![]() He received an invitation to fight for the Boxing Championship of England against Andrew Gamble, the Irish champion. Jem followed a disciplined lifestyle, and he gained a reputation for being a prominent boxer at the time. Jem started to train, and Bill taught him the art of boxing, which required the coordination of the mind and the body. Even his grandfather, before he died, advised him to train under Bill. Bill believed that with proper training, Jem would be able to fight cleverly. He felt that he had gotten lucky with Blackbeard, but Bill knew that it required more than luck to fight the way he did. Bill Warr was a veteran boxer, and he offered to train Jem, knowing his potential. Bill Warr watched him fight that day, and he knew that the boy was a raw talent. While Blackbeard was considered undefeatable, the skinny Bristol fellow was able to knock the man out. Jem worked as a blacksmith, but when he saw the money he could make by boxing, he agreed to play a round with Bob “Blackbeard” Britton. Even though his grandfather was a drunkard, he was remembered for his brilliance in the sport. Jem Belcher was known for the blue and white scarf that he wore, and the film shows that it was Jack Slack who had given it to him when he was a boy. But the one lesson that Jem learned from Jack was that he had to decide the kind of man he wanted to be in his life because after a man dies, people only remember the name of the man and not his unhealthy habits. He even took the little that his daughter had to fulfill his needs. Jack Slack was infamous for spending all the money he earned on merrymaking. She believed he was a bad influence on Jem. Jem was close to his grandfather, even though his mother disapproved of their bond. Pearce, a friend of Belcher’s, didn’t want to take the fight yet it was forced upon him.‘Prizefighter: The Life Of Jem Belcher’ Plot Summary: What Is The Film About? After two years away from boxing, Belcher returned, and thus came the fight with Pearce, who like Belcher hailed from Bristol. It’s painfully ironic how, as untouchable as he was when fighting, Belcher suffered a ghastly injury whilst playing racquet ball, this in 1803, with Jem losing an eye. Fast, clever, boastful and powerful, James “Jem” Belcher became Champion of all of England at the age of just 19, and he administered severe beatings in fights against far more experienced foes such as Jack Bartholomew (in their return fight), Andrew Gamble (the portrayal of the fight in the film being way off the mark), Joe Berks, and Jack Firby. Read: Sunny Edwards Decisions Andres Campos - Boxing Resultsįor knowledgeable fans of Belcher and the bare-knuckle period in general, there is much to criticise – did Belcher, the bare-knuckle champion of England from 1800 to 1805, and his opponent, Henry Pearce, really wear gloves in the “Fight of the Century” that serves as the climax of the film (although Belcher fought on afterwards)? Did Belcher really get knocked out by Pearce, the way the film shows?īelcher, who fought from 152 to 182 pounds during his career, really was a master boxer, the kind of which the world had never seen before. Ray Winstone’s grizzled performance as Belcher’s trainer, Bill Warr, is also lots of fun, although it’s unlikely Warr spoke anything like the way Winstone portrays him. But after doing a little reading about Belcher, one is left frustrated by the film, by the way this project fails in really telling the story of this fascinating, so unimaginably ahead of his time boxer the way it could have done.Īlso, so enjoyable is Crowe’s performance as Jack Slack (Belcher’s grandfather and a true bare-knuckle king of kings), the character comes close to stealing the show leaving a viewer interested more in the old, bloated boozer who is still a tough guy than in the actual legend the film is devoted to. And the good job the film does is, it leaves a viewer wanting to learn more about Belcher (and his grandfather, his trainer, his wealthy backers). Starring movie heavyweights Russel Crowe and Ray Winstone, “Prizefighter” is no doubt an enjoyable film, it’s an entertaining ride for sure. Yet for fans of important historical accuracy, well, let’s just say the film takes its share of liberties. One of the oldest stories of the prize ring to have ever had a film devoted to it, the film by director Daniel Graham, written by and starring Matt Hookings, promises much. Today on Amazon Prime, the film “Prizefighter: The Life Of Jem Belcher” had its premiere.
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