The Harder They Fall

Bogart plays Eddie Willis, an out-of-work journalist hired by promoter Nick Benko, played by Rod Steiger. Benko has brought Toro Moreno, a huge but inexperienced boxer from Argentina, to the United States.

Eddie uses his media skills to build Toro into a contender, while Benko arranges for opponents to lose. The scheme draws crowds and money, but Toro has no idea his wins are fixed.

When Toro faces a real champion, he is badly hurt. Eddie learns that Toro's share of the earnings is tiny after the promoters' deductions.

The film ends with Eddie deciding to write an exposé calling for reform of the sport.

For people in combat sports, sport law and media, The Harder They Fall is a classic study of exploitation and conflicts of interest. It shows how promoters, managers and publicists could profit while fighters bore the risks.

It also raises questions about the role of media in building and protecting athletes' reputations.

Many reforms since, including athlete protection legislation and commission oversight, address the problems the film depicts.

Watch The Harder They Fall if you work in combat sports, athlete representation or sport media ethics.

This Shelf feature reflects the film's story and themes; it is not a scene-by-scene review.