Channing Tatum ... Shawn MacArthur
Terrence Howard ... Harvey Boarden
Zulay Henao ... Zulay Valez
Michael Rivera ... Ajax
Flaco Navaja ... Ray Ray
Peter Anthony Tambakis ... Z (as Peter Tambakis)
Luis Guzmán ... Martinez
Anthony DeSando ... Christopher Anthony
Roger Guenveur Smith ... Jack Dancing
Brian J. White ... Evan Hailey (as Brian White)
Ivan Martin ... Stockbroker Jerry
Danny Mastrogiorgio ... Trader Jim
Altagracia Guzman ... Alba Guzmán
Gabrielle Pelucco ... Lila
Angelic Zambrana ... Kimo's Girl
In director Dito Montiels 2009 drama, FIGHTING, Channing Tatum (G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA) portrays Shawn, a young man from the South trying to make a living on the streets of New York City. When Shawn gets into an altercation ... Full Descriptionwhile selling bootleg CDs and DVDs, a con man (Terrence Howard) who witnesses the brawl takes him under his wing and introduces Shawn to NYCs underground street-fighting circuit. In these bare-knuckle battles, Shawn has a chance to win significant money--and also the heart of the beautiful Zulay (Zulay Henao). A film that goes beyond its deceptively simple title and premise, FIGHTING is elevated by the keen eye of Montiel, who also co-wrote the script with Robert Munic, and the charismatic presence of Tatum, who previously had a minor role in the writer-directors cinematic debut, A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS. Although the film goes through the standard up-by-the-bootstraps dramatic cycle, the performances of Tatum, Howard, and Henao make the story surprisingly compelling, and the fight sequences are exceptionally fierce, giving the movie considerable added zest. Though less high-profile than combat classics such as ROCKY and THE KARATE KID, FIGHTING fits well into the category of revered movies of the boxing/martial-arts subgenre