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by Orbin Walcott (orbinwalcott@yahoo.com)

Rated:

Genre: Sports User Review:

The story of Danny Valentine, a young man living in Boston, working a dead-end job as he dreams of becoming a Mixed-Martial Arts fighter for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. After losing an underground fight, Danny is confronted by an unhappy spectator, whom he accidentally puts in the hospital. Now a hunted man, Danny struggles to find the morale to keep his dream alive while training for a retired martial artist who has taken him under his wing. But while our protagonist trains for this hard-nosed veteran, things get complicated when his childhood friend, Emily, returns to Boston after eight years. She brings with her secrets, and a boyfriend who is destined to be Danny's rival as he fights to enter the "Blood, Sweat & Dreams"; the UFC-sponsored tournament, where the winner gets a cash prize of one hundred thousand dollars, and a true shot at glory. Danny puts it all on the line as he learns that we must "chase our dreams, not let them chase us".

BLOOD, SWEAT & DREAMS

FADE IN:

EXT. PRIDE & GLORY GYM - ESTABLISH - NIGHT

Pride & Glory is a large independent gym, located somewhere
in the heart of Boston. It's not quite run-down, but it
certainly looks like its been in its place for a while now.
There are some people outside, heading in as we hear the
NOISE (OS) of an excited crowd inside the gym.

CUT TO:

INT. PRIDE & GLORY GYM

The place is packed as everyone watches a MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
MATCH in progress. The fighters: DANNY VALENTINE, an African
American fighter of early 20s, with average but handsome
looks despite his current FACIAL BRUISES; the other fighter
is a caucasian male of the same age, who looks worse than
Danny at the moment, with a CUT EYE. Call him MICKEY.

CUT TO:

INT. BOXING RING

Danny seems to be commanding the match right now, focusing
only on his opponent as he lands THUNDEROUS BLOWS. Mickey
attempts a TAKEDOWN MOVE, gaining a bit of leverage, but
Danny counters and brings him to the mat. He begins pounding
away at Mickey, but the bell RINGS moments later. The two
head to their corners.

CUT TO:

DANNY'S CORNER

Danny's trainer, JONAH FREEMAN, is using ENSWELL on Danny's
bruises. Jonah, early-to-mid forties, is the British owner
of the Pride & Glory gym. He seems to have kept himself in
fantastic shape throughout his years and doesn't look like
he'd allow anyone to give up or fail while under his
tutelage.

JONAH
(using enswell)
You're looking great, Danny. But I
think its time you end this match
already.

He gives Danny some water to rinse; Danny spits the water in
a bucket:

DANNY
(panting)
Yeah, I'm gonna put this guy down.

Danny replaces his mouthpiece just as the bell RINGS again.
He resumes the match.

CUT TO:

EXT. BOXING RING

Outside the ring, close to the fight, we see a young hustler
taking bets on the match -- grinning as he takes the money.
This is GREG THOMPSON, early 20s, Danny's best friend.

            GREG
      (to betters)
A'ight, who you puttin' down on,
Mickey or my boy Danny? Danny?
Okay, you know the deal -- twenty
per bet!
      (taking money)
A'ight, thank you folks. I promise
your money's in good hands.

Greg grins as he takes the last roll, then looks on at the
fight.

CUT TO:

INT. BOXING RING

Danny is once again in charge as he lands furious HOOKS AND
JABS as well as KICKS. He fights aggressively but with
skill, not like a bully. Mickey suddenly finds an opening to
take him down, punching away at Danny. Danny struggles as he
blocks the punches but manages to get hit a few times.

Then suddenly, he finds an opening to get Mickey in a KIMURA
LOCK. Danny applies as much pressure as he can, ultimately
making Mickey tap out; Danny wins. He gets on his feet as
most of the people in the gym CHEERS ON; he looks back at
Jonah with a smile on his face, Jonah seems pleased.

DISSOLVE TO:

TITLES ON BLACK - "BLOOD, SWEAT & DREAMS"

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. LOCKER ROOM

Danny is alone in the locker room as he finishes getting
dressed. We get the sense that the gym is empty when Greg
walks into the room, with some money in his hands.

GREG
(smiling)
Yo, you did good, D! Keep fightin'
like that and you're gonna make me
some serious money someday!

Danny gets his BACKPACK as Greg gives him dap.

DANNY
How much we get?

GREG
Five hundred.
(hands money)
Here's your half. A'ight, I gotta
go. Later.

Greg leaves just as Jonah walks in:

GREG
Hey, Jonah.

JONAH
Hey, Greg. That was a good fight,
Danny. You're getting much better
than when you first started.

DANNY
Thanks.

JONAH
You ever think about going pro?

DANNY
All the time! Actually, I wanna
join the UFC.

JONAH
Well, I don't know about that.
But, I may know some people in
other places. That is if you're
ever interested.

DANNY
I'll think about it.

JONAH
Alright, Mate. See you around,
then.

DANNY
See ya.

Jonah leaves, then Danny follows behind.

CUT TO:

INT. BACK BAY STATION - MINUTES LATER

Danny, sporting a few BANDAGES, is standing alone on his
side of the platform as he waits for the train, listening to
an MP3 PLAYER and carrying his backpack. He looks to his
side, noticing a group of girls, dressed for a party,
watching him with seeming interest. He nods at them as they
smile, before boarding the arriving train.

CUT TO:

EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING - ESTABLISH - LATER

Somewhere in Dorchester is a run-down apartment building, in
a neighborhood that seems to be filled with shysters, thugs,
and drug dealers on cellphones. However, this is also
balanced out by people who seem like genuine hard workers
looking to get out of the ghetto. Everyone is either trying
to get somewhere, or coming home from a long day.

CUT TO:

INT. VALENTINE APARTMENT

Danny enters the apartment. He passes by a couch where there
is man sitting down watching television. This is DARREN,
African American and mid-30s, Danny's sister's boyfriend.
Darren looks up as Danny walks past:

DARREN
What, all of a sudden you can't
say hi?

DANNY
(smart-aleck)
I ain't got shit to say to you.

Danny heads into the kitchen.

CUT TO:

INT. KITCHEN

JUSTINE VALENTINE, early-30s, is at the stove cooking dinner
when Danny enters. This kind and beautiful woman is Danny's
older sister. She notices as he walks in.

JUSTINE
Hey, Little Brother.

DANNY
(sets bag down)
Hey.

JUSTINE
Where're you coming from?

DANNY
Pride & Glory. I had a match
today.

He reaches into the refrigerator for a bottle of JUICE, and
starts sipping away.

JUSTINE
Are you hungry?

DANNY
Naw, I'm good. I'm just a little
tired.

Darren walks into the kitchen, sitting at the table as
Justine sets a PLATE OF FOOD down for him.

JUSTINE
Here you go, Baby.
(kisses him)
I'm gonna watch TV now.

She turns off the stove before heading for the living room.
The room is quiet now as we sense that Danny doesn't like
being near Darren as the latter begins eating his food.
Then:

DARREN
You find a job yet, Danny?

DANNY
(annoyed)
Here we go again. Why is it every
chance you get, that's the first
thing you gotta fuckin' ask me?! I
already have a job!

DARREN
Running errands for drunks at a
bar isn't a real job; that's just
doing favors.

Danny gets up to replace the juice in the refrigerator:

            DANNY
      (closing fridge
       door)
Yeah, well, I get paid so I call
it a "real job".

DARREN
No. Justine has a real job at the
hospital, I do construction --

DANNY
So?! Why do you care if I got a
job or not?! You're not my fuckin'
father, and I'm a grown ass man!

DARREN
Then, get'cha ass out there, and
find yourself a grown ass job!
Justine's got bills to pay, and
it's about time you stop being
just another mouth to feed!

DANNY
(under his breath)
Fuck you....

DARREN
(getting up)
What'chu just say -- ?!

DANNY
I said fuck you!

DARREN
(softly)
Nigga, just 'cause your sister's
here, don't think I won't knock
you the fuck out!

DANNY
(shoves him)
Do something then!!

As things get physical between the two, Justine walks in
just in time to witness their scuffle:

JUSTINE
(breaking them up)
Hey, hey! Can't you two be alone
in a room, without wanting to kill
each other?! For God's sake,
Gisselle could probably hear you!

DARREN
It's okay, Baby. I think I just
lost my appetite. I'm going to
bed.

Darren kisses her before leaving. As he walks past Danny:

DARREN
(whispering)
This ain't over yet --

DANNY
Like I give a fuck!

Justine gestures for her brother to watch his mouth:

JUSTINE
Hey, you know how I feel about
foul language in my house.

DANNY
He started it! It's been goin' on
a year now and he still does it! I
liked Eric a lot better...

JUSTINE
Have you forgotten, Danny? Eric
was an alcoholic. I had to divorce
him and come back home because of
it.

DANNY
Well, at least he never bothered
me. Look, just 'cause Darren's
your man, it doesn't mean I have
to like him.

JUSTINE
(matter-of-fact)
You'll get used to him as long as
you're living under my roof.

And with that, Danny gets his bag and leaves the kitchen.

CUT TO:

INT. DANNY'S BEDROOM

Danny walks into his small bedroom to find a cute little
girl of about eight, lying on his bed and coloring into a
coloring book. This is GISSELLE VALENTINE, Justine's
daughter from her previous marriage. Danny sets his bag down
as Gisselle looks up.

GISSELLE
(smiling)
Hi, Uncle Danny.

DANNY
Hey, Gisselle. What're you doin'
in my room, Baby?

DARREN
Darren wouldn't let me watch
cartoons. So, I came here to
color.

DANNY
Oh, okay. Well, you're gonna have
to go to your room 'cause I'm
tired, okay?

            GISSELLE
      (getting up)
Okay.
      (smiling)
So, did you win?

DANNY
(smiling)
Seven and Oh.

GISSELLE
(smiling)
Nice! Okay, good night, Uncle.

DANNY
(chuckles)
Good night.

She leaves the room as he lies down, under posters of UFC
fighters such as RASHAD EVANS, GEORGES ST. PIERRE AND BROCK
LESNAR. He begins falling asleep, today's just another day.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY

It's a late spring morning when Danny emerges from his
building wearing a HOODED SWEATSHIRT AND SWEATPANTS, and
carrying his MP3 players. He still has some bandages on his
face as he puts the earbuds to his ears, and begins jogging
down the street.

CUT TO:

EXT. STREETS OF BOSTON - MINUTES LATER

Danny is jogging, passing by various people on different
streets.

CUT TO:

EXT. JOSEPH'S PUB - ESTABLISH - LATER

Danny finally arrives at his destination: a quaint Irish pub
located somewhere in South Boston. He heads inside.

CUT TO:

INT. JOSEPH'S PUB

Joseph's Pub is your typical Irish-themed pub that South
Boston is usually known for. There aren't that many people
in the place as Danny enters, putting away his MP3 player
and not looking very happy; those that are in the pub are
mostly the older, scruffy-types -- seemingly drinking their
problems away.

The pub's owner, JOSEPH O'CONNOR, mid-60s, is one of the
many Irish-Catholic Boston natives you're bound to find in
the area; you get the sense that he's well-known here when
we see him conversing with a patron sitting at the counter.
He notices as Danny walks past:

JOSEPH
(smiling)
Danny, good morning!

Danny ignores the greeting as he storms past the bar, and
into the back room. Joseph and his customer react to each
other, as if they know exactly what this means. Joseph
follows behind Danny.

CUT TO:

10.

INT. BACK ROOM

As they head inside, Danny pockets his MP3 player and hangs
up his sweatshirt inside a locker. Sitting at a desk, on the
computer, is a beautiful blonde named LISA, late-20s.

LISA
(noticing)
Hey, Danny.

DANNY
(unenthused)
Hi.

JOSEPH
Okay, I think I already know
what's got you upset --

DANNY
Then, don't ask.

JOSEPH
Look, kid, I really hate seeing
you like this. Do you want me to
go talk to this Darren guy?

DANNY
No.
(punching locker)
I just can't fucking stand him!!

JOSEPH
Okay, calm down -- you're better
than that. What's he saying now?

DANNY
According to him, this isn't a
"real job".

JOSEPH
You're getting paid, right?

DANNY
That's what I said!

JOSEPH
Well, just ignore him then.

DANNY
Joe, it's hard to ignore the guy
when you live with him. I mean, I
can't even take a piss without
this guy wanting to hop on my
(MORE)

11.

DANNY (cont'd)
dick!

JOSEPH
Jesus, you know, I don't know why
Justine's into assholes like him.
(sighs)
Anyways, you stayin' late tonight?

DANNY
Can't, I'm picking up Gisselle
from school. And besides, UFC
comes on tonight.

JOSEPH
Oh right, I forgot you liked that
fighting show.

DANNY
Joseph, it's not just a "fighting
show" -- it's the Ultimate
Fighting Championship. Mixed
Martial Arts is, like, the
greatest sport ever!

JOSEPH
(grinning)
Yeah? Well, why don't you get out
there and mixed some drinks for
now?

DANNY
(smiling)
Alright.

He heads back out.

CUT TO:

INT. JOSEPH'S PUB

There is an OLDER PATRON sitting at the bar when Danny walks
out of the back room, and goes behind the counter:

OLDER PATRON
Hey, Danny, gimme a shot of
Jameson, will ya?

DANNY
Sure.

12.

Danny takes out a BOTTLE OF WHISKEY and a SHOT GLASS, and
pours out the drink. While doing so, he notices Greg
entering the pub and approaching the bar.

GREG
(giving dap)
Wassup, D?

DANNY
Nothin'.

GREG
How you feelin'?

DANNY
Come on, Greg, you saw how I left
the other guy last night! I'm
feeling pretty good.

GREG
Good enough to fight again?

DANNY
A'ight, not that good. Why?

GREG
I'm working on putting another
fight together. But in a few days.

DANNY
Against who?

GREG
Some guy named Chang, from
Chinatown.

DANNY
Where at?

GREG
Quincy Quarries.

DANNY
Okay. I'll let Jonah know --

GREG
Well, that's the thing -- the
fight's unsanctioned. So, Jonah
can't know.

DANNY
Unsanctioned? I don't know, man,
that's like moonlighting. Jonah
doesn't want me doing shit like
(MORE)

13.

DANNY (cont'd)
that.

GREG
Yeah, I know. But this dude heard
that you were good, and wanted to
see for himself. Besides, people
are willing to put down two-fifty
a piece on it; that's a big payout
for us!

DANNY
(beat)
I'll think about it.

GREG
(giving dap)
Okay. Let me know by tonight.

Greg leaves as Danny proceeds to wipe the counter. Moments
later, Lisa approaches him with a small NOTE in hand:

LISA
Danny, can you do me a favor?

DANNY
(stops cleaning)
What's up?

LISA
You mind getting a package for me?
I'm stuck doing inventory work,
and I can't get it myself.

DANNY
Sure, no problem.

LISA
Thanks.
(hands ticket)
Here, just show 'em this ticket.
If there's a problem, tell them I
sent you.

DANNY
Okay.

LISA
(re: bandages)
Ooh! I hope the other guy looks
worse.

Danny smiles at her compliment as he begins to leave.

14.

CUT TO:

EXT. STREETS OF SOUTH BOSTON - MINUTES LATER

Danny is carrying a SMALL PACKAGE in his hand as he walks
down the streets. As he readies to cross the street, he
notices a beautiful late-model LEXUS IS pull up to the curb
nearby, capturing his undivided attention as he admires it.
A YOUNG BUSINESSMAN of mid thirties, emerges from the
driver's seat when Danny approaches:

DANNY
Excuse me, sir?

BUSINESSMAN
Yeah?

DANNY
Is that a Lexus IS?

BUSINESSMAN
Uh... yeah, why?

DANNY
(smiling)
That's, like, my dream car. How
much did you pay for it?

BUSINESSMAN
I don't know, thirty, thirty-one
thousand maybe?

DANNY
(thinking aloud)
Damn, I can't afford that.

BUSINESSMAN
Sorry, kid. Well, don't lose hope,
someday you'll have one. Take
care.

DANNY
Thanks. You too.

They part ways as Danny crosses the street.

CUT TO:

INT. JOSEPH'S PUB - LATER

The TELEVISIONS are on as Joseph & Lisa serve more customers
at the bar.

15.

CUT TO:

INT. MEN'S RESTROOM

Danny is mopping the floors as a patron steps in and heads
for a stall. He seems contemplative while mopping, until he
finally realizes something; he checks his watch:

DANNY
(realizing)
Aw, shit!

Danny puts the mop in the WHEELED BUCKET, bringing it along
as he leaves.

CUT TO:

INT. JOSEPH'S PUB

Danny puts the mop and bucket away as he approaches the bar
where Joseph & Lisa are still attending customers.

DANNY
Joseph!

JOSEPH
(pouring drinks)
Yeah?

DANNY
I gotta go. See ya tomorrow.

JOSEPH
Okay.

Danny heads into the back room. Moments later, he steps out,
putting his hooded sweatshirt on as he exits the pub.

CUT TO:

EXT. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - ESTABLISH - LATE AFTERNOON

There is no one to be found outside this school, located
somewhere in Boston when we see Danny heading inside.

CUT TO:

INT. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MAIN OFFICE

Gisselle is the lone student in the office, sitting in a
chair and waiting patiently when Danny walks in. He
approaches her:

16.

DANNY
(kneeling down)
Hey, sweetie. I'm sorry I'm late.

They both get up as they ready to leave when Gisselle
teacher, MS. CRANSTON, walks over to them. Miss Cranston,
slender woman in her late-30s, looks like your typical third
grade teacher.

MS. CRANSTON
(to Danny)
Hi, are you Gisselle's guardian?

DANNY
Yeah, I'm her uncle.
(shaking hands)
Danny Valentine.

MS. CRANSTON
I'm Miss Cranston, her teacher.
Um, do you have a minute?

DANNY
If it's about my showing up late,
I apologize for that.

MS. CRANSTON
Oh no, that's fine. It's about
your niece. You see, she's a
bright young girl; probably among
my best, really. But, lately, I've
been a bit concerned for her.

