Play It to the Bone (1999)

Play It to the Bone (1999) is an American sports comedy-drama directed and written by Ron Shelton. Close friends Vince Boudreau and Cesar Dominguez, both aging prizefighters, often regretted not having one last chance in the ring. That opportunity unexpectedly presents itself when boxing promoter Joe Domino faces a predicament. The fighters scheduled for his Las Vegas undercard, leading up to heavyweight Mike Tyson’s main event, suddenly pull out. In desperate need of replacements, Vince and Cesar are contacted from Los Angeles. With both willing to step into the ring, Domino decides to pit them against each other. The two boxers negotiate a condition – the winner gets a shot at the middleweight championship.

Domino agrees, despite the unreliable promoter’s reputation for being untruthful. Vince and Cesar have only one day to reach the fight and opt to drive instead of flying. They enlist the help of their mutual friend and former love interest, Grace, who plans to present her business ideas to influential figures like hotel and casino mogul Hank Goody in an attempt to secure funding. On their journey, they come across a hitchhiker whose offensive comments lead Grace to knock her unconscious. The highly anticipated showdown between the two friends is met with minimal attendance, as ringside spectators and famous faces remain disinterested until the main event later on in the evening.