Across
- 2. middleweight contender reluctantly throws fight to get title shot, retires, gets fat, is estranged from wife & brother who managed him
- 4. Depression-era drifter lands in New Orleans, proves indomitable in illegal bare-knuckled boxing matches after forming partnership with garrulous hustler Speed
- 8. 1949 film of Midge Kelly, drifter-turned boxer who is so driven to win he betrays brother & mgr, backstabs friends, manipulates women to get what he needs to fight a title bout
- 9. 2005 biopic of James J. Braddock who came back from career-ending injury in the 1930s to capture the heavyweight title from Max Baer
- 10. 1949 film with washed-up Stoker Thompson vs young, mob-backed Tiger Nelson. Not aware his mgr promised mob he would lose, Stoker upsets Nelson, gets beat up by mob goons but saves marriage
Down
- 1. shifty lawyer Harry Fabian becomes boxing promoter, angering big time promoter Boom Boom Grossman; Harry's venture is undermined, then fails & Harry is beaten as he cannot repay loan shark
- 3. bank teller James J. Corbett goes into boxing using footwork, speed, finesse to defeat flat-footed brawling musclemen like John L. Sullivan who he beats for the heavyweight title
- 5. Phila. club fighter gets shot at title
- 6. 1931 classic of boozy ex-boxer returning to ring for renewed self-respect & sake of his son; takes fatal punch in first bout
- 7. 1972 film on boozy, unemployed ex-boxer encourages young sparring partner at gym to pursue boxing; both experience seamy underbelly of life & boxing without any cheer