DANNY
Why, what's the problem?

MS. CRANSTON
Her behavior's been odd, lately.
Since the beginning of the year,
she's usually been cheerful, to
say the least; talking with her
friends, and playing during
recess. But lately, its been as if
she's lost all interest in that
stuff. She's been more quiet and
introverted than usual. And
recently, I caught her fighting
with one of the boys!

DANNY
Really?

17.

MS. CRANSTON
Um, I don't mean to pry. But, has
there been anything going on at
home? You know, something that
could cause this?

DANNY
(shakes his head)
No. Nothing I can think of.

MS. CRANSTON
Okay, well, thanks anyway.
(re: bandage)
Are you okay? Were in some sort of
accident or something?

DANNY
(realizing)
Oh! No, I'm a mixed martial
artist, and I had a match last
night.

MS. CRANSTON
I see... Well, thank you for your
time.

DANNY
No problem. Come on, Gisselle.

They leave the office.

CUT TO:

EXT. BUS STOP - MINUTES LATER

Danny & Gisselle are sitting alone on a bench while waiting
for the bus. She's staring off when he looks at her:

DANNY
(beat)
So, is there something you wanna
tell me?

GISSELLE
Like what?

DANNY
Like why you're fighting in
school?

GISSELLE
He was teasing me so I hit him.

18.

DANNY
Gisselle, you shouldn't be
fighting people -- it's stupid.

GISSELLE
But, you and Darren fight all the
time. And it makes me sad...

DANNY
Oh, Sweetie, you shouldn't let
that get to you.

He puts an arm around her as she leans in for comfort:

DANNY (cont'd)
I know its not fun seeing me and
Darren fight, but sometimes
grown-ups say things to each other
that we don't mean.

GISSELLE
So, you don't mean what you say to
him?

DANNY
(matter-of-fact)
Oh no, I do, half the time.

GISSELLE
(looking up)
So, are you really gonna kill
him...?

DANNY
(taken aback)
What, No! No, I'll never do
that... hopefully. Just don't
think like that, okay?

She simply nods her head. Moments later, the bus arrives,
letting people off before the two get on it.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. VALENTINE APARTMENT, LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Danny & Gisselle are already home and settled in the living
room, sitting on the couch while flipping through channels
on the TV. She looks up at the clock.

GISSELLE
Uncle Danny, your show is on.

19.

DANNY
(checks clock)
You're right.

He changes the channel to a UFC programs that's just
starting.

            DANNY
      (thinking aloud)
Word, it just started.
      (noticing)
You like this stuff?

GISSELLE
(smiling)
Yeah, I think its cool.

He puts an arm around her, both getting comfortable as they
watch the show.

SERIES OF SHOTS

A) Danny & Gisselle are cheering on a fight.

B) He is upset with a loss.

C) While watching another fight, Danny playfull teaches
Gisselle how to apply a SLEEPER HOLD; he laughs as he
pretends to tap out.

D) Things are quiet now as they watch the last fight of the
program.

BACK TO SCENE

Darren enters the living room while the fight is still in
progress. His facial expression makes it clear that he's
annoyed with this as he sets his jacket and keys down
somewhere:

DARREN
Y'all watching that ultimate
fighting crap again? Y'all know
that's all fake, right?

DANNY
(watching TV)
Whatever.

20.

DARREN (cont'd)
The fights don't even last a
minute; the bell rings and someone
gets knocked out two seconds
later. It's all fake!

GISSELLE
Nuh-uh!

DANNY
(getting up)
Okay. Prove it.

DARREN
Excuse me?

Danny turns off the TV:

            DANNY
      (moving table
       aside)
You're sayin' its fake, right?
Let's see if that's true.

DARREN
Whatever, man!

DANNY
(stepping up)
Naw, come on. You say you do
construction; you're a rugged
dude, right? Then prove it. Try to
hit me.

DARREN
Sit down...

Darren attempts to push Danny away, but Danny quickly
deflects his hand and gives Darren a small BACKHAND to his
face. Darren reacts to the hit and the two suddenly get into
another scuffle. Gisselle keeps her distance as she
curiously watches her uncle get the upper hand. Danny uses a
SINGLE LEG TAKEDOWN on Darren, then quickly gets him in an
ARM TRIANGLE CHOKE. Darren now struggles:

DANNY
(applying pressure)
Go ahead, get out of it.

Darren continues to struggle but ends up losing
consciousness within seconds. Danny gets up, looking down at
an unconscious Darren after making his point.

21.

DANNY
(grinning)
Gisselle, go get a marker.

As she heads for her bedroom, he picks up the TELEPHONE and
dials a number.

DANNY
(into phone)
Yo, Greg, its me... Yeah... Yeah,
I thought about it... Where's it
happening again?... The
Quarries?... Okay, I'm in. Let me
know when it happens.

He hangs up. Gisselle comes back, holding a MARKER.

GISSELLE
I got it, Uncle.

DANNY
(smiling)
Okay, Baby. You know what Darren
would like? If you drew little
designs on his face, like a
coloring book. And when he gets
up, he's gonna be real happy,
okay?

GISSELLE
(smiling)
Okay.

She quickly proceeds to draw on Darren's face.

CUT TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM - MINUTES LATER

Gisselle is kneeling by a still-unconscious Darren, drawing
on his face while Danny watches TV. Justine walks into the
apartment, carrying a PIZZA BOX and some mail.

JUSTINE
Hey, I'm home. With pizza.

DANNY
Word!

He quickly gets up and walks over to grab a SLICE from the
box as Justine sets it down somewhere.

22.

DANNY
(eating)
How was your day, Sis?

JUSTINE
(checking mail)
Stressful. Yours?

DANNY
(walking away)
Hmm... not bad. I'm going to bed.

JUSTINE
Okay.
(noticing)
Oh my God, Gisselle! Honey,
what're you doing?!

GISSELLE
Uncle Danny said Darren would like
it.

JUSTINE
(to Danny)
What is wrong with you!?

DANNY
(grinning)
Your daughter's an artist.

He heads to his bedroom, while she shakes her head in
confusion. Justine then proceeds to look through the mail,
opening a letter that catches her attention. As she looks
through the letter, some concern suddenly comes over her.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. BACK BAY STATION - DAY

Danny walks out of the train station while carrying his
backpack, continuing down the street.

CUT TO:

INT. PRIDE & GLORY GYM - MINUTES LATER

The gym is filled with people working out, including Jonah,
when Danny walks out of the locker room wearing his training
attire. He passes by each group of people, all training in
various disciplines from Brazilian Jiu-jitsu to Muay Thai to
just regular Boxing; impressing Danny with their incredible
display of skills. In the midst of his workout, Jonah

23.

notices Danny walking towards a punching bag, and approaches
him:

JONAH
How you doin', Mate?

DANNY
Hey, Jonah.

JONAH
Follow me.

Jonah leads Danny over to a large empty mat nearby, they
stand in the center.

JONAH
Now your fight against Mickey was
good, but not great. One thing I
noticed is that, while you were in
charge of the fight, he made you
lose your footing a few times in
the beginning.

DANNY
Yeah, I wasn't expecting that many
takedowns.

JONAH
Well, then, that's where you
fucked up -- you weren't expecting
anything when you should expect
everything.

DANNY
Okay, sorry --

JONAH
No, don't be "sorry". What have I
told you about that word?

DANNY
"Winners don't apologize."

JONAH
That's right. Have you ever heard
of Aikido, Danny?

DANNY
Yeah. That's what Steven Seagal
uses, right?

24.

JONAH
Right. Now, how do you think a man
his size can still use Aikido to
take down his opponents so
effectively?

Stumped by the questions, Danny simply shrugs.

JONAH
Alright. Then, I want you to try
to attack me as best as you can.

DANNY
Um... okay.

Danny preps himself before throwing a series of punches at
Jonah, who dodges them all with ease then uses a simple
TAKEDOWN MOVE off Danny's last punch. He stands over his
pupil:

JONAH
The answer is by blending with the
motion of the attacker, and
redirecting the force of the
attack rather than opposing it
head-on.

He helps Danny back up.

JONAH (cont'd)
Today, we're gonna work on your
footing using some Aikido moves.
(walking away)
You've got ten minutes to stretch.

DANNY
Okay.

CUT TO:

MONTAGE

A) Danny is hitting the heavy bag, working up a sweat.

B) Next, Danny is doing push-ups.

C) Jonah is shouting orders as Danny and another young
student spar together, practicing Muay Thai.

D) Danny is struggling as he lifts free-weights.

E) Next, Danny is hitting the speed bags.

25.

F) Now, Jonah and Danny are practicing some takedown moves
together, using Aikido.

G) Lastly, Danny is back on the heavy bag, this time tiring
himself out.

CUT TO:

INT. PRIDE & GLORY GYM - EVENING

Danny is the only one left training in the gym as he
SHADOWBOXES in front of a mirror. Jonah steps out of his
office:

JONAH
Danny!

DANNY
(stops)
Yeah?

JONAH
Come here, I wanna show you
something.

Danny heads over.

CUT TO:

INT. JONAH'S OFFICE - MINUTES LATER

Jonah, drinking a beer, is sitting in a chair inside his
small office while Danny sits across from him, looking
through a PHOTO ALBUM.

INSERT - PHOTO ALBUM

The album is filled with pictures of Jonah in his prime as
well as various NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS that date back to the
mid-eighties, most in different languages.

BACK TO SCENE

DANNY
Wow! This is you back in the day?

JONAH
(takes a sip)
Yup, that was me in my heyday. I
used to fight in different
countries, back when I was in the
British Army.

26.

DANNY
What was your record?

DANNY
Sixteen and one.

DANNY
(reading)
"Jonah 'The Wrecking Ball'
Freeman". Why'd they call you
that?

JONAH
Because I would run through any
opponent placed in front of me.

Danny smiles at this.

DANNY
(beat)
So, why'd you stop?

            JONAH
      (sighs)
I lost my last fight on a KO.
      (beat)
I was the defending champion
against a man named Diego
Santarosa, a kickboxer from Puerto
Rico. We were going at it -- for
ten rounds -- but fighting
this wanker was unreal, like
fighting against a man made of
bricks! I mean I'm hammering him
and hammering him, and he's just
taking the hits!

DANNY
Could've been steroids....

JONAH
(takes a sip)
I don't think so, Mate; steroids
doesn't do that to a man. Anyways,
so I'm fighting this prick, and,
by the seventh round, all it took
was one clean right hook, and pow!
My
lights went out. After that, I
just lost my edge, and quit the
circuit forever.

27.

DANNY
Damn.

JONAH
'See, Danny, you have heart. I've
seen this in your fights, the last
eighteen months. But what you may
not know is that there's also a
certain amount of stubbornness
that comes with that.

DANNY
What do you mean, exactly?

JONAH
It doesn't matter how tough you
are, Mate. A real fighter knows
when to throw in the towel. 'Know
what I mean?

DANNY
Yeah. I'll keep that in mind.

JONAH
Good. Now, my friend Steve told me
about an upcoming tournament being
held in Las Vegas, and I thought
you might be interested. It's
called "Blood, Sweat & Dreams --
BSD for short -- and its being
sponsored by ESPN and UFC. So,
it'll be televised.

DANNY
What's the grand prize?

JONAH
One hundred thousand dollars, and
an "Ultimate Fighter" contract.
But there's gonna be a hundred
fighters competing for it. Are you
interested?

DANNY
(smiling)
Hell yeah! When is it?

JONAH
Four weeks from now, over a
three-day weekend. Eighty slots
have been filled thus far, so
you're gonna need to train harder
than usual for it.

28.

DANNY
No problem -- sign me up.

JONAH
Okay, I'll keep you informed.

DANNY
Cool. And hey, thanks a lot,
Jonah.

JONAH
No worries, Mate. You get to take
a guest with you. See if your
friend Greg wants to go.

Danny nods before leaving the office.

CUT TO:

EXT. QUINCY QUARRIES RESERVATION - ESTABLISH - LATE NIGHT

The Reservation is a well-known area throughout Boston where
it is mostly used as a recreational area. There is a large
gathering of people hanging out around here as they drink,
smoke, play LOUD MUSIC, and converse -- waiting for the
night's activities. It's almost like an illegal party taking
place, with numerous LANTERNS illuminating the area for the
crowd.

We get the sense that days have gone by as Danny's bruises
have healed up. He's carrying his backpack while hiking up a
trail as he makes his way to the crowd, passing by various
people along the way -- some noticing him and some ignoring;
all having a shady vibe to them. Up ahead, he finds Greg,
holding a drink as he talks to some other people his age.
He's enjoying himself when he notices Danny:

GREG
(giving dap)
Yo, waddup!

DANNY
(thinking aloud)
I feel nervous all of sudden. More
people than I expected...

GREG
(smiling)
Man, they just came to see a good
fight! Shit, it better happen -
heads started dropping five
hundred a piece on this fight,
just off your rep.

29.

DANNY
(taken aback)
"My rep"?

GREG
Okay, I may have made up a few
things to make you look good.
Either way, we're getting paid,
son!

DANNY
Where can I change?

GREG
(handing keys)
My car's in the lot. Suit up, then
come back in twenty.

Danny takes the keys then heads for the lot. He seems uneasy
about the whole situation at hand as he walks.

CUT TO:

EXT. PARKING LOT

Danny walks alone through the filled parking lot. A few cars
down, he finds a beat-up old HONDA; Danny places his jacket
and backpack down as he leans against the hood of the trunk.

DANNY
(to himself)
You're gonna win... you're gonna
win....

He begins changing.

CUT TO:

EXT. QUINCY QUARRIES RESERVATION - MINUTES LATER

The fight is being prepared as people begin to make room,
creating a LARGE CIRCLE in between with a
twentysomething-year-old man stepping inside, wearing a
MAKESHIFT REFEREE SHIRT.

Danny is now wearing a TANK TOP with his shorts and MMA
gloves as he steps into the circle; already inside is CHANG,
a shirtless young Asian man in tremendous shape, also
wearing MMA gloves. He looks menacing as he stares at Danny.
The young referee stands between the fighters.

30.

CU - DANNY'S FACE

We mostly hear HEAVY BREATHING (VO); he looks around.

BACK TO SCENE

Among those in the crowd is ALEX SANTAROSA, along with what
one could call his "entourage". Alex, early-20s, is a very
handsome, Hispanic man who doesn't seem the type to be
caught in this kind of scene. His "entourage" consists of:
EDDIE, an African-American male; RICH, a Caucasian male; and
JOEL, another Hispanic male with a FACIAL SCAR -- all of
them in their early-to-mid-20s as they look on.

REFEREE
The only way to win, guys, is by
knock out or tap out.
(to fighters)
You two ready?

The two fighters put their fists up, preparing.

REFEREE
Fight!!

The Ref quickly moves out of the way, as Chang & Danny
quickly move in for a brutal fight. The finesse from Danny's
skills are gone now as he slugs it out, while Chang, the
better fighter, uses Wushu to his advantage. Danny is
fighting as best as he can, mixing simple kicks with his
punches. He manages to get a few hits in, but Chang is just
too damn fast.

Greg looks on, almost wincing as he watches Danny getting
his ass handed to him, meanwhile others seems to be enjoying
the show. Danny manages to get Chang in a sleeper hold, but
Chang quickly reverses it, finding an opening for an ankle
lock. Danny struggles to resist until he flips around and
kicks Chang in the face.

Chang backs away, allowing Danny to slowly get up. Danny is
limping now, but still shows some heart as he starts
battling back. In the end, however, Chang scores the win
when he hits Danny across the head with a powerful kick;
Danny SPINS in the air before hitting the
ground.

DANNY'S POV

His vision is blurred by the bright lights; he can barely
keep his eyes open.

31.

BACK TO SCENE

Greg can't stand to watch his friend who just can't seem to
get up:

GREG
(thinking aloud)
Come on, Danny...!

REFEREE
And the winner is: Chang!!

Alex seems visibly upset by this as Greg heads over to
Danny, who lies in a daze, bloody and bruised. The crowd
CHEERS, while a cocky Chang boasts. Greg helps Danny up, and
helps him walk.

DANNY
(groaning)
What happened....

GREG
(whispering)
You got your ass whooped, that's
what! C'mon, I'll take you home.

They head for the parking lot while the crowd continues to
cheer.

CUT TO:

EXT. PARKING LOT

Danny is beginning to walk on his own now as he follows Greg
to the car. There's a crowd of people also walking into the
lot when a pissed off Alex and his friends follow behind the
two:

ALEX
Ayo, Danny Valentine! What the
fuck was that!?

Danny & Greg turn.

ALEX (cont'd)
I paid to see you win, not get
your ass whooped!

GREG
Hey, shit happens man.

32.

ALEX
(to Danny)
Naw, fuck that! You're supposed to
be good; you just lost me five
bills!

DANNY
I'm sorry...

Danny and Greg turn back, continuing on:

ALEX
(taken aback)
"Sorry"?! Motherfucker....

As Danny and Greg walk, Alex picks up a BRICK off the ground
and quickly STRIKES Danny in the face with it, dropping him
to the ground. Greg turns:

GREG
Yo, what the fuck -- !?

ALEX
I want my money!

Danny recovers from the ground, bleeding from the nose.
Then, everyone watches as an enraged Danny quickly RUNS
towards Alex; he SCOOPS Alex up then SLAMS him to the
ground, hitting his head hard against the pavement. Danny
proceeds to punch Alex in the face, moments before Alex's
friends try to pull Danny off him.

Danny tries to struggle free as Eddie and Rich grab his
arms, then BAM! A GUNSHOT (OS) is fired in the air. Reveal:
Greg, holding a PISTOL; he aims at Alex's friends as they
let go of Danny. Everyone around is frightened:

GREG
Alright, nobody fuckin' move!

DANNY
Greg, where'd you get the gun?!

GREG
Don't worry about it.
(to Eddie & Rich)
Y'all ain't gettin' ya fuckin'
money back, a'ight?! End of story!

