Plot
George ‘Iceman’ Chambers, former Undisputed Heavyweight Boxing Champion, is convicted of rape and sentenced to a new prison in the desert called Sweetwater Prison. Chambers is quick to throw his status as a champion boxer. The prison however has a system where every 6 months, a boxing match between Sweetwater’s champion Monroe Hutchen (Wesley Snipes) and other boxers from other prisons. Seeing Hutchen as the proverbial “Top Dog”, Chambers takes a cheap shot at Hutchen in the cafeteria and Hutchen is placed into solitary confinement.
Mendy Ripstein (Peter Falk), an elderly prisoner who has large influences in Sweetwater sees some potential to get a large sum of money if Hutchen and Chambers fight and asks his assistant Jesus Campos (Jon Seda) to arrange for the fight to happen. The head guard (Michael Rooker) who runs the boxing events is easily persuaded but the warden is intimidated to go on a 2-week vacation and says that if Chambers and Hutchen fight in a ring, then he can’t stop them but it is to never be recorded or brought up ever after the bout. Chambers agrees to the bout only if he can get early parole and Ripstein makes arrangements for him.
Ripstein comes up with the rules for the bout to be akin to the London Prize Fight Rules which is to be bareknuckle. Hutchen is let out of solitary confinement, well after he completes making a matchstick pagoda building (his main hobby) and starts to train for the fight against Chambers. Chambers’ manager Yank Lewis (Dayton Callie) is distraught about the conditions of the training grounds and the lack of referee and bareknuckle boxing style. Eventually, Lewis convinces Ripstein and Campos that a fight with gloves would have the match last longer and Ripstein agrees and allows 6 oz. gloves to be used.
As training continues, Hutchen talks to Ripstein and convinces him to give Hutchen 40% of the winnings of the fight so he can give the money to his sister on the outside. Hutchen it turns out was committed to prison for life without the possibility of parole for beating a man to death with his boxing skills, deemed he could ‘Respond with Deadly Force’. Chambers has continued with his disrespecting of each gang in Sweetwater and each leader comes to Hutchen saying they will rig the fight to give Hutchen the edge. Hutchen refuses the chance and says he will take Chambers down and that “No matter how good you are, everybody can be beat.” Campos is also propositioned by Ripstein’s contacts, but he refuses as well saying this is Ripstein’s dream and he doesn’t want anyone messing with it.
Fight Night comes and the prison waits for Hutchen’s chance to beat down Chambers. Iceman and Monroe start the fight just feeling each other out, both scoring damaging hits; then Iceman knocks Monroe down in the first round. Next round begins in the same fashion with Iceman and Monroe trading blows; again Monroe is knocked down and visibly hurt. Third round begins with Monroe taking more hits from Iceman, but Monroe dodges a right hook from the Iceman and counters with a left hook that staggers Iceman to the point of Monroe hitting him without defending himself and knocking him down for the first time in his fighting career. Iceman becomes furious and the next round begins. Monroe and Iceman continue to trade blows; Iceman throws another right hook with all of his power behind it but Monroe dodges and hits Iceman with a barrage of punches. After a devastating right hook, Monroe wins the fight via knockout.
Three weeks later and Campos gives a monologue to the audience. Ripstein has died from from Chronic Liver Cancer, Iceman is given early Parole, Monroe Hutchen is moved to a nicer, larger and generally more accommodating cell. Campos is given $2 million in legitimate money, held in trust until his time is served and that he no longer has an excuse to be a criminal. Finally he tells the viewer that Iceman and his press team have denied that the fight with Monroe ever happened and it dissolved into rumors that Chambers ever lost. When the whole prison watches Iceman regain his 'World Champion' Title on TV they all mock the announcer's claim that George is "Undisputed".
As the prisoners chant his name again, Hutchen completes a Matchstick model of the golden gate bridge. A freeze frame occurs and a message appears next to Monroe's head, "Name: Monroe Hutchen Record: 69 wins 0 losses; Undisputed". The film then cuts straight to the end credits.
Read more about this topic: Undisputed (film)
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