User Reviews

You remember Kevin McBride don't you ? No ? Well you've heard of Mike Tyson ? You know just about the most overrated World Heavyweight boxing champion the world has ever seen who despite having lightening hand speed and a lot of power punches was fortunate enough to fight in an era where most heavyweights in the 1980s wee past their sell by date . Tyson's reputation went before him and most opponents were terrified of him long before they stepped in to the ring . A joke doing the rounds was not only were his opponents carried out of the ring but also had to get carried in to it too . One tasteless joke was that the woman Tyson raped put up a better fight than most of his opponents . As soon as Tyson got to meet a courageous boxer such as Holyfield or Lewis he would be put to the sword . Despite this the Tyson camp still billed him as " The meanest man on the planet " when with a fight record of 50 wins with 44 KOs' , and 6 losses Tyson met Kevin McBride with a fight record of 34 wins with 28 KOs' , 4 losses and 1 draw . Tyson was expected to make short work of McBride . Except he didn't and after weathering an early storm McBride caused Tyson to retire on his stool exposing Tyson for the coward he was and McBride had the world at his feet . Except he didn't because due to boxing politics and Don King McBride might have hit Tyson but not the big time

Despite being released in 2013 this documentary short is set in 2011 , six years after the Tyson fight where McBride's career is in freefall . What the documentary doesn't do very well is point out that soon after the Tyson fight McBride started to suffer a string of defeats against journeyman fighters with little money made from these fights and was no longer a contender for a massive payday against one of the Klitschko brothers . Worse still it's very obvious that the courage in the ring and his love of boxing has left him rather punch drunk . Kevin slurs his words giving the impression he's had a couple of litres of wine for breakfast > Why go on ? For a short documentary what it does very well is illustrate the attraction of boxing , of walking in to a frenzied arena and being cheered from the rafters . Even if you've no interest in the sport you can understand this need for adulation which is probably more addictive than any opiate and one can't imagine what sort of empty life awaits a former professional boxer who had a sharp taste of fame but who didn't hit the limelight long enough or make enough money for millionaire status , so sadly Kevin McBride will only be known as the man who beat Tyson in Tyson's last ever professional fight . That said anyone who gives a beating to a convicted rapist is all right in my book

In 2005 Kevin McBride was selected to be an easy opponent for Mike Tyson to make his return after being knocked out in his previous fight against Danny Williams. Against all expectations McBride walked out of that ring the winner having, as the title suggests, beaten Mike Tyson. Despite the suggestion he could build on this, he quickly returned to journeyman status and it is there this film finds him as he tries to get his boxing career back on track.

It is important to say that this film is perhaps a little generous to McBride in terms of the details of how he actually beat Mike Tyson. For copyright reasons there isn't much fight action shown here and not too much is said of the fight other than the result, but the truth is that this was not a glorious Rocky moment where the underdog pulled out all the stops, won the hearts of the crowd and eventually triumphed. No, instead Tyson was a mess, was accused of trying to break McBride's arm while the two were tied up and was deducted points for cutting McBride's brow with a headbutt. That round ended with Tyson sitting on the canvas (which we see in the film) but it was a slip following a push. It didn't matter though because Tyson quit the match during the break, remaining in his corner and thus giving the win to McBride by default. The film doesn't present it as Rocky but it certainly doesn't tell it like it was and I do think it would have been nice for some context even if it was just some brief text on the screen.

Anyway, in fairness the focus is not on that night apart from acknowledging the massive part of his name and life that the fight is and always will be. Instead the film looks at McBride and his family in a poor area of Boston where he appears to have a loving family but generally it put me in mind of the film The Fighter with its time and place. We see McBride facing another fight but he is not in great shape and it sounds like this dream of "making it" is what is driving him as it is pretty apparent that "one last fight" will be nothing of the sort (and indeed it isn't). The film is best as a very sober look at this journeyman – not sobering, but sober. It isn't a sad film but it isn't a happy one either, it just is. One feels for the man because it is pretty obvious that not only has tat boat sailed, but it is possible it was never really docking anyway, just passing back close to shore. His wife loves him and this shows as much as he loves her back; his kids are great and I loved the wise wee man sitting on the step talking to the camera.

The film is very well made and it has respect for its subject but not to the point of ever clouding reality and it is this that it shows. It makes for a sober and slightly depressing watch, although if I am honest I'm not sure why. McBride had a decent career working his way around and I really hope that the final fight we see in this film was/is indeed his last one.