JOEL (OS)
Ayo, 'the fuck you do to my boy!?

33.

Everyone looks down, finding Alex CONVULSING. Joel feels the
back of Alex's head, coming up with BLOOD.

JOEL (cont'd)
Yo, he's bleeding out -- WHAT THE
FUCK!!

DANNY
(nervous)
I-I don't --

JOEL
(to Eddie & Rich)
Yo, we gotta get Alex to a
hospital; help me carry him!!

Eddie & Rich begin to help Joel carry Alex who won't stop
shaking. Joel turns to Danny:

JOEL
Don't let us catch you, you hear
me!? You're fuckin' dead!

Greg and Danny soon hear SIRENS (OS) in the vicinity, then
quickly rush into their own car and speed off.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING - LATER

Greg's Honda pulls up to the front of Danny's building.

CUT TO:

INT. HONDA

Greg is at the wheel while Danny sits in the passenger's
seat, clearly frightened.

DANNY
(beat)
Yo... what the fuck did I do to
that guy...? He wouldn't stop
shaking -- like he had a seizure
or something...!

GREG
Don't worry about it, man. Go
home, sleep it off, and lay low
for a while. I'll hit you up
later.

34.

Danny slowly gets out of the car, and heads into the
building.

CUT TO:

INT. VALENTINE APARTMENT, BATHROOM - MINUTES LATER

Danny, staring contemplatively, s sitting on the toilet,
holding an ICE PACK to one of his bruised eyes while Justine
searches through the medicine cabinet. She takes out a
BOTTLE OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE, SOME COTTON BALLS, and
BANDAGES; clearly she's done this before. She begins
cleaning his wounds; he winces:

DANNY
Ah! Shit, Jus, that hurts -- !

JUSTINE
(smacks him)
Hey! What'd I tell you about
cussin'? Not in my house, you hear
me?

DANNY
Sorry....

JUSTINE
So, what happened this time?

DANNY
I lost a fight.

JUSTINE
Oh. What for?

DANNY
Money.

JUSTINE
You know, Danny, if you need money
that badly --

DANNY
I'm not asking you for it. I'm
trying to save up money to move
out, and I'm not gonna ask my
sister for help. I'd rather get
out of this shit-hole on my own.

She stops cleaning his wounds to look at him for a moment,
letting out a sigh and shaking her head before continuing.

35.

JUSTINE
You know... sometimes I just don't
get you, Little Bro.

DANNY
(scoffs)
Yeah, well, get in line.

JUSTINE
(beat)
When Mom died, I promised that I'd
look after you. Not that a promise
was necessary. But you do make it
hard sometimes, Danny.

DANNY
I never asked you to.

JUSTINE
No, you didn't. But, as your
sister, I love you and don't want
the day to come where you might
get killed. You may think you're a
good fighter, but there's always
gonna be someone better.
(beat)
Anyone, don't stress yourself, you
won't have to worry about this
"shit-hole" any longer. We're
getting evicted soon.

DANNY
Huh? What're you talking about?
You paid the rent.

JUSTINE
Not all of it. The notice came in
the mail, the other day.

DANNY
Well, how much do you owe? Did you
tell Darren?

JUSTINE
Twenty-five hundred. And no, I
haven't told him yet.

DANNY
What about your job? I'm sure some
extra shifts could help out.

36.

JUSTINE
(sighs)
Work's been slow and there's been
budget cuts lately. There's talks
of layoffs coming up soon. I
dunno...

DANNY
Justine, if you need the money, I
can spot you.

JUSTINE
No, that's fine. I wouldn't want
you to dip into your "moving away
fund".

He just looks at her, feeling bad, while she puts the
bandages on him. Then suddenly:

DARREN (OS)
(laughing)
Ha! He finally got his ass beat!

Danny and Justine turn, finding Darren standing in the
doorway:

JUSTINE
Please, Darren, don't start.

DARREN
(smiling)
What? I'm just sayin', it looks
like someone finally put the boy
in his place; that's what happens
when you talk shit, Danny!

DANNY
(getting up)
I'm not in the mood, Darren. So,
leave me alone.

Darren continues grinning as Danny leaves the bathroom.
Justine puts the items back in the medicine cabinet, before
heading out:

JUSTINE
Don't tease him, Baby. He's had a
rough night.

She leaves the bathroom while he heads in, and closes the
door.

CUT TO:

37.

INT. DANNY'S BEDROOM

Danny lies in bed while still holding the ice pack. The
night's events still weighing in his mind.

CUT TO:

EXT. ERNEST'S KICKBOXING ACADEMY - ESTABLISH - LATER

This gym, located in the heart of Somerville, is not quite
old but has a look to it as if it just recently opened. We
see a TAXI pull up and a young Hispanic man stepping out of
the car, carrying a LUGGAGE BAG. This is FELIX SANTAROSA,
early-20s, a handsome young man with the looks of a college
student. He pays the driver then heads into the gym with his
bag.

CUT TO:

INT. ERNEST'S KICKBOXING ACADEMY

The gym is empty with the exception of Joel, Eddie & Rich
standing around a Hispanic man of mid-50s, sitting up in a
chair, looking pensive -- clearly worried. This is ERNEST
SANTAROSA, the owner of the gym. Felix walks in, smiling
when he sees the group:

FELIX
(smiling)
Yo, Uncle Ernest, wassup! What's
goin' on, fellas?

The boys look up, but can't seem to give an enthusiastic
answer.

FELIX
What's goin' on? Why y'all seem
down?

JOEL
Your cousin's in the hospital,
Felix.

            FELIX
      (drops bag)
What? Why, what happened?
      (no answer; to
       Ernest)
Tio, what happened to Alex?!

Ernest gets up from his seat.

38.

ERNEST
Alex got into a fight with
someone, and now....

FELIX
Now what, Tio?

ERNEST (cont'd)
(softly)
He's in a coma.

FELIX
What...?

EDDIE
He's in Mass General right now.

FELIX
Take me to him.

ERNEST
Felix, no -- !

FELIX
Uncle Ernest, Alex is like my
brother. I need to see him.

Felix walks out of the gym.

CUT TO:

EXT. BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER - ESTABLISH - LATER

We get the sense that it's the morning hours of the night as
we look at the hospital.

CUT TO:

INT. BOSTON MEDICAL, INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

Felix follows Joel, Eddie & Rich to where Alex is being
held. He finds his comatose cousin lying in a bed with
various tubes hooked up to him. His head is also wrapped in
a large bandage. It's a horrible sight to look at, even for
Felix. He turns to his friends, holding back enraged tears:

FELIX
Who did this?

RICH
Dude named Valentine. Amateur
fighter.

39.

FELIX
Find out where he lives, where he
works, who he hangs with...

EDDIE
Yo, that's gonna be kinda hard --
nobody really know who he is other
than he can fight.

FELIX
Then find out something, Eddie!! I
wanna find this dude, and make him
wish he didn't fuck with my
family!!

Eddie and Rich nod before leaving.

JOEL
I thought your girl was flying in
with you, Felix.

FELIX
She went to her cousin's place.
(beat; softly)
Don't worry, Alex, I'll find
whoever did this....

Felix stares down at Alex.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. JOSEPH'S PUB - DAY

SUPER - THREE DAYS LATER

Various people are passing by the pub on a bright day. We
see a YOUNG HISPANIC WOMAN -- a college-type to be exact --
walk in.

CUT TO:

INT. JOSEPH'S PUB

The woman, EMILY DELGADO, enters the half-full pub. A very
pretty Hispanic girl in her early-20s, Emily seems a bit shy
as she looks around the pub and notices a few of the men
eyeing her. However, there is also a sense of comfort to her
despite the many eyes watching. She walks further inside,
noticing Joseph casually walking out of the back room.

40.

EMILY
(smiling)
Joseph!

He looks up, not recognizing her.

JOSEPH
Yes? May I help you?

EMILY
You don't remember me?

JOSEPH
(smiling)
Honey, people come here and then
they leave. And at my age, I don't
have the time to remember any of
them.

EMILY
(smiling)
Okay, well, not everyone has the
privilege of being yelled at by
someone who's not their father
after being caught drinking at a
party when they weren't supposed
to.

JOSEPH
(realizing)
Emily... Delgado?

EMILY
I knew you'd remember!

JOSEPH
Wow! Look at you -- you look
beautiful! How's the family?

EMILY
(smiling)
They're doing great.

JOSEPH
What have you been up to?

EMILY
Um, going to school, and staying
out of trouble. I'm studying
Neurosurgery, down at the
University of Florida.

41.

JOSEPH
(impressed)
Oh, good for you!

CUT TO:

INT. BACK ROOM - SAME

We see Danny, who still sports a bandage over of his brow,
is taking out the trash along with some old crates and
boxes. Next, he heads to the front of the pub.

CUT TO:

INT. JOSEPH'S PUB

As Joseph & Emily continue talking, Danny casually walks out
of the back room, never noticing a thing as he heads to the
restroom when:

EMILY
(noticing)
Danny...?

Danny turns when he hears his name, searching for the voice.

EMILY
Excuse me, Joe.
(walking up)
Danny... Valentine?

DANNY
(recognizing)
Emily...?

EMILY
(smiling)
Oh my God, Danny, it's been so
long!

DANNY
Yeah!

He smiles as they hug.

DANNY
(smiling)
Damn, you look good! Getting out
of town seemed worth it.

42.

EMILY
(smiling)
Thanks. So, what're you doing
here?

DANNY
I work here.

EMILY
Oh, really?

DANNY
Yeah, I've been here a while now.
So, how's everything with you?

EMILY
Everything's good. We're all good.
(re: bandage)
Um, what happened to you?

DANNY
Oh, that? It's nothin' -- boxing.

EMILY
Oh, I see.

DANNY
Yeah, so what else has been up?

EMILY
I'm in college. I just finished
the semester and now I'm on
vacation.

DANNY
Cool, that's wassup.
(noticing)
Hey, listen, not that I don't
wanna talk, 'cause I do, but I
gotta get back to work. Joe's a
real-hard ass over slackers. But
are you doing anything tonight?

EMILY
Uh... no, I'm free. Why?

DANNY
We should get together and hang
out. You know, catch up on old
times?

43.

DANNY
(smiling)
Yeah, of course! When do you get
off?

DANNY
Seven.

EMILY
Okay, I'll see you then. Bye.

DANNY
Bye.

They hug before parting ways.

CUT TO:

INT. JOSEPH'S PUB - LATER

Danny is behind the bar now, serving drinks with Lisa. Jonah
is also sitting at the counter, finishing a beer while
reading a newspaper. Danny approaches:

DANNY
(re: beer)
'Get you another one, Jonah?

JONAH
Please, Mate.

Danny takes the empty bottle and disposes of it. Next, he
returns with a fresh beer and hands it to Jonah.

JONAH
(re: bandages)
Hey, so, you gonna tell me what
happened to your face there,
Danny?

DANNY
Slipped on a bottle and banged my
head on the dumpster out back the
other day.

JONAH
Oh. I thought you might've been in
another fight without me knowing.
(takes a sip)
Speaking of which, did you hear
about what happened at the
quarries the other night?

44.

DANNY
Uh... naw.

JONAH
There was an underground fight
over there, and some kid felt he
got ripped off on a bet. So, he
confronted the loser to get his
money back but a fight broke out,
and the poor geezer got his head
smashed against the pavement; he
was sent to the hospital, some
eyewitnesses said. Supposedly,
he's in a coma right now.

DANNY
Jesus...!

JONAH (cont'd)
It's shit like that why I always
advise you to fight fights with my
prior approval.

DANNY
Yeah, thanks....

JONAH
So, you comin' to the gym tonight?

DANNY
Uh, I can't. I got a date.

JONAH
(grinning)
Danny, what'd I tell you 'bout
playing with yourself -- ?

DANNY
(smiling)
C'mon, Jonah, seriously? I don't
do that... anymore.

JONAH
(chuckles)
Well, alright, then you have fun
with your date.

DANNY
(smiling)
Thanks.

45.

Jonah takes one last sip of his beer, before paying for it
then leaving. Danny's smile slowly leaves as we see the
grief come over him. Lisa approaches:

LISA
You okay, kid? You don't look so
good.

DANNY
(sighs)
I need some air. I'll be back.

He heads to the back room.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. JOSEPH'S PUB - EVENING

There is still some activity going on inside the pub as
Danny, wearing a LIGHT JACKET, waits outside. He glances at
his watch when suddenly a late-model SEDAN pulls up to the
curb. Emily is at the wheel as Danny approaches the car.

DANNY
(impressed)
Nice car!

EMILY
(smiling)
Yeah, my cousin let me borrow it.
So, where do you wanna go?

DANNY
You drink?

EMILY
On occasion. Why?

DANNY
There's this little bar, I know --
better than this place.

EMILY
Where at?

DANNY
Brighton. Move over, I'll drive.

She undoes her seat belt and moves to the passenger's seat
as he gets in the driver's seat. They drive off.

CUT TO:

46.

INT. MODERN BAR - LATER

There is plenty of YOUNG, COLLEGE-TYPES and SOPHISTICATED
PEOPLE in this modern bar somewhere in the Cambridge area.
Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves as they unwind
after their long days. We find Danny & Emily, sitting at
their own table and drinking beers. They're enjoying each
other's company as they laugh, definitely catching up on old
times.

EMILY
(smiling)
... So, tell me, what've you been
doing these last eight years?

DANNY
(smiling)
Damn, so much has happened....

EMILY
Oh yeah, like what?

DANNY
Um... you remember my boy Greg?

EMILY
Mmm-hmm, Greg Thompson?

DANNY
(smiling)
Yeah. Well, me and him used to
play pop warner football. He
played wide receiver, and I'll
never forget what happened during
our state championship game.

EMILY
(smiling)
Tell me.

DANNY
(chuckles)
He made this huge catch close to
the end zone, but his pants fell!
And since I was closest, I had to
block for him while he tried to
pick up his pants, and run for the
touchdown. He never made it, but
we still won the game.

            EMILY
      (chuckles)
Danny, we're two adults having
drinks and catching up. And you
            (MORE)

47.

EMILY (cont'd)
mean to tell me that a story about
pop warner football is the best
you can come up with?

DANNY
(smiling)
Yeah, I'll admit that was kinda
weak.

EMILY (cont'd)
What about high school?

DANNY
(takes a sip)
High School kinda sucked for me. I
wasn't exactly the best student
around; me and Greg got mixed up
with the wrong kind of people, and
then I eventually dropped out
during my junior year. You?

EMILY
I went to a catholic school, down
in Orlando --

DANNY
(smiling)
Oh, that's sexy -- picturing you
in the uniform...

EMILY
(chuckles)
Get your mind outta the gutter!
You haven't changed one bit.

He smiles in response.

EMILY (cont'd)
But, yeah, after that I went on to
Florida State.

DANNY
What're you studying?

EMILY
Neurosurgery.

DANNY
(smiling)
'The hell is that, brain surgery?

48.

EMILY
(smiling)
Yeah, pretty much. It's surgery
performed on the nervous system,
especially the brain and spinal
cord.

DANNY
(taken aback)
Nice. I always knew you were
smart, but that just kicked it up
a notch!

EMILY
Thank you, it means a lot. So,
how's your parents?

DANNY
Uh, they're dead. Yeah, my mom
died of cancer three years ago.
And my dad, well, I don't really
know what killed the guy.

EMILY
Why you say it like that?

DANNY
My dad was a boxer, but we never
really got along. I was his only
son and he would hit me a lot, and
always put me down, which is why I
hated him. But, sport fighting was
the only thing we had in common.
By the time I was twelve, he left
us and got involved with some bad
people. It wasn't long until we
heard that he got killed for it.
At his funeral, someone asked why
I didn't seem to care, and I said,
"because he was never my dad to
begin with".

EMILY
Oh. I'm sorry to hear that. But,
that explains why you're into
fighting.

            DANNY
      (realizing)
Yeah, I guess you might say that.
      (beat)
Listen, I'm gonna head to the
restroom real quick. Okay?

49.

EMILY
Okay.

She continues drinking her beer as he gets up and walks off.
Suddenly, Emily's CELLPHONE, which is on the table, RINGS
when it receives a text message. She picks it up to check
it.

CUT TO:

INT. MEN'S RESTROOM

Danny walks in as another man walks out of the restroom,
leaving him all alone. He walks over and into a stall,
locking the door behind. Inside the stall, Danny leans
against the wall; he takes in a deep breath and lets out a
very contemplative sigh, taking off his bandage:

            DANNY
      (to himself;
       smiling)
Okay, man, you've been out there
for the past two hours, having
drinks with Emily Delgado; your
old girlfriend. You've been
flirting with her and she seems to
be flirting back. Make your move!
      (sighs)
Let's do it.

He leaves the stall.

CUT TO:

INT. MODERN BAR

Danny emerges from the restroom, but notices something
through the crowd.

DANNY'S POV

He sees Felix approaching his and Emily's table. She happily
gets up, greeting him with a hug and a kiss. He smiles as he
tells her something and she responds while looking around
the room, searching for Danny.

BACK TO SCENE

Danny is visibly hurt as Emily gestures for him to come
back. He does so, slowly walking through the sea of people
while keeping his composure.

50.

DANNY
Hey...

EMILY
Danny, I want you to meet my
boyfriend, Felix.

            FELIX
      (extending his
       hand)
Wassup?

Danny hesitates on shaking his hand. They sit back down.

EMILY
I asked Felix to come by. I hope
you're okay with that?

DANNY
Uh... y-yeah, it's no problem.

FELIX
So, Em tells me you two are
childhood friends?

DANNY
Yeah, pretty much.

FELIX
Where'd you meet?

DANNY
At the YMCA in Southie. How long
y'all two been together?

FELIX
Almost two years.
(smiling)
Ain't that right, Babe?

EMILY
(smiling)
Mmm-hmm.

Danny watches as she kisses him, trying to contain himself.

EMILY
We met at a peace rally on campus.

