Against the Ropes

The knockout one-two acting punch of Meg Ryan and Omar Epps makes this fact-based boxing saga a winner. Ryan is Jackie Kallen, a groundbreaking fight manager who brawls her way to the top of her profession. Epps plays a street fighter she turns into a contender. Charles S. Dutton costars and makes his big-screen directorial debut. Tony Shalhoub, Tim Daly, Joe Cortese, Kerry Washington., A real life story about a boxer woman fought for her respect and won a man., Feisty female assistant Jackie Kallen battles to make it in the male dominated world of boxing promotion., Charles S. Dutton’s loosely fact-based film stars Meg Ryan as Jackie Kallen, America’s most famous female boxing promoter. A lowly PA to the owner of the Cleveland Coliseum, a prime boxing venue, Kallen gets into an argument with promoter Sam LaRocca, who laughingly offers her the contract of one of his fighters. The boxer in question is crack-addicted Devon Greene, but fate intervenes in the shape (and muscle) of debt collector Luther Shaw, who’s after the money Greene owes. Seeing Shaw’s potential, Kallen persuades him to sign up. But, after a few wins, he attracts the attention of her rival male promoters, and she begins to believe a little too much in her own press. This intriguing, ownoverlooked movie stands out because of its honesty, with the Kallen figure portrayed as no paragon of virtue in what is one of sport’s murkiest worlds., (2004) Charles S. Dutton’s loosely fact-based film stars Meg Ryan as Jackie Kallen, America’s most famous female boxing promoter. a lowly PA to the owner of the Cleveland Coliseum, a prime boxing venue, Kallen gets into an argument with promoter Sam LaRocca (Tony Shalhoub), who laughingly offers her the contract of one of his fighters. The boxer in question is crack-addicted Devon Greene (Tony Kittles), but fate intervenes in the shape (and muscle) of debt collector Luther Shaw (Omar Epps), who’s after the money Greene owes. Seeing Shaw’s potential, Kallen persuades him to sign up. But, after a few wins, he attracts the attention of her rival male promoters, and she begins to believe a little too much in her own press. This intriguing, overlooked movie stands out because of its honesty, with the Kallen figure portrayed as no paragon of virtue in one of sport’s murkiest worlds. M,W,R,HD., Charles S. Dutton’s feature-length directorial debut Against the Ropes is based on the real-life story of Jackie Kallen, a Jewish woman from Detroit who became a successful boxing manager. Played by Meg Ryan, Kallen works her way up in the world of boxing by believing in the fighting skills of Luther Shaw (Omar Epps). Director Dutton appears as veteran trainer Felix Reynolds, whom Kallen encourages to come out of retirement., Inspired by a True story, this drama sees Meg Ryan packing the meanest punch as the first female promoter in the boxing world., Jackie Kallen was the hard-eyed Cleveland boxing promoter who took on the men and won. Real-life drama about a woman fighting for respect, and a boxer battling to escape the slums., Inspired by a true story, this drama sees Meg Ryan packing the meanest punch as the first female promoter in the boxing world.