How ‘They Fight’ rewrites the American Dream for Black America

Editor’s note: This article contains plot spoilers.

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

One explores the meaning of that dream for an Italian man in ‘76, while the other looks at it from the perspective of Black men and kids in 2026.

Rocky plays on the knowledge that “a million to one shot” seemed like a guarantee; They Fight understands there’s 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.

Manigan, a boxing coach fresh out of prison, shares commonalities with Rocky Balboa. They’re 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 “has-beens,” they’re firmly in the “never was” category because they didn’t come close to fulfilling their potential.

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.

Manigan is faced with proving himself worthy of a decent job in a system that doesn’t 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’ Apollo Creed bestowed a blessing upon Balboa, who was in the right place at the right time.

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

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.

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’t ignore the systemic inequalities its characters face.

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 than those in wealthier areas of the city.

Yet the film never reduces its characters to those struggles. D.C.’s socioeconomic disparities are part of the backdrop, but Candis is far more interested in what his characters do in spite of them — specifically on how they react to a lack of resources and structural biases.

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’s lack of resources.

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’s 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.

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.

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.

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’s walls so they don’t become jaded or expect the worst from life.

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.

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’t 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’t afford to be limited to just “one spot.”

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 — far too tempting for a recovering drug addict.

Candis shows Manigan flirt with the pills as he briefly remembers 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 — 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.

Much like the kids, Candis’ interest in Manigan is how he uses his circumstances to flourish, not drown. Manigan does the work, coaches a champion, and marries Ketta — all this despite being reminded early in the film that in a city like D.C., men like Walt “don’t exist” to the people who could offer a big helping hand.

The film They Fight, based on a true story that was the subject of a 2018 documentary, knows there’s never an ideal time to dream for this community. Its characters do so anyway.

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.

Peanut and Quincey don’t 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’ sports movies of the past — The Karate Kid, Little Giants, The Mighty Ducks and more — those obstacles only push the kids further toward success.

The difference is that the kids and everyone else in They Fight don’t know they’re not supposed to.