DANNY
Oh, so y'all go to the same
school.

51.

FELIX
Yeah, I'm studying Social
Psychology. You know, how people
act in certain situations -- ?

DANNY
Yeah, I get it.

FELIX
(beat)
So, are you from Southie, Dan?

DANNY
Naw, I'm from Dorchester. And it's
Danny.

FELIX
Oh. I've never been that far out
in Massachusetts, so I don't know
where that is --

DANNY
It's not too far from Southie.

FELIX
So, where do you work?

DANNY
I work in a bar.

FELIX
You're a bartender?

DANNY
I do whatever I'm asked to do --

FELIX
So, if a guy asked you to give him
a blowjob, would you do it?

DANNY
(disgusted)
'The fuck are you gettin' at!?

EMILY
Okay, Felix, stop it.

FELIX
(chuckles)
I'm sorry, man, it's a little joke
my professor played on me once. My
bad.

52.

DANNY
Yeah, whatever.

EMILY
I'm sorry, guys, but I have to go
pee. I'll be back in a bit.

FELIX
Okay, Sweetie.

He gives her a light kiss just before she leaves. Danny
can't help but look on as Emily makes her way to the
restroom:

FELIX
Amazing, isn't she?

DANNY
Huh?

FELIX
Emily, I see the way you look at
her. Watching out for facial
expressions is also part of my
class.

Danny tries to ignore him, looking around the room.

FELIX (cont'd)
I seriously hope you don't think
you have a chance with her. You'd
stay away from her, if you know
what's good for you.

DANNY
(beat)
I'm sorry, Felix, but are you
threatening me?

FELIX
Do you feel threatened?

DANNY
A little, yeah.

            FELIX
      (grinning)
Good. 'See, I don't know what kind
of history you and Emily have,
whether you two were together or
not? But I'm her man now, and I'm
not the type you wanna fuck with.
So, don't think about trying to
get with her or even seeing her
            (MORE)

53.

FELIX (cont'd)
like that, got it?

DANNY
(sitting up)
Nigga, you think your little
bullshit psychology knowledge is
gonna scare me? Please, I ain't
afraid of you -- you're a fuckin'
nobody! And if I wanna see her
again, well then try and stop me.

They have a stare-down as Emily returns to the table.

EMILY
(sitting down)
Okay, I'm back.

CUT TO:

INT. VALENTINE APARTMENT - NIGHT

Justine is alone in the living room, watching TV when Danny
enters the apartment. He seems cheerful, with an everlasting
smile on his face that he can't seem to wipe off as he heads
towards his bedroom. Justine notices:

JUSTINE
Hey.

She gets no response as he continues into his room. She gets
up and follows.

CUT TO:

INT. DANNY'S BEDROOM

Danny enters the room, taking his jacket off and placing it
off to the side. He's still happy as he sits on his bed --
probably still thinking of the earlier evening. Moments
later, Justine walks in.

JUSTINE
(smiling)
Okay, what's going on?

DANNY
(smiling)
What?

            JUSTINE
      (sitting down)
C'mon, Danny, I haven't seen you
this happy since before Mom died.
            (MORE)

54.

JUSTINE (cont'd)
What's up?

DANNY
Alright. Wow, um... do you
remember Emily Delgado?

JUSTINE
Uh... yeah, I think so. Wasn't
she, like, your little girlfriend
back in the day?

DANNY
Yeah.

JUSTINE
(smiling)
Okay, so tell me what happened?

DANNY
She's back in town, and we were
having drinks earlier.

JUSTINE
That's good. That means you two
can pick up where you left off.

DANNY
(getting up)
Eh... not exactly. She's only here
for a few weeks, and besides that,
she has a boyfriend.

JUSTINE
Oh.

DANNY
Yeah, the guy's a dick -- excuse
my language.

JUSTINE
Why you say that?

DANNY
He was pretty arrogant, and he
kinda threatened me.

JUSTINE
Oh, don't tell me you got into a
fight with him, Danny -- !

55.

DANNY
No, no! Not even, Jus. 'See, what
happened was that I met him in the
bar, and we talked a little bit;
but then it was like he was tryin'
to pick a fight with me. And when
Emily left us alone for a bit,
that's when he told me to stay
away from her.

JUSTINE
Well, it seems like he's
protective of her. And he
obviously doesn't know you well,
so he's trying to set up some
boundaries.

DANNY
I can understand that, but I can't
do it regardless. I-I actually
wanna see her again.

JUSTINE
Well, I hope it all works out
then. Good night, Bro.

DANNY
Good night.

She leaves the room.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. GREG'S HOUSE - EARLY MORNING

We're outside a modest low-income house somewhere in a South
Boston neighborhood as we see Danny sitting in the driver's
seat of Greg's Honda, while he fixes something under the
hood. Greg has a screwdriver in hand as he works on the car.

GREG
Yo, so I hear Emily's back in
town.

DANNY
Yeah, how'd you know?

GREG
I went by the bar, looking for you
last night.

56.

DANNY
Oh. Yeah, we hung out, had some
drinks.

GREG
Oh, yeah? How it go?

DANNY
It was cool, 'til her boyfriend
showed up.

GREG
Damn, that must've sucked.
(re: car)
Try it now.

Danny tries the ignition, but the car won't start.

GREG
Alright, pass me the wrench.

Danny reaches over to the passenger's seat, and hands him a
WRENCH. Then, Greg gets back to work on the engine.

DANNY
(smiling)
Yo, tell me why this dude tried to
threaten me!

GREG
(chuckles)
Get the fuck outta here!

DANNY
I swear to God! Check it, right?
So we're talkin', and he's asking
me all these questions like, where
do I live and work? So, I go with
it. But when Emily heads to the
restroom, that's when his true
colors start comin' out, and he's
telling me to stay away from her,
"if I know what's good for me".

GREG
(laughing)
Wow, what a fag! What's he all
about, anyway?

57.

DANNY
I dunno -- he's some pretty boy
from Florida. 'Thinks he can run
shit 'cause he's gettin' a college
degree.

GREG
Yeah, I bet...

DANNY
Yup.
(beat)
Yo, but on a serious note, Jonah
knows what happened at the
quarries....

GREG
(realizing)
That's why I was looking for you!
I found out that guy's name: Alex
Santarosa. 'Turns out his dad runs
a kickboxing gym out in
Somerville. Does Jonah know you
were involved?

DANNY
Naw, I don't think so. He told me
that this Alex guy is in a coma
right now. I'm telling you, Greg,
I haven't been able to sleep well
since that night.

GREG
(chuckles)
Shit, I guess you don't know your
own strength, man!

DANNY
That's not funny! Yo, I've
actually thought about giving up
on the whole UFC thing because of
this!

GREG
Danny, don't! I'm telling you, do
not do that. A'ight, yeah, you put
the guy in a coma, but he hit you
first -- remember that shit!
(re: car)
Try it again.

58.

Danny turns the ignition again. The car struggles until it
finally ROARS to life. Greg closes the hood, happy with the
job done. Danny gets out.

GREG
Tonight, when you're done with
whatever, I'm taking you out
somewhere. You need to get your
mind off shit, a'ight?

DANNY
(sighs)
Alright.

GREG
(giving dap)
Thanks for the help, D.

Danny leaves as Greg begins putting his tools away.

CUT TO:

EXT. BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER - ESTABLISH - LATER

It's midday and we can see various people and traffic
passing by.

CUT TO:

INT. BOSTON MEDICAL, ALEX'S ROOM

Alex has a room to himself, as Ernest sits by his side. He
hangs his head down while holding his son's hand, looking
very sad.

ERNEST
(softly)
Why, Alex? Why do you get yourself
in these situations? I always told
you that if you're going to fight
someone, do it in the ring, where
people can look out for you. Why
didn't you listen to me...?

Ernest looks up as Felix slowly walks into the room.

FELIX
Hey, Uncle. Why aren't you at the
gym?

            ERNEST
      (getting up)
I just wanted to come spend some
time with Alex. I'm going back
            (MORE)

59.

ERNEST (cont'd)
now, so I'll see you later.

Ernest begins leaving but soon stops:

ERNEST
I know you and Alex are close,
Felix, but I do hope you're not
looking for revenge or anything
like that....

FELIX
(beat)
Uncle Ernest, I came up here so
you can train me for the Blood,
Sweat & Dreams tournament. If I
win, I wanna use that prize money
to help pay the hospital bills.

ERNEST
Well, you won the regional
competition in Florida last year.
So, I know you can do it. But,
we're gonna be training hard for
this; I don't want you to fuck
around, understand? No excuses! I
won't tolerate any bullshit.

FELIX
Hey, I know I do a lot of stupid
shit whenever I come visit you
guys, but I'm gonna do this for
Alex. I'm serious.

ERNEST
(nodding)
Okay. I'll see you at home.

Ernest leaves as Felix takes a seat next to Alex.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. RAIN NIGHTLIFE - ESTABLISH - NIGHT

Rain Nightlife is a popular nightclub, located in the Malden
area. We're assured of it's popularity as we see plenty of
people waiting to get inside, with bouncers keeping the line
in check.

CUT TO:

INT. RAIN NIGHTLIFE

60.

The club is packed as Greg leads Danny in. Greg is relishing
the vibe of the venue while Danny seems clearly shy, if not
indifferent. This ultramodern club looks very elegant and
just the right place to find all the cool people at. The
boys make their way to the bar:

GREG
(to Danny)
Yo, you wanna drink? I got you.

DANNY
Naw, training's getting intense.
Club soda's fine.

GREG
A'ight, no problem, Champ.
(to bartender)
Lemme get a Corona, and a club
soda.

The Bartender nods before reaching for the drinks, and
handing them to Greg. Greg turns and hands the club soda to
Danny:

DANNY
(takes a sip)
Man, you know how I feel about
clubs. They make me feel weird.

GREG
(smiling)
So?! Man, I'm your ride home, so
stop actin' like a bitch!

DANNY
(chuckles)
Fuck you!

SOMEONE'S POV

We see the boys conversing by the bar as they watch the
action on the dance floor, laughing and joking while doing
so.

BACK TO SCENE

Emily is sitting at a booth, drinking a beer, with Felix and
her beautiful cousin, JESSICA, mid-20s. She's watching the
boys as they talk; Felix is simply drinking his beer,
meanwhile Jessica sips a MARTINI as she vibes to the music.
Emily turns to her company:

61.

EMILY
'Be back in a minute.

JESSICA
Nena, where you goin'?

EMILY
I just saw a friend of mine. Don't
worry, I'll be back.

She heads off. Danny & Greg are walking through the crowd
when Emily approaches, and taps Danny on the shoulder. He
turns:

DANNY
(smiling)
Oh hey, Emily!

JESSICA
(smiling)
Hey!

They hug as Greg turns:

EMILY
What're you doing here?

DANNY
Chillin'. You?

EMILY
The same.

DANNY
Cool.
(realizing)
Hey, um, this is Greg.

GREG
(nodding)
'Sup, Emily?

EMILY
(smiling)
Hi, Greg. Who'd you guys come
with?

DANNY
It's just us. Why?

62.

EMILY
I'm here with my cousin and my
boyfriend. We have a booth, if you
wanna join us?

GREG
Hell yeah! Let's go!

EMILY
(chuckles)
Okay!

She leads them back to the booth. Felix and Jessica are
looking around, but he quickly places his attention on Danny
upon his arrival:

            EMILY
      (to Felix &
       Jessica)
Hey, I hope you don't mind my
friends joining us? Felix, you've
already met Danny, so this is his
friend, Greg.

GREG
(nodding)
Wassup?

Felix simply nods in response, then turns to Danny.

EMILY
Boys, this is my cousin, Jessica.
Jess, that's Danny and Greg.

DANNY
(smiling)
Jessica? Damn, it's been a minute!
How you been?

JESSICA
I'm good, Danny. You?

DANNY
I'm good.

EMILY
(smiling)
Come, guys, sit down!

Greg sits first, taking his place next to Jessica, while
Emily sits next to Danny, across from Felix who clearly
feels insulted.

63.

CUT TO:

INT. RAIN NIGHTLIFE - MINUTES LATER

Everyone has at least two beer bottles in front of them,
with the exception of Jessica, who has EMPTY MARTINI
GLASSES, and Danny, who has EMPTY CUPS. They all laugh and
joke and converse, except for Felix who seems relatively
tight-lipped as he ignores them and looks to the crowds:

GREG
(laughing)
... Yeah, and so, me and Danny
were just chillin', minding our
own business as we watch these two
girls fight in the cafeteria. They
goin' at it, and suddenly they
bring the fight to us, and we
tryin' to get out of the way! But
someone pushes me into it, and I'm
gettin' hit by these two chicks
who think I'm instigating! But I'm
not fighting back 'cause I'm a
lover not a fighter.

Danny and the girls laugh.

DANNY
(smiling)
Yeah, that was the highlight of
high school for us: getting into
trouble.

GREG
(noticing)
Yo, Felix, what's goin' on, Bro?
You haven't said anything for a
while.

FELIX
(shakes his head)
It's nothing.

EMILY
You wanna dance, Baby?

FELIX
Naw, I'm cool.

DANNY
(to Emily)
I'll dance with you.

64.

EMILY
Really? But I thought you hated
dancing.

DANNY
(smiling)
Is that a challenge, Emmy?

EMILY
(smiling)
No, more like a fact.

DANNY
(chuckles)
Come on.

They both get up; he takes her by the hand as he leads her
to the dance floor. There's dance hall music playing when
Danny & Emily start dancing:

EMILY
(smiling)
You haven't called me "Emmy" since
the fifth grade, Danny.

DANNY
A lot has happened since then.

EMILY
(beat)
So, tell me, why'd you drop out of
high school?

DANNY
I used to get into a lot of
trouble, fighting with people.

EMILY
Why?

DANNY
(shrugs)
I don't know. I seemed to have a
knack for it, especially being
around Greg. I mean there were a
lot of shit-talkers out there, and
I guess I always felt the need to
defend myself.

            EMILY
      (shakes her head)
That's sad, Hun. I remember back
when we were together, you were
always quick to fight any boy that
            (MORE)

65.

EMILY (cont'd)
was looking at me. Your mom was
right, Danny, you need to control
your temper.

DANNY
Yeah, I hear you. But, it's not
easy out here, Em.
(beat)
So, what's Felix all about?

EMILY
Felix... he's actually into
competitive fighting. Y'know,
mixed martial arts?

DANNY
And you're just fine with that?

EMILY
Well, it makes him happy so...
yeah.

DANNY
Do you love him?

EMILY
We've been together for two years.
It'd be hard not to.

Danny just looks at her, something about her answer that
just doesn't register:

EMILY
(concerned)
What?

DANNY
(realizing)
Oh, nothin'. Just wondering what
would bring him all the way up
here?

EMILY
His uncle is training him.

DANNY
Oh.

The song changes to a love song, and all the couples begin
slow-dancing along to it. Danny & Emily just stand, feeling
awkward until he extends his hand, asking her to dance. She

66.

obliges. As Greg and Jessica continue to converse, Felix
looks to the dance floor.

FELIX'S POV

He watches as Danny dances closely with his girlfriend, both
enjoying themselves on the floor. They smile.

BACK TO SCENE

Felix clearly doesn't like what he's seeing, as he takes
another sip of his beer.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. RAIN NIGHTLIFE - LATER

It's late in the night, Danny and company are among the last
few people when they emerge from the club as it closes up.
They stand outside, having enjoyed themselves, wishing the
night wouldn't end. All except Felix, of course, who
distances himself:

JESSICA
(smiling)
Well, guys, I guess we gotta go.
But it was nice hanging out with
you two.

GREG
Same here.

JESSICA
Greg, call me, okay?

GREG
(smiling)
Oh, most definitely!

Jessica chuckles as she walks away towards Felix.

EMILY
Well, I had fun tonight.
(in Spanish)
Thanks for the dance, Danny.

DANNY
(smiling; Spanish)
You're welcome.

67.

Emily smiles as she hugs him. Afterwards, she waves good bye
as she and her group leaves. Danny and Greg walk in the
opposite direction. Danny can't help but glance back for a
moment, before continuing forward:

GREG
Well, I had a good time tonight.
You?

DANNY
I'd say it was a night to
remember.

GREG
Yo, what was up with Felix,
anyway? He seemed to have an
attitude problem.

DANNY
I don't know, man. Don't worry,
it's not our problem.

GREG
(thinking aloud)
He's got issues.

Danny smiles to himself as they continue walking to their
car.

CUT TO:

EXT. ERNEST'S KICKBOXING ACADEMY - ESTABLISH - DAY

We see some people of various ages entering and exiting the
gym.

CUT TO:

INT. ERNEST'S KICKBOXING ACADEMY

Wearing KICKBOXING EQUIPMENT, we see Felix sparring in the
ring with Joel. The two seem to be having a friendly
sparring match, until it becomes clear that Felix is taking
out some frustration. Joel clinches him for a brief pause:

JOEL
Yo, kid, calm down. You okay?

FELIX
(backing away)
Do I look okay?!

68.

Felix starts throwing punches as Joel continues to block and
dodge. Then:

JOEL
Well, shit, man; you wanna talk
about it?

FELIX
(between punches)
I was out the other night... with
Emily and her cousin. We went to a
club, and this old friend of hers
shows up.

JOEL
(blocking)
So, what's the problem?

FELIX
(between punches)
'Problem is... he's a guy.

JOEL
(blocking)
What, so you're jealous?

FELIX
(backing away)
Is not even that! Joel, I don't
know shit about this dude, yet
here he is all over my girl. He
even danced with Emily, when I
refused!

JOEL
(grinning)
So, you are jealous.

This has obviously pissed off Felix even more as he resumes
punching and kicking more aggressively; Joel continues
blocking until he stops him again:

JOEL
(chuckles)
A'ight, man, I was just fuckin'
wit'chu!

FELIX
(backing away)
Yo, I'm serious! The whole time
this asshole was there, Em was all
over him like she forgot I was
even around!

69.

