BY SCOTT STIFFLER | Blooper reels at the Tribeca Film Festival are few and far between, but there’s still a good reason to stay in your chair and watch the credits roll. Eight films, part of the “Tribeca Talks” series, allow viewers to interact with the cast and creators — in the form of a panel discussion, moderated by an informed outsider.
Such was the case with last Saturday afternoon’s North American premiere of the nimble and contemplative boxing documentary “Champs” — after which chairs were occupied by director Bert Marcus, NYC promoter Lou DiBella and two of the men whose larger-than-life stories played out on the giant screen they now sat below. ESPN Radio host and ABC news contributor Jeremy Schaap began the conversation, then fielded questions from the audience.
If you hadn’t just seen “Champs,” the panel’s most shocking revelation would have come from the amiable vibe between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson. Almost two decades after their 1997 bout (during which Tyson infamously bit off a portion of his opponent’s ear), they’ve long since moved on from their violent rivalry, as well as the damage done by years of bad behavior and even worse business decisions. Nowadays, the two former heavyweight champions have channeled their mutual respect into collaborative humanitarian efforts (footage from one of those missions makes them seem like boxing’s answer to the charity work done by presidents Bush and Clinton).
Asked what prompted him to accompany Holyfield, Tyson joked that he was sitting at home with nothing to do, and just happened to pick up the phone. That seems unlikely, given his need to generate income and reduce a lingering IRS debt. “The planes and the tigers and the boats, that was my stuff they’re showing,” said Tyson, fondly referring to a sequence in the film that lists the staggering cost of good life trappings purchased during his high-earning years — when Don King was giving him $100,000 cash for every first round knockout. Holyfield’s own experience with fortunes made and lost was represented in the film by a sprawling aerial shot of his repossessed mansion.
Several questions involved strategic assessments, with Tyson naming the 1986 bout with Marvis Frazier as his “most complete” performance, in terms of technical achievement. Holyfield credited exhaustive viewing of footage from Tyson’s past fights as the key to understanding what it would take to break “Iron Mike” — to which Tyson humbly admitted, “I lost to the most competitive guy in the history of fighting.”
The conversation shifted gears, when the panel began to elaborate on the real marrow of “Champs” — which blends commentary from athletes, trainers, promoters and social critics with some nicely understated recreations depicting the formative years of future champions. While spending plenty of time dissecting the fight game (enough to satisfy those who showed up for that reason alone), director Bert Marcus is more concerned with placing the struggles of his subjects into a broader context. Questions are asked, repeatedly, about the American prison system’s incarceration rate, racial disparities and current focus on isolation and medication at the expense of effective reform.
Bernard Hopkins, also featured in “Champs,” recalls how a prison boxing program (then common, now a rarity) ironically delivered him from violence. Hopkins was a no-show at Tribeca Talks, but he had a good reason. That night, the 49-year-old earned a split decision, making history as the oldest fighter to win a unification bout (retaining the IBF light-heavyweight championship and walking out of the ring with Beibut Shumenov’s IBA and WBA titles).
Lou DiBella, of NYC’s DiBella Entertainment, spoke about the near-universal refusal of promoters to enforce The Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act — which would bring consistent protocols to a sport whose standards vary wildly from state to state. Every panelist echoed the need for oversight, as well as a foundation of knowledge to help young fighters avoid the predatory contracts and amateurish management that can derail careers. “Who even needs a manager now,” asked DiBella, asserting that their function has been rendered moot by the combination of a good promoter and a vigilant attorney. “There’s no regulation, and there’s no union,” he also noted, blaming boxing’s dimming star not on Mixed Martial Arts, but its own collective dysfunction.
Holyfield landed the panel’s heaviest blow, firing off a sharp one when asked what allowed him to be at peace with the numerous betrayals in his past. “Forgiveness,” he said. “You have to forgive. You can’t hold the whole world hostage.”
The final Tribeca Film Festival screening of “Champs” takes place at 7:30pm on Sat., April 26, at Tribeca Cinemas (54 Varick St., at Laight St.). For tickets and info, call 646-502-5296 or visit tribecafilm.com.
