Champion sans couronne

Back in the mid 1900's Mexico was proud to have more world boxing champions in the small categories, than any other Country. Boxing was perhaps one of the few opportunities where a typical low income Mexican(75% of the population)could have success in life. Kids started boxing in their ghettos, a few of them made it to the Pro's and an even fewer amount got to be famous and earn good money from it. Those that got to the top soon found out that suddenly they had a great amount of people that surrounded them and helped them spend their money. But immersed in their new life styles they could never leave their origins and find a better future for them. This is what "Campeon sin Corona" tries to convey; a boxer that even when he has succeeded can not live up to his new status and prefers to be the same loser he was in his earlier years. There may not be in the Mexican Movies Industry a picture that better displays the way of thinking and acting of the vast majority of Mexicans of the 20th Century.

This is a standard maudlin drama about the rise and fall of a Mexican boxer. Our protagonist is a poor street vendor who happens to have a natural talent for boxing which managers and promoters of the sport are able to turn into wealth. Along the way, due to several sorts of hamartia, including an inferiority complex and problems handling the high life, the boxer experiences a fall.

While many of the characters sport strong Mexico city dialects, the acting an dialogue are mostly stiff, as is characteristic of the period. There are verbal encomiums or criticisms of Mexican society or of the poor shoved in here and there.

It might have appealed to audiences in the 1940s (it was nominated for Best Picture at the Ariel Awards), but today it's quite basic and its major value lies in the portrayal of the Mexico City dialect of the time period if you're interested in Mexican linguistics.

Honourable Mentions: The Hammer (2007). Adam Carolla plays a 40-year-old who decides to do a little bit of competitive amateur boxing before finally saying his last good bye to youth. He's funny as a comedian and the plot is tight and natural. A great boxing movie, to be sure.