JOEL
Damn, that's fucked up.

FELIX
Yeah!

Joel blocks another combo from Felix, then:

FELIX
I swear, this dude's gonna give me
a reason to fuck him up -- watch!

JOEL
Felix, don't even worry about this
fool, a'ight? Just focus on your
training.

They continue sparring, this time with Joel throwing some
kicks and punches.

CUT TO:

INT. JOSEPH'S PUB, BACK ROOM - LATER

Joseph is sitting at the desk, sipping coffee and reading a
newspaper when Danny enters:

DANNY
(sitting down)
Yo, Joseph! I need to talk to you.

JOSEPH
What is it?

DANNY
I've been training for a big fight
tournament coming up, and I need
time off to commit.

JOSEPH
(beat; nodding)
Okay.

DANNY
(confused)
That-that's it?

JOSEPH
What do you want me to say?

DANNY
Naw, I just expected you to at
least put up a fight.

70.

JOSEPH
Danny, I'm not your father. If you
have other business to attend to,
then I'll find someone to cover
for you. Now, let me read my
paper.

Danny can't argue with that so he leaves.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. DOJO - ESTABLISH - EVENING

We're outside a local karate dojo somewhere in the city as
people pass by it.

CUT TO:

INT. DOJO

Jonah and Danny, who's carrying his backpack, walk into the
gym where they find students in the middle of a session.

DANNY
What're we doing here, Jonah?
What's wrong with your place?

Jonah ignores the question as he nods, noticing someone. The
main instructor, a well-built, easy-going guy named STEVE,
late-40s, approaches them. He and Jonah embrace:

STEVE
(smiling)
Jonah! How you been, man?

JONAH
(smiling)
I've been good, Mate. I want you
to meet my pupil, Danny.

STEVE
(shaking hands)
Hey, I'm Steve.

DANNY
What's up?

JONAH
Steve owns and operates this dojo,
teaching Karate. He's also the one
who told me about the BSD.
(to Steve)
So, is your student ready?

71.

STEVE
Yeah, Rob says he can't wait.

JONAH
Good. Thanks for doing this.

STEVE
No problem, Bro. Just remember,
Danny, Rob hates it when people go
easy on him. Good luck.

Steve walks back to his students.

DANNY
Kids, Jonah? You have me fighting
kids? Come on!

JONAH
(grinning)
Hey, never underestimate an
opponent. Go change.

DANNY
(to himself)
Shit...!

Danny heads to the locker rooms.

CUT TO:

INT. DOJO - MINUTES LATER

The dojo has been closed early. Steve, Jonah and the rest of
the students, all of different ages, are gathered around the
mat; forming a circle around Danny and ROB, a young
apprentice in his late-teens. Both in their fighting gear,
Danny doesn't seem to be interested in the match while Rob
is taking this very seriously.

JONAH
Alright, begin.

Rob and Danny bow to each other, then the match is on as the
students cheer on. While Danny seems to be the stronger
fighter, Rob is clearly faster -- outsmarting him and
landing blow after blow. Danny is getting angrier with each
hit, catching Rob's foot in mid-roundhouse kick, but getting
knocked down by Rob's other foot. Danny lands near Jonah:

DANNY
Come on, Danny -- you need to
control your temper!

72.

Danny looks at Jonah, listening as he gets back up; Rob
prepares as Danny begins fighting back, keeping up with the
kid. It's a good match, with both fighters showing great
defense and offense until Danny finally wins with a punch,
knocking Rob out.

STEVE
Time! Good job, Danny.

Danny extends a hand, helping Rob back up.

DANNY
(panting)
Good fight.

Rob nods in agreement before heading to the locker rooms.
Jonah approaches Danny as everyone begins to leave:

JONAH
How you feel?

DANNY
(panting)
'Kid almost had me!

JONAH
Yes, but everything changed once
you controlled your temper. It was
a problematic area I noticed.

DANNY
(nodding)
Yeah, I was able to concentrate
more.

JONAH
Good. I want you to remember that
because you're still far from
ready. Let's go.

They walk away.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. ERNEST'S KICKBOXING ACADEMY - ESTABLISH - DAY

There are some people entering and exiting the gym as we see
Danny heading inside.

CUT TO:

INT. ERNEST'S KICKBOXING ACADEMY

73.

Ernest is teaching some kids some grappling moves when he
notices Danny walking into the gym, looking a bit nervous.
Joel, who's hitting a punching bag, notices as Ernest
approaches Danny.

ERNEST
Can I help you?

DANNY
Are you Alex Santarosa's father?

ERNEST
Yes.

DANNY
Well... then I need to talk to
you. In private, please.

Ernest gestures for Danny to follow him, unaware of Joel
watching the two in confusion.

CUT TO:

INT. ERNEST'S OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER

Ernest is sitting in his chair, while Danny sits across from
him, with his head hanging down. A beat goes by until he
looks up:

DANNY
(sighs)
I came here because I wanted to
apologize to you, face to face.
I'm Danny Valentine; I'm the man
responsible for putting your son
in the hospital right now.

ERNEST
(beat)
You have some balls coming
here...!

DANNY
(getting up)
Yeah, I know --

ERNEST
Give me one good reason why I
shouldn't kill you!

DANNY
Look, I know you must hate me
right now, but I never intended
for this to happen -- believe me!
(MORE)

74.

DANNY (cont'd)
I'm not a thug, like those
assholes on the streets.

ERNEST
Then, tell me your story. Convince
me.

DANNY
We were at the quarries. I lost a
fight that he bet money on, and he
was upset. I apologized but then
he hit me with a lead pipe, so I
defended myself. I tackled him to
the ground, but I didn't realize
how hard his head hit the
pavement. I was only defending
myself; you have to believe me....

Ernest slowly rises up, looking out of a window:

            ERNEST
      (beat)
Alex was always a stubborn kid,
and a troublemaker.
      (turns to Danny)
I believe you. I accept your
apology.

They shake hands.

CUT TO:

INT. ERNEST'S KICKBOXING ACADEMY

Joel has gone back to hitting the punching bag, but his
attention soon goes back to Danny, who is making his way out
of the gym, having made peace with Ernest. On his way out,
Danny bumps into Felix as he enters the gym.

FELIX
(confused)
Danny?

DANNY
Felix.

Danny continues out while a confused Felix just stands
there.

DISSOLVE TO:

75.

INT. VALENTINE APARTMENT - NIGHT

Justine and Gisselle are sitting on the couch, watching TV
when the phone rings. Justine answers it:

            JUSTINE
      (into phone)
Hello?... May I ask who's
calling?... Oh, hey, Emily. It's
Justine, Danny's sister... Yeah,
it has been a while... I'm good...
Yeah, he's in his room, hold on.
      (to Gisselle)
Baby, take the phone to your
uncle.

Gisselle takes the phone as she heads for Danny's room.

CUT TO:

INT. DANNY'S BEDROOM

Danny is lying in bed, listening to music when Gisselle
enters the room with the CORDLESS PHONE.

GISSELLE
Uncle Danny, the phone.

DANNY
Who is it?

GISSELLE
I think its a girl.

DANNY
(sitting up)
Give it here!

She hands him the phone but stays in the room, waiting for
him to talk. He notices:

DANNY
(smiling)
You can go now.

Gisselle smiles as she leaves the room.

DANNY
(into phone)
Hello?

CUT TO:

76.

INT. JESSICA'S APARTMENT, LIVING ROOM - SAME

Emily is alone in the apartment, flipping through channels
on the television as she talks on her cellphone.

EMILY
(into phone)
Hey, its Emily. Is this a bad
time?

INTERCUTTING

DANNY
Naw, that was just my niece. Um...
how you get my number?

EMILY
(smiling)
Greg gave it to me, when he called
Jessica.

DANNY
Oh.

EMILY
Yeah. Hey, so Jess left me home
alone, and I'm bored. I was
wondering if I could come by your
place?

DANNY
Right now?

EMILY
Well, yeah... unless you don't
want me to --

DANNY
Naw, its cool! I'm just wondering
how you'll get here.

EMILY
I'll take a cab.

DANNY
Alright. I'll see you later then.

EMILY
(smiling)
Okay. Bye.

DANNY
Bye.

77.

They hang up. Danny just sits there, smiling to himself.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. VALENTINE APARTMENT, LIVING ROOM - LATER

It's late in the night. The whole apartment is dark and
quiet when Danny slowly opens the door for Emily:

DANNY
(whispering)
Shh... everyone's asleep.

She nods and steps inside. Emily is wearing a casual outfit
of JEANS and a T-SHIRT, but is somehow looking very
beautiful while doing so. They slowly walk back to his room.

CUT TO:

INT. DANNY'S BEDROOM

Danny leads Emily into his room. She closes the door behind:

DANNY
What happened? I thought you'd get
here sooner.

EMILY
Yeah, my cab showed up late. I'm
sorry.

DANNY
It's cool. It's hard getting a cab
in Boston anyway, let alone call
for one.

They sit on the bed.

EMILY
(smiling)
Wow, small bedroom. Nice!

DANNY
I like it small.

EMILY
(looking around)
You know, I remember about half
this stuff.

DANNY
(smiling)
Really?

78.

            EMILY
      (smiling)
Yeah.
      (pointing out)
Like, that over there: that's the
jersey you wore when you played
basketball at the YMCA. That's the
Red Sox hat I gave you for your
birthday once. And that's the
broken clock your mom begged you
to throw away.

They chuckle.

EMILY
A lot of time has passed, Hun. I
miss your mom.

DANNY
Yeah, me too.

EMILY
I really liked her.

He looks down, smiling half-heartedly at her comment. A beat
goes by as Emily looks around the room, until she notices
something:

EMILY
(surprised)
No...!

She gets up and heads over to the night stand, finding a
FRAMED PICTURE next to a working clock. She picks it up:

INSERT - PHOTOGRAPH

In the picture, we see Danny and Emily, both around age 14,
in the middle of what seems like a festival. Danny is
wearing a PUERTO RICAN FLAG as a cape as he hugs Emily from
behind, both smiling.

BACK TO SCENE

EMILY
(softly)
Oh my God, I can't believe you've
kept this...

She seems happy by the gesture as he stands next to her.

79.

DANNY
(smiling)
Oh yeah, that was a fun day.

EMILY
We took this picture at the Puerto
Rican festival, during my last
summer in Boston. You said you'd
wear the flag for me, even though
you weren't even Hispanic. Look
how happy I am there.

DANNY
Yeah....

Emily stares at the picture for a beat, and then:

EMILY
(softly)
I missed you, Danny...

She looks up at him, both of them getting closer to each
other:

EMILY (cont'd)
(softly)
I missed you so much.

DANNY
(softly)
Me too....

They share a tender kiss, then pull away for a moment before
kissing again, passionately. The two edge closer to the
wall, when Danny suddenly hits his bureau; he and Emily
share a small laugh together but he places a hand on her
cheek, caressing it. She revels in his touch before he
continues kissing her again.

Emily begins taking his shirt off then he takes off hers.
Danny puts her against the wall, feeling her body, taking
pleasure in the softness of her skin which he hasn't touched
in years; Emily looks at him, almost pleading for him to
kiss her again. As they kiss, they hastily undo her jeans
then move closer to the bed, where she falls on him, but he
quickly rolls on top of her:

EMILY
(softly)
I always wanted you to be my
first.

He looks at her for a moment, before kissing her again.

80.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. STREETS OF BOSTON - TWILIGHT

Traffic is beginning to flow and we see few people out on
the streets as the dawn approaches.

CUT TO:

INT. DANNY'S BEDROOM

Danny & Emily are asleep under the covers, spooning after
having made love. She slowly wakes up with a smile on her
face -- certainly a night to remember. After looking at the
clock, she carefully removes Danny's arm off of her so as to
not wake him, then proceeds to get dressed. As she puts on
her shoes, she checks her cellphone:

INSERT - CELLPHONE SCREEN

There's ten missed calls. All of them from Felix.

BACK TO SCENE

A sense of guilt slowly comes over Emily as she quietly
leaves. Danny turns in his sleep, never sensing a thing.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. JOSEPH'S PUB - DAY

As some people pass by the pub, we Greg heading inside.
However, in the distance, we spot Eddie & Rich pull up close
by in Eddie's late-model Toyota, almost as if they've been
following him.

RICH
You think our boy's here?

EDDIE
We'll see.

CUT TO:

INT. JOSEPH'S PUB

Danny is serving drinks to a pair of customers, looking
happier than we've ever seen him, when Greg enters the pub.
Danny notices as he approaches the bar.

81.

DANNY
(giving dap)
Waz good, my dude!

GREG
Wassup? You look real happy --
what's goin' on?

DANNY
(smiling)
I just am. What'chu need?

GREG
Just gimme a shot of Hen.

DANNY
You got it.

Danny reaches over for the bottle of HENNESSY, but Greg
can't shake his curiosity as he watches Danny pour his shot:

            GREG
      (smiling)
A'ight, you ain't get paid 'cause
otherwise, you wouldn't be here.
So, you must've gotten laid.
      (takes shot)
Right?

Danny simply smiles.

GREG
(whispering)
Did Lisa finally let you hit that?

            DANNY
      (pouring another
       shot)
Naw.

GREG
Then, who?

Greg is about to drink the next shot when he realizes the
answer:

GREG
Hold up... Emily?

Danny just smiles since he can't deny it.

82.

GREG
(smiling)
You serious?! You fucked Emily?!

DANNY
(whispering)
Shut the fuck up, man; people can
hear you! Besides, it was more
than that.

GREG
(whispering)
So, what happened?

DANNY
Well... she hit me up last night
at the crib, saying she wanted to
come over. We were in my room,
talking, until she saw an old
picture of us at the PR festival.
Then, one thing led to another,
and we spent the night together.
It was nice.

GREG
"Nice"?

DANNY
Yeah. And check it, I'm her first.

GREG
(smiling)
Get the fuck outta here! As fine
as she is, I would expect you to
be anything but.

DANNY
(smiling)
Naw, she said she'd always wanted
me to be. I dunno, man, last night
was pretty special. I think I'm
still in love with her.

GREG
Well, one thing's for sure, Felix
is gonna be out of the picture
soon.

DANNY
(realizing)
Oh shit... I forgot all about him.

83.

As this statement finally brings Danny back to Earth, Greg
finishes his drink, pays for it, then leaves.

CUT TO:

EXT. JOSEPH'S PUB

Eddie and Rich watch as Greg gets in his car. They follow
him when he drives off.

CUT TO:

INT. VALENTINE APARTMENT, JUSTINE'S BEDROOM - EVENING

Darren is in the bedroom looking around for something before
heading out. He finds his car keys on a night stand, but
notices Justine's jeans on the floor by the clothes hamper,
with the eviction letter sticking out. He curiously picks it
up and looks through it, before storming out of the room.

CUT TO:

INT. KITCHEN

Justine is cooking dinner when Darren walks in with the
letter in hand.

DARREN
Justine, what the fuck is this?!
Why the fuck didn't you tell me
you're getting evicted!?

JUSTINE
Baby, I was gonna tell you --

DARREN
When?!

MONTAGE

A) Emily is standing over Felix, who's sitting by Alex's
bedside at the hospital, holding his hand as he speaks:

FELIX
(softly)
Alex, you gotta wake up, man.
Please....

B) We see Eddie's Toyota following behind Greg's Honda
through a South Boston neighborhood. Greg isn't noticing.

C) Darren and Justine continue to argue at home:

84.

JUSTINE
... I haven't been getting much
work, Darren. But Danny can help
us; if anything, he can get a
better job to help pay -- !

DARREN
No, he won't! That fuckin' dumbass
dropped out of school before he
could even build a resum�! Hell,
he spends so much time being
around drunks that he doesn't even
have his GED yet!

D) At the hospital, Emily & Felix become alarmed as Alex
suddenly starts FLAT-LINING. Some NURSES AND DOCTORS rush in
to check.

E) Greg arrives outside his home. He steps out of his car.

F) Angry at Darren's comment, Justine begins to hit him:

JUSTINE
(hitting him)
Don't you talk about my brother
like that!!

He shields himself from the hits but suddenly hits her back,
knocking Justine down.

G) Felix watches in horror as the doctors try to revive
Alex. They continue doing so until they eventually realize
that its no use. The doctor looks up at Felix, slowly
shaking his head:

FELIX
(tearing up)
No! No! DANNY VALENTINE, YOU'RE A
FUCKING DEAD MAN!!!!

Emily is shocked to hear the name mentioned as she watches
her boyfriend break down into tears.

H) Eddie's Toyota pulls up outside of Greg's house as he
begins heading inside. He and Rich quickly jump out and run
up to Greg, both of them holding guns:

RICH
Ayo!
(Greg turns)
You pull a gun on us, you better
fuckin' use it!!

85.

They shoot down Greg in cold blood, then quickly get back in
their car and speed off as nearby people curiously watch the
scene; some calling in help. Greg is left on the ground,
bleeding to death.

I) Justine begins to cry after being hit:

DARREN
You better fix this, or I'm
leaving you!

He walks away as she continues to cry, passing by a scared
Gisselle who just saw everything.

CUT TO:

EXT. PRIDE & GLORY GYM - NIGHT

Danny, while carrying his backpack having finished training,
helps Jonah close up the gym.

JONAH
Good training today, Danny. Have a
good one.

DANNY
Yeah, you two.

They part ways. We follow Danny as he walks down the street,
until a SEDAN pulls up to a red light.

CUT TO:

INT. SEDAN

Joel is at the wheel with Felix in the passenger's seat, who
seems to be drinking WHISKEY to ease his pain away, but
nowhere near drunk yet. Both are waiting for the light to
turn green, until Felix notices Danny walking alone on the
sidewalk:

            FELIX
      (noticing)
'The fuck...?
      (to Joel)
Yo, pull up -- right now!

The traffic light turns green and Joel obliges.

CUT TO:

86.

