{"id":814538,"date":"2026-07-21T14:42:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T14:42:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/814538\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T14:42:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T14:42:15","slug":"how-they-fight-rewrites-the-american-dream-for-black-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/814538\/","title":{"rendered":"How \u2018They Fight\u2019 rewrites the American Dream for Black America"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s note: This article contains plot spoilers.<\/p>\n

Director Sheldon Candis\u2019 They Fight<\/a> owes its existence partially to another boxing film about an underdog: Rocky. Candis wanted his version of his favorite movie<\/a>. Whether through actor Andr\u00e9 Holland\u2019s Walt Manigan or the young men learning the sweet science, the 1976 Rocky\u2019s dark horse mentality is hard to miss in Candis\u2019 youth amateur boxing movie. But it\u2019s the notion of the American Dream, something embedded in both films, that puts They Fight in direct conversation with Rocky.<\/p>\n

One explores the meaning of that dream for an Italian man in \u201876, while the other looks at it from the perspective of Black men and kids in 2026. <\/p>\n

Rocky plays on the knowledge that \u201ca million to one shot\u201d seemed like a guarantee; They Fight understands there\u2019s no such thing as a safe bet for people like Manigan or the kids he takes under his clipped wings. Rocky dares to dream because America told the main character it could. They Fight does so because America too often tells its main characters not to.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Sheldon<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\tSheldon Candis\u2019 \u2018They Fight\u2019 is a declaration for Black boys to dream big\t\t\t\tRead now
\n\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

Manigan, a boxing coach fresh out of prison, shares commonalities with Rocky Balboa. They\u2019re both lost and grasping for a positive sense of direction. Neither wants to continue anything remotely illegal to make ends meet, and both are considered boxing underachievers. Worse than \u201chas-beens,\u201d they\u2019re firmly in the \u201cnever was\u201d category because they didn\u2019t come close to fulfilling their potential.<\/p>\n

Peanut, played by Anthony B. Jenkins, and Quincey, played by Toussaint Francois Battiste, also share similarities with Balboa, particularly their determination in the ring and their compassion outside of it.<\/p>\n

Manigan is faced with proving himself worthy of a decent job in a system that doesn\u2019t make entry easy for ex-cons with a history of drug usage. Contrast that with Balboa. The failed boxing amateur who works for a loan shark found himself in the best position imaginable. Actor Carl Weathers\u2019 Apollo Creed bestowed a blessing upon Balboa, who was in the right place at the right time.<\/p>\n

The Italian Stallion\u2019s seemingly insurmountable odds in Rocky symbolized the mythological American Dream that runs through this country\u2019s blood. Balboa took advantage of the opportunity given to him, pulled himself up from his boxing shoestrings, and became an overnight sensation. <\/p>\n

Rocky shows that an average Joe can succeed through sheer determination and grit. It demonstrates that no matter the odds, anyone can make it in America if they prepare as if every fight is their last. Balboa had no idea what would happen when that bell rang, but he worked hard beforehand to face every eventuality. <\/p>\n

That version of the American Dream is the stuff of countless bedtime stories. They Fight, released earlier this month on Hulu, suggests the path to a better life is far more complicated than simply betting on yourself. Unlike Rocky, They Fight can\u2019t ignore the systemic inequalities its characters face.<\/p>\n

\"AA scene from They Fight, in which a local boxing gym serves as a refuge and gathering place for young athletes in Southeast Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n

Andscape<\/p>\n

Those realities shape the world of They Fight, but Candis never lets them define it. In some parts of Southeast Washington, D.C., residents of predominantly Black neighborhoods can have life expectancies more than a decade shorter<\/a> than those in wealthier areas of the city. <\/p>\n

Yet the film never reduces its characters to those struggles. D.C.\u2019s socioeconomic disparities are part of the backdrop, but Candis is far more interested in what his characters do in spite of them \u2014 specifically on how they react to a lack of resources and structural biases.<\/p>\n

The boxing and personal drama are the main draw in They Fight, but lurking in the background since the first act is the fate of the recreation gym. It underpins the shifting dynamics in D.C., acting as a poignant metaphor for the community\u2019s lack of resources. <\/p>\n

