gambling debt. With a sick mother bedridden in a hospital, he decides to sign a contract with Joaqin (Willie Colon), a local gangster who promises to wipe out his debt & help take care of his mother’s medical bills along with the prospects of sharing Kid Clave’s boxing earnings 50-50. Papa, the manager & trainer is disgusted with the news and despises Joaqin as the local, no good crook. The trainer decides to go to the boxing commission to appeal the contract. Bada bing, bada boom…soon, henchmen would arrive at the gym in the late hours to talk some sense into Papa amongst other things. The ex-champ, Jose Torres would share some fisticuffs with the goons!
Big bad Jessie Crowder arrives on the scene as a private investigator to survey the situation. It was funny & ironic that Don King would be consulted by Crowder about the no good Joaquin! Can someone say mirror image?
Meanwhile, Kid Clave fights with a heavy heart and a blood clot in his brain sustained from a brouhaha in a club. Things are not quite the same with the salsa warrior in the ring. The ballgame would change once the Kid begins to unravel the truth with the help of his girlfriend! A few explosions later and Andy would find himself in a rage like “Tony Montana”! Fred Williamson would also drop the hammer on some unsuspecting fools. The climax of the film would also include a boxing match to determine the featherweight champion of the world between Andy “Kid Clave” vs the legendary champ, Salvador Sanchez playing himself!
Go see this film, y’all! When will you ever see two legendary nuyorican salsa performers play a boxer and a gangster while also providing the smooth & rhythmic twist your hips type of soundtrack for the film? That coupled with Fred “The Hammer” regulating and inoculating the opposition sounds like a winner to me!
On a sad note, the legendary mexican boxer, Salvador Sanchez died in an automobile accident shortly after the film was made. This movie was in dedication to him.
Yo Puedo Vivir del Amor – Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
Tags: boxing, fania all stars, fred williamson, mr c
Posted in movies, mr. c | Comments (0)