EXT. STREETS OF SOUTH END

As Danny walks down the quiet streets, Joel's car pulls up
front and Felix storms out, throwing the bottle away. A
sense of concern quickly comes over him:

FELIX
Wassup, Danny? I told you not to
fuck with Emily, but I heard she
was with you last night!

DANNY
What do you want, man? I haven't
done anything to you.

FELIX
Oh no, you've done enough!

Felix SUCKER-PUNCHES Danny, and a FIGHT ensues. A fatigued
Danny struggles to fight back, but Felix continues his
assault, finally putting him on the ground. Joel quickly
gets out of the car and runs over, seeing Danny:

JOEL
(realizing)
Yo! That's him! That's Danny
Valentine!

FELIX
You sure?!

JOEL
Hell yeah!

FELIX
(to Danny)
You motherfucker -- you killed my
cousin!!

Felix rushes over to Danny and proceeds to CHOKE him. Joel
watches as a helpless Danny struggles for his life, but soon
begins to feel remorseful. Then:

            JOEL
      (pulling Felix)
Yo, Felix, stop! Stop, man, he's
not worth it.
      (Felix lets go)
He's not worth it. Come on, let's
leave before someone sees us.

A pissed off Felix slowly gets up as Danny pants for air.
Then, Felix KICKS him in the stomach before heading back to

87.

the car with Joel. They drive off as Danny struggles to his
feet.

CUT TO:

EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING - LATER

A battered and bloody Danny slowly approaches his building
when he finds Emily sitting on the stoop, waiting.

DANNY
Emmy...?

            EMILY
      (getting up)
I need to talk to you, Danny.
      (re: bruises)
What happened?

DANNY
(sitting down)
N-Nothing. What's up?

EMILY
Alex Santarosa. Do you know him?

DANNY
(beat)
Sorta, why?

EMILY
He's Felix's cousin, and I just
watched him die. Did you have
anything to do with it?

Danny doesn't want to answer as he slowly looks down.

EMILY
I always knew you had anger
issues, but killing a man? How
could you -- ?!

DANNY
It wasn't my fault, Emily. He
attacked me, I only defended
myself. I didn't mean to put him
in a coma, or kill him....

EMILY
(thinking aloud)
I knew last night was a
mistake...!

88.

DANNY
You can't mean that.

EMILY
But I do! I have a boyfriend,
other priorities -- !

DANNY
(getting up)
Apparently, those "priorities"
didn't mean shit when you called
me!

EMILY
Look, I was very confused last
night, okay? I wasn't thinking
straight.

DANNY
But I was!
(sighs)
Emily... I love you. Believe me,
I'm not a monster. Last night, you
got the same Danny from eight
years ago. The one that is still
in love with you.

EMILY
(beat)
It's best that we don't see each
other.

DANNY
(beat)
Wha -- ?

EMILY
I can't be hanging out with you
anymore, Danny! I mean, eight
years is a long time. And besides,
we hardly know each other!

DANNY
(tearing up)
So, that's it?

EMILY
Yeah.
(in Spanish)
I'm sorry.

Danny feels insulted by this as he scoffs at her apology,
and heads inside the building.

89.

CUT TO:

INT. VALENTINE APARTMENT, LIVING ROOM

The living room is dim-lit when Danny enters the apartment.
He sets his backpack down, finding Justine sitting alone on
the couch in silence, with her head hanging down.

DANNY
I'm home...
(no answer)
Justine?

He slowly approaches her but she begins to turn away:

DANNY
Jus, what's wrong?

He moves the hair away from her face, finding her in tears
with a LARGE BRUISE around her eye.

DANNY
'The fuck -- did Darren hit you?
(no answer)
Where is he?

JUSTINE
Danny, it's okay...

DANNY
Where - is - he?

JUSTINE
Danny, it's fine --
(he starts walking)
-- I can handle it!

Danny is furious now as he storms his way to her bedroom;
Justine quickly follows.

CUT TO:

INT. JUSTINE'S BEDROOM

Darren is lying on the bed, watching TV when Danny marches
in with Justine following behind:

DANNY
WHO THE FUCK YOU THINK YOU ARE,
BEATIN' UP MY SISTER LIKE SHE'S A
FUCKIN' MAN!?

90.

JONAH
(crying)
DANNY, NO!!

Danny ignores her plea as he proceeds to PUMMEL Darren
senselessly. Justine tries to pull Danny away, giving Darren
a chance to run but Danny pushes her to a side, and quickly
jumps over the bed, tackling Darren into the closet. He
continues punching away:

JUSTINE
Danny!! Danny, stop it!!

Danny is still punching Darren, but stops when he suddenly
sees Gisselle standing at the door, filling him with
remorse.

JUSTINE
(noticing)
Gisselle, sweetie, go to your
room!

She leaves. Danny looks down at Darren, feeling bad now as
he looks badly beaten, then leaves the room as well.

CUT TO:

INT. DANNY'S BEDROOM

Upon entering the room, Danny quickly goes over to his
closet, finding a DUFFEL BAG and filling it with clothes.
Moments later, he stops when he notices the picture with
Emily. He picks it up, looking at it before HURLING it at
the wall in a fit of rage. He sits against another wall,
tucking his knees against his chest and burying his head
when Gisselle slowly steps in.

GISSELLE
Uncle Danny...?

DANNY
(looks up)
Come here, Gisselle.

She walks over to him and he sits her on his lap:

GISSELLE
What's going on? Why were you and
Darren fighting?

DANNY
I'm sorry you had to see that.

91.

GISSELLE
I don't like it when you fight,
Uncle.

DANNY
I know, Baby, I hate it too.

GISSELLE
Then, why do you do it?

DANNY
I don't know....

GISSELLE
Promise me you won't fight
anymore?

DANNY
(beat; nodding)
I promise.

            GISSELLE
      (extends pinky
       finger)
Pinky swear?

DANNY
(smiling)
Pinky swear.

She smiles and they hug, tightly.

CUT TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM - MINUTES LATER

Justine is back in the living room, quiet as ever when Danny
steps out of his room with his duffel bag. He slowly
approaches her, Darren watching from the kitchen as he holds
an ICE PACK to his head:

JUSTINE
Where're you going?

DANNY
Joe's place. As long as Darren's
here, I won't be.

He heads for the door, but before he leaves:

DANNY (cont'd)
I know I'm never part of the
solution, when problems like these
come up... but I've always tried
(MORE)

92.

DANNY (cont'd)
to be there for my sister.

He steps out.

CUT TO:

EXT. HOUSE - ESTABLISH - LATER

It's late in the night when we see a nice, modest house
somewhere in South Boston.

CUT TO:

INT. BEDROOM

We learn this is actually Joseph's house as he leads Danny
inside a dark, small bedroom. He turns the light on.

JOSEPH
Here you go, kid. It's not much,
but something tells me you won't
mind.

DANNY
It's fine, thanks.

He sets his bag down.

JOSEPH
Mind telling me what happened?

DANNY
With all due respect, Joe, it's
too much shit to delve into.

JOSEPH
Well, I won't pry. But whenever
you're ready to talk, you know
where to find me.
(beat)
Oh, and uh, I'm sorry about your
friend Greg. I know you two were
close...

DANNY
(confused)
Huh? What're you talking about?

JOSEPH
Jesus... I take it you haven't
heard the news. Greg died tonight,
son...

93.

DANNY
(disbelief)
What...?

JOSEPH (cont'd)
Some guys shot him outside his
house earlier, so I was told. I'm
really sorry.

Joseph pats him on the shoulder on his way out, while Danny
hangs his head down in sorrow. Could his night get any
worse?

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. CEMETERY - DAY

A COFFIN is being held over a fresh grave when we see Danny,
his bruises healing up, and Joseph wearing black suits. They
are accompanying whom we assume are Greg's MOTHER and his
two YOUNGER SIBLINGS. There is a PRIEST finishing up a
prayer as Greg's mother SOBS; they are the only people at
the grave site as Danny looks over at her:

JOSEPH
Word has it, two young guys just
jumped out of a car and exchanged
words with him before they shot
him in cold blood. Sometimes I ask
myself, what has gotten into these
kids' minds these days that their
answer to everything involves a
gun, you know?

DANNY
Did anyone say what the killers
looked like?

JOSEPH
Danny, I don't want you to go
looking for revenge --

DANNY
I just need to know.

Joseph looks at him for a moment, then:

JOSEPH
One was black, the other was
white. Both of them wearing baggy
clothes and baseball caps. That's
about it.

94.

Danny gets a curious expression on his face - he knows who
they are but doesn't want to believe it.

JONAH
(thinking aloud)
Now Mrs. Thompson has lost two
sons to gang violence. That's a
damn shame.

Danny seems emotionless as he continues to watch her cry.
Then, they each throw a rose into the grave as the coffin is
being lowered.

CUT TO:

INT. JOSEPH'S PUB - LATER

There aren't many people in the pub. Danny, still wearing
his now disheveld suit, is sitting alone at a table,
drinking a bottle of WILD TURKEY which is nearly empty;
almost drunk if not already there yet. Joseph and Lisa are
at the bar, watching him.

LISA
I feel so bad for him, Joe.

JOSEPH
Yeah, I've never seen him this
depressed. He's going through a
lot.

Jonah enters the bar, and notices Danny. He approaches the
table.

JONAH
Danny.

DANNY
What do you want?

JONAH
I heard what happened, I'm sorry.
But you haven't been to training
in the last three days. How come?

DANNY
I quit.

JONAH
(taken aback)
Quit? Why?

95.

DANNY
(getting up)
Because I don't wanna do it
anymore.

Danny is about to head to the back room, but Jonah stops
him:

JONAH
Danny, will you talk to me? Tell
me what's wrong.

DANNY
(agitated)
Look, I lost my girl, got the shit
kicked outta me, and just buried
my best friend, all in the same
week! In case you haven't noticed,
I'm a little fuckin' depressed
right now; and training for some
stupid competition won't fix
anything for me!

JONAH
(scoffs)
"Depressed"? You're not depressed,
you're defeated! And its you
who's defeating yourself with that
attitude. If you don't want to be
in the tournament then fine, I
won't force you to. But don't give
me some bullshit excuse like
"depression", Mate. Because I
train winners, not losers!

DANNY
Oh yeah, and how's that, Jonah?!
'Cause last I checked, you lost
your last match, which makes you a
fucking hypocrite! You know what?
I was at the quarries; I put that
guy in the hospital, and Greg's
dead because of me!!

Danny tries to walk away, but Jonah grabs his arm. Danny
turns around, pushing Jonah's hand away and suddenly tries
to hit him with a side kick. Jonah grabs his leg, then
sweeps the other, knocking Danny down. Then:

JONAH
Then, maybe you should stop making
bullshit excuses, and do something
about it!

96.

Jonah drops his leg then begins to leave the pub as everyone
watches. Danny feels humiliated, then:

DANNY
(tearing up)
FUCK YOU!!!

Those around him react to this.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. JOSEPH'S PUB - LATE NIGHT

It's closing time as some people leave.

CUT TO:

INT. JOSEPH'S PUB

Joseph is at the bar, counting the night's revenue as Danny
sweeps up the pub. They do their job in silence, until
Joseph finishes counting the money.

JOSEPH
(to himself)
Alright. That's all of it.

Danny finishes up and puts the broom and dustpan away.

DANNY
(sighs)
I'm done.

JONAH
You know, I heard your
conversation earlier with that
man, Jonah? And I think you're
making a mistake.

DANNY
Come on, Joseph, please -- !

JOSEPH
Now, Danny, I know I'm not your
father, but just hear me out.

DANNY
You've been more of a father to me
than my own, so go ahead.

JOSEPH
Okay. Well, I understand you may
be under a lot of stress right
now, but the man might be right.
(MORE)

97.

JOSEPH (cont'd)
Training for this "Ultimate
Fighting" stuff seemed to make you
happy.

DANNY
Yeah, well it doesn't matter
anymore. I gave it up.

JOSEPH
(beat; sighs)
Follow me. I wanna show you
something.

Danny follows Joseph to a corridor, where he leads him down
some stairs.

CUT TO:

INT. BASEMENT

Joseph opens the door, leading Danny into an old, dingy
basement. He flips on the light switch, revealing the
basement to be filled with old items from his past. Joseph
takes out a key as he heads over to an old FOOT LOCKER; he
opens it, revealing old BOXING MEMORABILIA such as gloves,
trunks, newspaper clippings, posters, etc.

JOSEPH
Take a look.

Danny walks over, looking inside the locker, but not
particularly interested.

DANNY
Boxing stuff, so what?

JOSEPH
(grinning)
Look closer.

Danny takes a closer look at a poster, realizing something,
then:

DANNY
(reading)
"'Catholic' Joe O'Connor,
welterweight champion." That's
you... in nineteen-sixty-seven...!

98.

JOSEPH
(smiling)
That's right. I used to be an
amateur boxer when I was your age.

DANNY
Why?

JOSEPH
Because I loved the sport. Just
like you and your martial arts. I
even helped train your father,
back in the late-seventies.

DANNY
Why are you telling me this now?

JOSEPH
Because he never gave up, and
neither should you. See, you may
not've liked your father, but you
are your father. And sure, he may
have screwed up here and there,
but he always had a fighter's
spirit. Just like you.

DANNY
My father abandoned my family --

JOSEPH
Just like you're doing now. Danny,
you need to accept the fact that
not everything will go your way.
But you need to work it into your
favor; that's what fighting's all
about! I'm gonna tell you what I
told your father once: "chase your
dreams, don't let them chase you".
Or you'll remain a loser for the
rest of your life.

Danny looks at him, then back at the posters, pondering the
idea.

CUT TO:

INT. BACK ROOM

Danny is sitting at the computers, filling out the BSD
application on the UFC website when something catches his
attention.

99.

INSERT - COMPUTER SCREEN

Danny sees Felix's name among the rest of the fighters.

CUT TO:

INT. ERNEST'S KICKBOXING ACADEMY - LATER

Ernest, Felix, and Alex's friends are putting the equipment
away when Danny suddenly storms in. They notice:

DANNY
I tried to apologize to you, bury
the hatchet, but you went and
killed my best friend!? You all
crossed the line!! Felix, you're
entering the BSD? I'll see you
there. This shit ends in Vegas!

Felix grins as Danny leaves.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. VALENTINE APARTMENT - DAY

The apartment is somewhat quiet in the late morning, except
for the sound of a frying pan SIZZLING (OS) as Danny walks
in. He heads for the kitchen.

CUT TO:

INT. KITCHEN

Justine & Gisselle are the only ones in the kitchen. Justine
is cooking while Gisselle is eating cereal at the table,
when she notices Danny:

GISSELLE
(smiling)
Uncle Danny!

She runs up and hugs him while Justine watches.

GISSELLE (cont'd)
Are you gonna stay with us?

DANNY
I don't know.
(to Justine)
Hey.

JUSTINE
Hey.

100.

DANNY
Where's Darren?

JUSTINE
I broke up with him, so he left. I
heard about Greg, I'm sorry.

DANNY
Yeah... me too.

JUSTINE
You hungry?

CUT TO:

INT. KITCHEN - MINUTES LATER

It's just Danny and Justine sitting in the kitchen now, as
she sits across at the table, drinking coffee while watching
Danny wolf down a plate of breakfast.

JUSTINE
(chuckles)
Slow down, Bro! I'm guessing Joe's
cooking wasn't that good, huh?

DANNY
(smiling)
Nope. I just missed your cooking.

JUSTINE
(smiling)
Is that right?

DANNY
(sipping juice)
Mmm-hmm.

JUSTINE
So, what's up?

DANNY
What if I told you I had a
solution to our financial
troubles?

JUSTINE
(smiling)
I'd call you crazy.

DANNY
There's this tournament in Vegas,
called "Blood, Sweat & Dreams".
Its sponsored by ESPN and UFC,
(MORE)

101.

DANNY (cont'd)
with the grand prize being fifty
grand and an "Ultimate Fighter"
contract.

JUSTINE
Isn't that the show you like
watching?

DANNY
Yeah. I'm signing up and I want
you to come with me.

JUSTINE
When is it?

DANNY
Three weeks from now.

JUSTINE
Who's gonna watch Gisselle?

DANNY
Joe can do it.

JUSTINE
(sighs)
But, what if you lose?

DANNY
(smiling)
Justine, I've been training hard
for this already. I know I can win
this!

JUSTINE
(beat)
Okay. Then, I'm behind you a
hundred percent.

DANNY
(smiling)
Thank you, Sis.

CUT TO:

INT. PRIDE & GLORY GYM - LATER

The gym is full of people training, with Jonah overseeing
everything. He's watching as some TEENAGE STUDENTS grapple
each other on a mat, until he notices Danny walking into the
gym. Danny looks a bit nervous as Jonah walks over:

102.

JONAH
What're you doing here?

DANNY
I came to apologize --

JONAH
(walking away)
Apology accepted. Now go!

DANNY
I'm entering the BSD!
(Jonah turns)
But I want you to train me.

JONAH
(scoffs)
You really think its that easy?

DANNY
Look, I fucked up -- I know this.
But this tournament is all I have
left. If you don't wanna train me
then fine, I won't force you. But,
you'll lose out on having a real
winner as your prot�g�.

JONAH
(beat)
You serious?

DANNY
More than anything.

JONAH
(beat; nodding)
Fine. Be here first thing in the
morning! We have a lot of work to
do.

Danny smiles as he turns and leaves.

DISSOLVE TO:

MONTAGE

A) Danny wakes up in his bedroom, starting his day with
push-ups.

B) Felix is first in his uncle's gym, shadowboxing.

C) Justine & Joseph are having a discussion while drinking
coffee in her apartment, smiling when they reach an

103.

agreement.

D) Danny is working hard, hitting a heavy bag with Jonah
watching close by.

E) Emily is in Jessica's bedroom during the evening, while
her cousin talks and puts on make-up. Emily looks down a her
cellphone, at Danny's number, feeling remorseful.

F) Jonah and Danny are practicing some grappling moves on a
mat. Close by are Steve and some of his own students,
including Rob, all of them training alongside Jonah & Danny.

