 Mountain Rivera is at the end of his boxing career after a knockout by Cassius Clay in the seventh round. His left eye is one punch from permanent trauma, his ears turned to cauliflower, his speech slurred from "being hit a million times," and he slings punches anytime he hears a bell, but his trainer and  cutman  Army, and Miss Miller, a manipulative social worker, support his illusion that he could be a movie usher, a camp counselor, or a romantic partner for Miller. But his manager Maish Rennick, knowing the truth, can t admit that he s bet everything he had that Rivera wouldn t go four rounds against Clay. Maish will pay with his life when the goon squad comes to collect if he can t persuade Rivera to abandon his pride ("I fought 111 fights and never took a dive") and agree to a wrestling contract of which he s ashamed. When Maish blurts out his secret, Rivera realizes that walking out on the deal is not an option. To save the neck of the man who s betrayed him, he embraces the humiliating role of wrestling as "Big Chief Mountain Rivera," and the illusion of camaraderie among the three men is gone forever.