The Fight Life (2007)

Art "All Heart" Medina works full time painting houses. He is also a single father of a six year old boy and uses boxing to supplement his income. He is the quintessential "club fighter." The fighter brought in the make the star look good. But Art keeps coming forward, undaunted, and the majority of his opponents always know that they've been in a fight. The Dominican Republic is known for churning out great baseball players. Wilson Montero eschews baseball for boxing and became a successful amateur in the Tampa Bay boxing circuit. Turning pro now, he must juggle his boxing career with a newborn son and a full time job as a truck driving instructor. Two years ago, Jose Luis "Tapitas" Araiza was a top ranked junior flyweight on the verge of a a title shot. Now after two years of inactivity he has immigrated to Baja, California and begins preparation for a comeback. Working late nights as a barback to make ends meet, Araiza struggles to gain back lost opportunity. Not every boxer has the glamour and prestige of an Oscar De La Hoya or Floyd Mayweather. "The Fight Life" offers an inside look at the clubfighter, the prelim, and the unknown contender doing what they have to do to try and make it in the fight game. Learning how to box in a converted church, Julio Gonzalez, Librado Andrade, and Enrique Ornelas emerge out of the small La Habra boxing club to become champions and top contenders in their weight divisions. All three fighters discuss how they got involved in the boxing and other minutiae of the sport in an 18 minute documentary. Former light heavyweight champion Gonzalez looks back on his career while Andrade and Ornelas discuss their ambitions.