G) Felix is sparring in the ring, overworking himself as his
uncle watches.

H) Danny is masterfully hitting a speed bag.

I) Felix is jogging on a treadmill.

J) Justine is now at the Pride & Glory, watching Danny spar
in the ring; he's using a more freestyle technique, mixing
Muay Thai and Boxing with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Wrestling.
Jonah approaches her for an introduction.

K) Emily seems bored as she watches Felix on the treadmill.

L) Jonah and Danny are jogging through a park, somewhere in
Boston. We INTERCUT between Danny and Felix, still on the
treadmill, both pushing themselves to their limits.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. MCCARRAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, RUNWAY - NIGHT

We watch as an AIRPLANE lands on the runway of it's
destination, Las Vegas.

CUT TO:

EXT. MGM GRAND HOTEL - ESTABLISH - LATER

There are many tourists, gamblers, and party animals alike,
outside the famous hotel.

CUT TO:

INT. MGM GRAND, HOTEL CORRIDORS

Jonah, Danny & Justine are carrying their bags to their
rooms; the siblings are ecstatic to be there.

104.

DANNY
(smiling)
Yo! ESPN really hooked it up!

JUSTINE
(smiling)
Yeah, this is really nice.

JONAH
(smiling)
In'it? And get this: it's all paid
for. So, go ahead and order
anything you'd like... within
reason, of course!

DANNY
Shit, I'm gettin' a steak dinner
then!

JONAH
Meet me when you've finished.

DANNY
Okay.

Jonah goes into his room, while Danny & Justine go into
their room next door.

CUT TO:

INT. MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA - LATER

The arena is empty except for some crew members setting up
the OCTAGON CAGE for the upcoming tournament. Jonah is
standing by an exit, watching the set-up process, smiling as
he remembers his old glory days. He senses as Danny walks up
to him:

JONAH
Check it out, Danny. The Grand
Garden Arena.

DANNY
(smiling)
Never thought I'd be here.

JONAH
Yeah, a lot of great fights have
taken place here. Some fighters
believe that you haven't hit the
big time, until you've fought
here. And tomorrow it houses your
first official fight.

105.

DANNY
Lucky me.

JONAH
Listen... I want you to know that
no matter what happens out there,
we'll be pulling through for you,
Justine and I. Focus on the
tournament, don't worry about
everything else.

DANNY
I'll give it my all. I won't let
you down.

JONAH
Good. Now, if you'll excuse me,
I'm gonna go hit the tables. This
is Vegas after all!

Danny smiles as Jonah takes his leave. Then, he looks on out
to the arena. Everything is riding on him now.

CUT TO:

INT. MGM GRAND, HOTEL CORRIDORS - MINUTES LATER

Danny is heading back to his room, when he sees none other
than Emily exiting from a nearby room.

DANNY
Emily...?

EMILY
Danny...?

Neither one knows what to say. Then suddenly, Felix exits
from the same room as her, laughing as he puts an arm around
her:

            FELIX
      (smiling)
Baby, wait up!
      (sees Danny)
Well, well. You actually came.

DANNY
Felix.

FELIX
(grinning)
So, you wanna do it here or in the
cage?

106.

Felix moves Emily aside as both men prepare for another
fight in the hallway, but Jonah arrives just in time to
break it up:

JONAH
Hey, hey! Not in here, Mates.
Danny, save it for the ring.

Danny heeds his advice and calms down. Then:

ERNEST (OS)
Jonah 'The Rock' Freeman.

Jonah turns forward as Ernest steps out of another room.

JONAH
Diego Santarosa...?

ERNEST (cont'd)
Looks like The Rock's gone soft.
And it's Ernest now.

JONAH
What are you doing here?

ERNEST
(re: Felix)
My nephew's in the BSD; I'm his
trainer. Who are you with?

JONAH
Danny's my prot�g�.

ERNEST
(smirking)
What're you teaching him, how to
lose gracefully?

JONAH
(beat)
We'll see you at the arena, Diego.

ERNEST
I'm looking forward to it.

Ernest, Felix and Emily begin walking away; Felix grins at
Danny who watches Emily, who can't seem to return the look.
Jonah and Danny head to their rooms.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA - ESTABLISH - MORNING

107.

People are FLOCKING in numbers as they make their way into
the arena, with the press outside taking interviews from
several important attendees, such as UFC FIGHTERS and OTHER
CELEBRITIES, all exiting LIMOUSINES and making their way in.
The crowds goes WILD at the sight of their favorite
celebrities.

CUT TO:

INT. MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA, RINGSIDE

Everything is the same as outside, with all the attendees
trying to find their seats. However, we focus our attention
on a pair of male ESPN correspondents talking to the camera.
These guys are SEAN MATTHEWS and KEITH SPENCER, both men in
their early to mid thirties and TV star looks, showing
enthusiasm as they speak, reading from a teleprompter:

SEAN
(looks around)
It looks like we're off to a great
start today as plenty of people
find their seats for "Blood, Sweat
& Dreams", the UFC-sponsored
amateur mixed-martial arts
tournament where the winner
receives a fifty thousand dollar
grand prize, as well as a contract
for "The Ultimate Fighter". I'm
Sean Matthews and with me as
always is Keith Spencer. Keith?

KEITH
(smiling)
Yes, Sean, the arena's pulling in
record numbers today with lines
going around the corner. I've seen
various celebrities and sports
figures coming in, including some
from the UFC and even Mister UFC
himself, Dana White! Now on to the
fighters. As expected, all one
hundred slots have been filled.
But as an unexpected bonus, we
have the prot�g�s of two of the
best fighters in Mixed-Martial
Arts history, Diego Santarosa and,
back from hiatus, Jonah "The Rock"
Freeman.

            SEAN
      (smiling)
That's right, people. Santarosa's
nephew, Felix, is a regional champ
            (MORE)

108.

SEAN (cont'd)
who hails from sunny Miami; while
Freeman has taken Danny Valentine,
a young fighter from Boston, under
his wing. Now this is Valentine's
first competition, but story has
it he and Felix Santarosa have
already fought before.

KEITH
I can't wait to see what happens,
Sean. Sports Illustrated named
this "the most anticipated UFC
event of the year", promising
non-stop action. The tournament
will last all this weekend, going
from the preliminaries to the
finals, and we'll be bringing you
live coverage to keep you
up-to-date, right here on ESPN.
So, stay tuned!

CUT TO:

INT. LOCKER ROOMS

A large locker room is filled with VARIOUS FIGHTERS of
different nationalities, as they each prepare for their
individual matches. Off to a corner, Danny is sitting down
as Jonah tapes his hands.

JONAH
(finishing up)
Alright, you should be set now.
How you feel?

DANNY
Nervous.

JONAH
You'll be fine, Mate. These are
just the preliminaries. All
fighters have to go through this
phase before making it to the
quarterfinals. So, let's hope you
make it to the top fifty.

DANNY
Okay.
(beat)
Where's that bucket?

109.

JONAH
(handing it)
Right here.

DANNY
Thanks --

Danny quickly takes the bucket, and VOMITS into it,
disgusting nearby fighters:

JONAH
(disgusted)
Jesus, what the fuck did you eat?!

DANNY
(panting)
It's not the food.

He vomits again.

CUT TO:

INT. ARENA, OCTAGON CAGE - MINUTES LATER

Felix is in the ring, preparing to fight his opponent, a
FRENCH SAVATE FIGHTER of late-twenties, who shows off his
skills. The REFEREE begins the match, and the commentary
begins. Both fighters are battling each other, however Felix
seems to be a bit aggressive as he fights using kickboxing.
The match doesn't last long when Felix wins by a brutal
knockout. He boasts as the crowd cheers, then exits the
ring.

CUT TO:

RINGSIDE

Felix steps out of the ring, accompanied by his uncle and
girlfriend, when a beautiful ESPN correspondent, KELLY ALBA,
late-20s, approaches for an interview:

KELLY
Felix! Felix!
(he turns)
Hi, Kelly Alba, ESPN News.
Congratulations on your first win.
Do you think you can maintain the
momentum all the way to the
finals?

110.

FELIX
(scoffs)
Please! I'm gonna demolish the
competition!

KELLY
(smiling)
So, I guess a prediction isn't
necessary, huh?

FELIX
Kelly, I came here to win. That's
it.

He leaves.

KELLY
(to camera)
Well, there you have it, Sean and
Keith. The words of a potential
tournament winner.

Sean & Keith are somewhere else in the arena with their
camera man:

SEAN
(to camera)
Thank you, Kelly.

As they continue with their coverage, Felix passes by Jonah
and Danny, who's upcoming fight is next:

FELIX
It's not too late to bitch out --

DANNY
Fuck you!

Danny heads into the Octagon cage.

CUT TO:

MONTAGE

We INTERCUT between the various matches, as the fighters
makes their way through the preliminary rounds, each with a
different style. Danny, who's first opponent is a CAPOEIRA
FIGHTER, is among the winners as he wins his matches by
various methods -- knockout, submission, etc; proving to be
a more technical fighter. Felix, who is also among the
winners, wins simply by knockouts or TKOs. While Felix
continues to boast through his interviews, Danny seems more
humble. The quarterfinals are quickly set.

111.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. MGM GRAND, CASINO - NIGHT

A bandaged Danny continues walk in, finding a suited Jonah
having the time of his life at the CRAPS TABLE. Jonah throws
the dice, winning again as a crowd CHEERS.

DANNY
(smiling)
Jonah, wassup?

JONAH
Hey, Danny! Come to watch me play?

DANNY
Naw, not really.

JONAH
(shows chips)
Look, I've won five thousand so
far!

DANNY
Nice.

Justine arrives, looking beautiful in a dress.

JUSTINE
(smiling)
Hey.

JONAH
(impressed)
Wow, Justine. Looking very lovely,
Sweetheart.

JUSTINE
(smiling)
Thank you, Jonah. You're looking
handsome yourself.

DANNY
Well, I'm gonna hit the slot
machines.

JONAH
Great. Then, maybe your sister
wouldn't mind keeping me company

JUSTINE
Not at all.

112.

She takes his arm as they begin to make their way to another
table:

DANNY
(smiling)
Hey, Jonah, keep your hands off my
sister! I don't wanna have to kick
your ass too!

He goes his own way.

CUT TO:

INT. CASINO - LATER

Danny is sitting alone at the SLOT MACHINES, losing quarters
as quickly as he drops them, but winning here and there.
Moments later, Emily is walking past the aisles, finding
Danny. She approaches him:

EMILY
Danny...

Danny glances up at her but quickly resumes playing,
obviously not pleased to see her:

DANNY
Where's Felix?

EMILY
In the room, resting. I wanna talk
to you.

DANNY
'Don't care.

EMILY
Please?

DANNY
(beat; sighs)
Fine.

CUT TO:

EXT. FREMONT STREET - MINUTES LATER

Danny and Emily are slowly walking along the sidewalks as
they talk.

113.

EMILY
So, I think its obvious why you're
here. But beating Felix to a pulp
won't win me over.

Danny can't help but chuckle at this.

EMILY
What's so funny?

DANNY
You! You really think this is
about you?

EMILY
It's not?

DANNY
Hell no! Emily, UFC is my dream --
you have nothing to do with this!
See? That was always your problem:
you're too quick to assume things.

EMILY
Well, why this tournament? Its too
much of a coincidence that you
entered at the same time as Felix!

DANNY
Fuck Felix! I entered because this
is my one shot to realize my
dreams. I would've entered
regardless.

EMILY
(beat)
Has my absence really affected you
so much? I mean you seem so bitter
now.

DANNY
(stops walking)
You were gone for eight years,
Emily. It took some time, but I
got over you. And now I know
nothing will change that.

He hangs his head down. Emily looks at him, almost
sympathetically.

EMILY
What happened to you, Danny? To
us?

114.

DANNY
(beat)
I don't know...

He looks up at her, tearful:

DANNY (cont'd)
All I know is that I'm a
down-on-his-luck fighter, who's
just had his heart broken.... And
I'll never know how to recover
from it.

A sympathetic Emily slowly reaches out to touch his cheek
but Danny turns, refusing it. He walks back in the direction
they came, leaving Emily standing alone.

DISSOLVE TO:

SERIES OF SHOTS

As if watching a television screen, we're given a recap of
the competition thus far:

SEAN (VO)
Seventy-five fighters down, and
twenty-five to go as many battle
for the coveted Ultimate Fighter
contract.

A) We see some of the fighters who've made it past the
quarterfinals.

SEAN (VO)
Felix Santarosa, the fan-favorite,
has been knocking out opponent
after opponent as he races for the
top.

B) Felix is indeed knocking out all of his opponents with
aggressive and powerful blows, showing more confidence with
each win.

SEAN (VO)
But here comes Danny Valentine,
the determined underdog from
Boston who's not letting anything
stop him from achieving glory.

C) Danny fights through his competition, winning by various
methods -- showing he's the more calculated fighter.

115.

SEAN (VO)
Will he be crowned this year's
victor? With the last two
semifinal matches underway, we'll
soon find out.

CUT TO:

INT. GARDEN GRAND ARENA - LATE AFTERNOON

The arena is full as another match is in progress: Felix
versus a Russian opponent in his early-30s, VLADIMIR
BOROVSKY who uses Sambo as his primary discipline. The two
are battling each other as we see various people doing
official commentary.

CUT TO:

INT. OCTAGON CAGE

Vladimir seems to be tiring himself out as he continues to
throw POWER KICKS AND PUNCHES, while Felix blocks and dodges
each move. Felix continues to land hits on the guy, knocking
Vladimir down, but this Russian powerhouse continues to get
up.

Felix shows some frustration to this, then RUSHES over and
suddenly hits Vladimir with a RUNNING KNEE, knocking him
down. Then, he mounts Vladimir and begin unloading a barrage
of punches, resulting in a brutal TKO as Vladimir gives up.
The Referee declares Felix the winner; he's displeased
despite the crowd CHEERING.

SEAN (VO)
(on commentary)
... And with quite an upset, Felix
has scored another win over
Vladimir Borovsky, the Russian
powerhouse favored to end his
winning streak! Is there anyone
this kid can't beat?

KEITH
(on commentary)
I don't know, Sean, it seems like
nothing's stopping Felix anything
time soon. He's certainly poised
to win the BSD as he advances to
the finals.

CUT TO:

116.

EXT. OCTAGON CAGE

Ernest approaches as Felix slowly steps out of the cage.

ERNEST
What happened in there?

FELIX
I dunno -- he wouldn't go down!

ERNEST
You need to be aggressive next
time!

FELIX
Uncle, I've been aggressive ALL
this time --

ERNEST
Then, be more aggressive! You
wanna win, don't you?!

Felix doesn't respond since they both know the answer.

CUT TO:

INT. ARENA, BACKSTAGE

Jonah and Danny are with Kelly now, readying for an
interview as they finish watching Felix's match:

KELLY
Danny. Now that Felix Santarosa
has advanced to the finals, with a
shocking win against Vladimir
Borovsky, it is now down to you
and Chris Jameson, the wrestler
out of Minnesota. Either one of
you could go on to face Santarosa
in the finals, but Jameson has
been fighting just as aggressively
as you both have. What are your
thoughts?

DANNY
(sighs)
Well, Kelly, I've been watching
some of Jameson's highlights and
he is a tough fighter. So, I'm
just gonna have to go out there
and hope for the best.

117.

KELLY
And how 'bout you, Jonah?

JONAH
There's not much to say but, do
your best, Danny.

Jonah & Danny take their leave.

CUT TO:

INT. OCTAGON CAGE - MOMENTS LATER

We can see Justine and Jonah ringside as Danny prepares for
his match with CHRIS JAMESON, late-20s. The Referee steps
into the Octagon:

REFEREE
Okay, guys, I want you to touch
gloves.
(they do)
Fight!

The Referee steps out of the way as the match begins. As
both fighters edge closer to each other, Danny starts off
with two JABS then a CROSS; he lands only the last punch,
missing the first two before Chris uses a takedown move. He
then proceeds to ground fight, punching away at Danny until
he puts him in a submission hold.

Danny struggles to find an opening, punching at Chris until
the Referee finally breaks the hold; they get back up. Danny
connects with a combination, until Chris takes him down
again. However, Danny reverses it and pins Chris down,
giving him powerful punches to the head. Chris then manages
to roll Danny back over, and put him in another submission
hold.

Danny continues to fight back, resisting the urge to tap out
until Chris breaks the hold. The two battle it out -- a
great battle of skill versus will as they consistently
counter each other's moves. Justine & Jonah cheer on as they
watch Danny struggle in his fight.

Danny seems to maintain momentum as he keeps his focus and
tries to keep Chris from using his takedown moves, then
suddenly, as Danny goes for a HOOK, Chris counter-punches
and hits him in the RIBS. The shock from the blow sends
Danny back against the cage; Chris is about to capitalize
when the Referee quickly approaches Danny, who looks clearly
hurt. Chris steps back, while some of the people in the
arena look concerned, including Emily who is sitting close
to the Octagon cage:

118.

REFEREE
Danny, are you okay? Talk to me!

DANNY
(grunting)
Yeah, I'm okay.

REFEREE
What's wrong?

DANNY
It's my ribs...!

REFEREE
Want me to stop the fight -- ?

DANNY
No! I can keep going.

Chris shows some concern until he sees the Referee step away
and gesture for the fight to continue. Danny watches as
Chris approaches him, almost waiting when he suddenly hits
him with a JUMPING BACK-KICK out of pure desperation. Chris
hits the mat, knocked out cold; the Referee calls the match
in Danny's favor as he falls to a knee, in pain. The crowd
goes WILD as they cheer, including Justine and Jonah; Emily
can't believe what she just saw.

CUT TO:

COMMENTARY BOOTH

Sean and Keith are equally surprised:

SEAN
(excited)
Oh, in what can certainly be
considered THE surprise move of
the tournament, Danny Valentine
has won with a stunning knockout!

KEITH
(smiling)
He sure did, Sean.