Slim, played by Wendell Pierce, says early on that the gym is on the chopping block because of budget cuts. Where another film might make this a big plot point, They Fight treats it casually; the characters already know it\u2019s a foregone conclusion. Slim notes the gym is the only place in the neighborhood the kids have to recreate, stay out of trouble, or just use a computer. It is also the only facility in the area capable of adequately housing an amateur boxing team.<\/p>\n

By the time the third act starts in earnest, the city makes it official: The gym will close in a month. Slim and Manigan attribute the impending closure to gentrification, as affluent residents who fled to the suburbs years ago now return to the neighborhood they once discarded like a used tissue. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Morehouse's<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\tMorehouse’s Boxing Club offers a supportive space for members to train their bodies and combat\t\t\t\tRead now
\n\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

Manigan and Slim never share those details with the boys. Instead, They Fight focuses on instilling hope rather than despair. They allow the boys to continue dreaming, using that reality as fuel to coach them harder and represent their neighborhood with pride during the Junior Olympic tryouts.<\/p>\n

Men like Manigan and Slim are used to being disappointed. Manigan starts the film talking about his regrets, while Slim often speaks of days gone by. They do everything in their power to shield their team from the reality outside the gym\u2019s walls so they don\u2019t become jaded or expect the worst from life. <\/p>\n

The film even uses the boxing tournament to emphasize the notion of scarcity. When Peanut gains a few pounds, he is put in the same weight class as Quincey. <\/p>\n

With each class getting one representative on the Olympic team, They Fight sets up a showdown that puts friend against friend for their version of a golden ticket. Peanut and Quincey aren\u2019t the first Black kids pitted against each other for that one spot in the right school, on the right team, or on the right waiting list. But it happens far too often in communities that can\u2019t afford to be limited to just \u201cone spot.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Peanut and Quincey literally fight over resources, Manigan faces structural challenges as a former convict. He only finds his way to coaching kids like Peanut and Quincey due to a lack of paid opportunities. Though he takes a construction gig to make ends meet, he quickly realizes his bad back makes it a dead end. Making matters worse, his only recourse for the pain is prescription pills \u2014 far too tempting for a recovering drug addict.<\/p>\n

Candis shows Manigan flirt with the pills as he briefly remember the euphoria of getting high. However, the director also shows the boxing coach in anguish over the possibility of relapsing. These moments come during what should be highlights for Manigan. Rather than succumb to the addiction and demons he worked hard to overcome, he focuses on his new purpose \u2014 such as his team and the love of his life. Ultimately, Manigan realizes his higher calling is not just to be a husband, but a father figure for the kids who depend on him.<\/p>\n

Much like the kids, Candis\u2019 interest in Manigan is how he uses his circumstances to flourish, not drown. Manigan does the work, coaches a champion, and marries Ketta \u2014 all this despite being reminded early in the film that in a city like D.C., men like Walt \u201cdon\u2019t exist\u201d to the people who could offer a big helping hand. <\/p>\n

The film They Fight, based on a true story that was the subject of a 2018 documentary, understands there\u2019s never an ideal time to dream for this community. Its characters do so anyway.<\/p>\n

Candis understood the inherent conflict of people living so close to power but having so little of it. His film finds warmth in the ostensibly cold shadow of the U.S. Capitol by making even the most seemingly small stakes larger than life. <\/p>\n

Peanut and Quincey don\u2019t think their world is any different from the more privileged kids farther uptown, even if Manigan and Slim know otherwise. Their relative lack of resources never stops them from dreaming of becoming junior Olympians. Much like kids\u2019 sports movies of the past \u2014 The Karate Kid, Little Giants, The Mighty Ducks and more \u2014 those obstacles only push the kids further toward success.<\/p>\n

The difference is that the kids and everyone else in They Fight don\u2019t know they\u2019re not supposed to. <\/p>\n

Marcus Shorter is a communications professional and writer. When he\u2019s not scribbling thoughts for Consequence, Cageside Seats or Bloody Disgusting, he\u2019s getting extra nerdy about rap lyrics, politics, poetry and comic books. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Editor\u2019s note: This article contains plot spoilers. Director Sheldon Candis\u2019 They Fight owes its existence partially to another…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":814539,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[571],"tags":[64,63,802,85],"class_list":["post-814538","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-boxing","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-boxing","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/814538","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=814538"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/814538\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/814539"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=814538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=814538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=814538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}