SEAN
I'm telling you, Keith, that kid
never ceases to amaze me! With a
move like that, he really deserves
that spot at the finals. Good
luck, Danny.

CUT TO:

119.

INT. INFIRMARY - MINUTES LATER

Justine and Jonah watch Danny wince as a MALE DOCTOR of
mid-fifties wraps a BANDAGE around his ribs:

DANNY
Ow! Not so tight.

DOCTOR
(finishing up)
There. Well, I hate to say it but
your ribs are definitely cracked,
Danny. I'm afraid you can't fight.

DANNY
What?! Doc, I'm in the finals --
you can't do this to me!

JUSTINE
Isn't there something you can give
him? Painkillers, maybe?

DOCTOR
Painkillers only work for a
limited time. They won't guarantee
a speedy recovery.

DANNY
Fine, I'll take 'em. I didn't come
this far to forfeit; the only way
I'll lose is if Felix beats me!

DOCTOR
(sighs)
Okay. But just so you know,
competing in this state could have
some dire consequences.

DANNY
Yeah, well, I've always been a
hard-headed guy

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. DANNY & JUSTINE'S ROOM - MORNING

Danny is still in his pajamas, staring contemplatively out
the window as he watches the city. Justine walks into the
room, holding her cellphone.

JUSTINE
I just got off the phone with Joe,
Gisselle's doing fine.

120.

DANNY
That's good.

JUSTINE
(sitting down)
How you feel?

DANNY
(sighs; sits down)
'Couldn't sleep. Painkillers
didn't help.

JUSTINE
The doctor said it was only
temporary.

DANNY
I know. But I need to be able to
fight tonight.

JUSTINE
(smiling)
Yeah, well, lets hope you can pull
another miracle like yesterday.

DANNY
(beat)
You know, I was actually starting
to consider giving up.

JUSTINE
(sighs)
Danny, don't. Okay? I know you
want this more than anything, so
just don't give up. Go out there
and give it your all. Because if
you walk away, I'll be the first
one back home to call you a bitch!

DANNY
(chuckles)
You'd do that, wouldn't you?

JUSTINE
(smiling)
You damn right I would!

Danny smiles half-heartedly then there's a KNOCK (OS) at the
door. Justine gets up and answers the door, finding Chris
Jameson standing outside with his bags:

121.

CHRIS
(to Danny)
Hey. I'm heading back home, but I
wanted to wish you luck on your
match tonight. Kick that guy's
ass!

DANNY
Okay.

CHRIS
(smiling)
Oh, and nice kick, by the way.

DANNY
(chuckles)
Thanks.

Danny waves as Chris leaves.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA - NIGHT

We hear the usual SPORTS COMMENTARY (VO) as we see hundreds
of people, waiting in line before heading into the arena:

SEAN (VO)
Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, it's
the last night of the Blood, Sweat
& Dreams tournament as hundreds of
people wait in line to witness
what many are considering to be
one of the greatest events in
sports history.

KEITH (VO)
That's right, people, the final
match is set. But what most didn't
expect is that the two fighters
squaring off would be Felix
Santarosa and Danny Valentine, the
respective prot�g�s of Diego
Santarosa and Jonah Freeman, who
were once rivals years ago. Can
you feel the excitement this is
generating, Sean?

CUT TO:

122.

INT. ARENA, BALCONY

As Sean and Keith continue their commentary from a balcony
overlooking the Octagon, we can see people beginning to fill
up the arena in the background.

SEAN (cont'd)
(to camera)
I sure can, Keith. Now this fight
is said to go by the rules of a
title match, meaning there will be
five rounds, five minutes each.
There can only be a winner by
either knockout, submission or
decision. The referee can stop the
fight, however, if he feels its
necessary. The doctor or either of
the cornermen for the fighters
have that same privilege as well.
Let's go to Kelly Alba who's
backstage with Felix Santarosa.
Kelly?

CUT TO:

INT. ARENA, BACKSTAGE

Felix is with Emily as Kelly interviews him:

KELLY
Thanks, Sean. Now, Felix, you are
just moments away from the final
match. How do you feel right now?

FELIX
I feel great, Kelly, confident.

KELLY
Aren't you even concerned about
facing Danny Valentine, who's last
fight was a surprise turnaround in
the BSD?

FELIX
No! Have you seen my fights?! I'm
gonna win tonight!

KELLY
(smiling)
Well, if you say so. So, tell us,
who is this lovely lady that we've
been seeing at ringside all
weekend?

123.

Emily smiles, waiting for a compliment, but:

FELIX
Oh, her? Yeah, she's someone I
met during my training. She asked
if she could accompany me to
Vegas, and I let her.

EMILY
(scoffs)
"Someone"?! So, after two years,
I'm just "someone" to you?!

Emily pushes Felix as she storms past him and leaves. He
chases after her after realizing he's just put his foot in
his mouth.

KELLY
(to camera)
I guess confidence is not an issue
here for Felix. But his ego is
definitely another story. Now for
a few words from UFC president,
Dana White.

CUT TO:

INT. OCTAGON CAGE

DANA WHITE holds a microphone as he stands in the center of
the cage to address the crowd in the now-full arena.

DANA WHITE
Good evening, Ladies and
Gentlemen. First off, I would like
to thank you all for attending the
first ever Blood, Sweat & Dreams
tournament we've had. We've
definitely seen a lot of blood and
sweat, but tonight, one fighter's
dream will come true. I've been
told we've hit a record number in
attendance today, so its fans like
you that make this event very
special for me and the UFC. So, I
hope you've enjoyed everything so
far -- I know I have -- and I
promise you there will be more
tournaments like this to come.
Thank you.

The crowd CHEERS as he leaves the octagon.

124.

CUT TO:

INT. LOCKER ROOM

Justine & Danny, who's sitting down in full gear, are alone
in the locker room as they hear the NOISE (OS) of the crowd.

JUSTINE
How do you feel? You're ready?

She gets no answer; Justine walks up and kneels in front of
him as he hangs his head down.

JUSTINE
Danny, look at me.
(he looks up)
I know you're feeling nervous
right now, I am too. But no matter
what happens, I want you to
remember that you're my little
brother and I love you, okay? Win
or lose, nothing will change that.
And I'm proud of you for going
through with this. We all are. And
if Mom and Greg were alive, they
would be too.

DANNY
I wish he was here. I love you,
Sis, thanks for coming.

They hug.

CUT TO:

INT. ARENA - SAME

The crowd CHEERS again as they see Felix walk out to the
Octagon with Ernest, with THEME MUSIC playing behind them.
He clearly seems confident, relishing the spotlight now.

CUT TO:

INT. LOCKER ROOM

Jonah walks in.

JONAH
It's time.

Justine and Danny stand up; Danny takes off his bandage
before leaving, tossing it down on his way out.

125.

CUT TO:

EXT. LOCKER ROOM

There's a gang of NEWS CORRESPONDENTS, including Kelly Alba,
who hound Jonah, Justine & Danny -- trying to get an
interview. Danny ignores them all as he walks to the
Octagon; it's a long walk before getting there.

CUT TO:

INT. ARENA

Danny's own theme music plays as he walks out to the
Octagon, completely focused on his opponent. We see Emily
nearby in the crowds, watching everything.

CUT TO:

INT. OCTAGON CAGE

Felix, already in the Octagon, grins as Danny enters. We can
see the clear BRUISE on Danny's ribs, as he stares at Felix.

CUT TO:

INT. JOSEPH'S HOUSE - SAME

Joseph and Gisselle are sitting down on the couch, watching
the fight:

GISSELLE
Come on, Uncle Danny, win!

CUT TO:

INT. OCTAGON CAGE

            REFEREE
      (to Danny & Felix)
I don't wanna see any foul play --
no cheap shots! Got it?
      (they nod)
Alright, touch gloves.

Danny refuses and backs away, Felix grins as he does the
same.

REFEREE
Let's do it!

The Referee moves back and the match gets under way. Felix
and Danny circle around each other; Felix fakes a few kicks

126.

and punches, almost toying with Danny if not pissing him
off. Danny LUNGES at him, trying to land a hit, but tripping
instead; Felix laughs at this while Danny gets back up.
Finally, they start TRADING BLOWS but its nothing that gets
the crowd excited. The bell RINGS(OS), and both fighters go
to their corners.

CUT TO:

FELIX'S CORNER

Felix takes out his mouthpiece:

ERNEST
(giving water)
You're doing good, Felix. Keep
dancing around him -- tire
the boy out and keep it
interesting.

CUT TO:

DANNY'S CORNER - SAME

Jonah is giving Danny's water:

JONAH
Danny, what're you doing out
there?

DANNY
(spits)
He's playing with me, holding
back.

JONAH
(giving mouthpiece)
Don't give in to it, alright? Keep
your guard up!

The bell RINGS (OS) again for Round 2.

CUT TO:

INT. OCTAGON CAGE

The fight resumes. Danny tries to connect with a two-hit
combo, then another but backs off after failing. He then
dodges Felix's attempted kicks, catching him off-guard with
a SWEEP KICK on the last one.

Now things get interesting, with the crowd CHEERING as Danny
mounts Felix and begins hammering away. Then suddenly, Felix

127.

reverses into a submission hold, keeping Danny down for a
while until he finds another opening to break the hold.

Both fighters get back to their feet and Danny rushes
forward, punching and kicking at Felix, taking out weeks of
frustration. Felix fights back, using a takedown move but
Danny still manages to keep punching away.

The two continue ground-fighting now, countering hold after
punch after hold, until the bell RINGS (OS) again. They go
to their corners.

CUT TO:

DANNY'S CORNER

Danny gets a swig of water then spits, while Jonah now
treats his bruises.

JONAH
(smiling)
I'm glad to see you remembered
what I've taught you, Mate. Keep
it up!

CUT TO:

FELIX'S CORNER - SAME

Ernest treats Felix's bruises and cuts:

ERNEST
What the fuck are you doing?!
You're letting him get the drop on
you! Stop messing around and beat
him!

The bell RINGS (OS).

CUT TO:

INT. OCTAGON CAGE

Danny & Felix waste no time now, getting within range of
each other's punches and kicks, fighting like animals...
giving the fans what they paid for. Danny pins Felix against
the fence of the cage, giving him few body blows until Felix
drops him to the mat.

Felix puts Danny in another submission hold; Danny
desperately tries to get out of it, but can't seem to find
an opening. He persistently tries to fight back, wasting as

128.

much time as he can before the thought of submitting comes
to mind.

Finally, Felix breaks the hold; they get up and he suddenly
catches Danny off-guard with a SUPERMAN-PUNCH to the face.
Danny staggers back while Felix grins at him, but the bell
RINGS (OS) before he can retaliate. They go to their
corners.

CUT TO:

FELIX'S CORNER

Ernest starts treating his wounds:

ERNEST
Come on, Felix -- where's your
head at!? Stop playing with him!

CUT TO:

DANNY'S CORNER - SAME

Jonah applies VASELINE to Danny's cuts:

JONAH
You're doing great, Danny -- keep
him out of his comfort zone! Watch
for submissions!

The bell RINGS (OS) and we go into Round 4.

CUT TO:

INT. OCTAGON CAGE

Felix and Danny are back at it again, clearly frustrated as
they rush in to exchange punches and kicks, turning this
match into a brawl now. Danny uses a takedown to bring Felix
to the mat. He clearly winces as he begins to punch Felix --
tiring with each punch until Felix kicks him away. Felix
quickly gets back up, rushing to pin Danny against the
fence.

He hits Danny with some knee strikes to the stomach; by the
third knee strike, Danny's facial expression shows he's
clearly in pain now but Felix knocks him down with a punch
and backs away, planning another move. Danny clutches his
ribs as he struggles to get up. He coughs up BLOOD before
the Referee approaches him. The crowd seems nervous while
Felix grins.

129.

REFEREE
Danny. Danny, look at me! How you
doin', can you fight?

DANNY
(grunting)
Yeah... I'm good!

Taking his word for it, the Referee backs up and Danny
slowly gets back to his feet. He edges over to Felix, but
Felix already knows what to do, exploiting the injury with
kicks and body punches.

Danny falls to a knee, but the bell signifies the end of
Round 4. They head to their corners. Emily, Justine, and the
rest of the crowd are in suspense now.

CUT TO:

DANNY'S CORNER

Jonah is clearly concerned as he wipes the blood from
Danny's mouth, then proceeds to treat his cuts:

JONAH
I'm gonna throw the towel. You
can't continue like this --

DANNY
(panting)
Don't!

JONAH
Danny, you're hurt! I'm throwing
the towel!

DANNY
Jonah, you stop this fight and
I'll kill you!

JONAH
(beat)
Fine, I won't. You better know
what you're doing.

CUT TO:

FELIX'S CORNER - SAME

ERNEST
(using enswell)
Felix, you need to --

130.

FELIX
I got this.

ERNEST
Listen to me -- !

FELIX
Uncle! I got this!

The bell RINGS (OS) and Felix replaces his mouth piece.
Final Round.

CUT TO:

INT. OCTAGON CAGE

Danny is fatigued as he and Felix approach each other. They
begin slugging it out, using more punches than kicks or
holds. They continue pounding each other whenever one uses a
takedown.

The crowd is quite possibly seeing the most intense match of
the tournament as these two fighters begin to make this
fight personal.

Danny winces when he takes hits to the ribs but continues
battling back. He ups his defense as he dodges, parries, and
counters each punch; Felix does the same. We hear the
TWO-MINUTE WARNING (OS) as these two continue to fight.

Danny is becoming more aggressive, not leaving any room for
Felix to breathe. Then, suddenly, he hits him with a
powerful uppercut to knock him down. He backs away as the
Referee checks on Felix. Moments later, a dazed Felix is
declared unable to continue. Danny wins.

CUT TO:

INT. JOSEPH'S HOUSE - SAME

Joseph watches as an excited Gisselle SCREAMS her head off.
He can't help but chuckle at her excitement.

GISSELLE
HE WON!!! HE WON!!!

CUT TO:

INT. OCTAGON CAGE

131.

The crowd goes INSANE, and Emily is pleasantly surprised as
Danny falls to his knees, glad the match is finally over
when Jonah & Justine rush in to congratulate him. Justine
hugs her brother as tears of joy run down his face:

JUSTINE
DANNY, YOU WON!!! YOU WON!!!

JONAH
(smiling)
Great fight, Danny!!

Danny hugs them both as INTERVIEWERS begin to surround him
for questions. Felix slowly gets up and steps out of the
Octagon.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. ARENA - MINUTES LATER

The cage has been replaces with a normal stage now. There is
a TABLE there with a CONTRACT lying on top of it, and a
GIANT CHECK for a hundred thousand dollars set close by.
Dana White is on stage with a microphone in hand.

DANA WHITE
Will Danny Valentine come to the
stage, please?

Danny, now wearing a PROMO UFC T-SHIRT, slowly walks onto
the stage as he holds his ribs, as well as his own
microphone. Looking more humbled than ever.

DANA WHITE (cont'd)
Danny, congratulations on winning
the Blood, Sweat & Dreams
tournament; you are a living
definition of that title. Now,
everyone is wondering who's team
will you join once you're on The
Ultimate Fighter. Is there
anything you'd like to say?

DANNY
Thank you, Mister White. Joining
the UFC roster has
always been a dream of mine, and I
feel honored, and very humbled, to
be given the opportunity.
(beat)
But with that being said... I'm
gonna have to pass on signing that
contract.

132.

Everyone in the arena reacts to the bombshell, including
Felix, who seems a bit confused if not upset by the
decision:

DANNY
(sighs)
Yeah. I fought hard to win but,
y'see, before the finals came
around I had an epiphany:
fighting's all I've ever known.
I've grown up fighting and it's
been the cause of most of my
problems; it even cost my best
friend his life. A dream that
hurts your loved ones isn't worth
chasing. If you guys wanna take
the money from me, then fine. But
I won this tournament, and no one
can take that from me.

DANA WHITE
(beat)
Well, I wasn't expecting that. You
did win this tournament, and no
one can say otherwise, even if you
decide not to join the roster.
But, as far as the money goes, I'm
sure we'll figure something out.
However, do call us in case you
change your mind; we'd damn sure
love to have a fighter like you!

Danny smiles at the compliment. He and Dana shake hands and
pose for photographers as the people cheer them on. Justine
looks on at Danny, giving a nod of approval.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. THREE FAMILY HOME - ESTABLISH - DAY

SUPER - BOSTON, TWO WEEKS LATER

We look on at a house in what looks like a pretty safe
neighborhood.

SERIES OF SHOTS

A) Danny wakes up in a new bedroom, which is bigger and more
organized than his old one; we notice that his wounds are
healing pretty well. He does a couple of push-ups before
stepping out.

133.

B) Danny is fully dressed as he steps out of the house,
greeting a pair of PRETTY WOMEN in their twenties before
getting into a brand-new LEXUS parked out front. He drives
off.

C) Justine is out food-shopping with Gisselle, who's wearing
a KARATE GI. Both seem happy.

D) Danny is visiting Joseph's bar. Joseph & Lisa are smiling
with Danny as he shows them his GED TEST SCORES, before
having to leave.

E) Danny is visiting Greg's grave, smiling with a sense of
accomplishment to him.

F) Felix, wounds still healing, is sitting in Logan Airport;
looking defeated before having to board his flight.

G) Danny enters the Pride & Glory, which looks as if its
been renovated a bit. He is greeted by a group of
adolescents, young fans as he is now a local celebrity. He
signs an autograph as Jonah watches, smiling.

H) We get an idea that Danny works in the gym now as he
gives instructions to some TEENAGE STUDENTS. He notices
Emily walking in, looking filled with regret. He walks over
to her:

EMILY
(beat; looks up)
I'm really sorry, Danny....

Danny smiles half-heartedly:

            DANNY
Hey...
      (caresses her
       cheek)
I'm glad you're here.

They hug tightly while everyone in the gym continues
training.

THE END

Feedback

From vito jennette	Date 8/5/2009
good script...needs to be cut down a few (20) more pages but better.

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