Welcome to the Hit Pit
- Cut to the exterior of the Hit Pit Gym. We follow an anonymous boxer in through the doors. The boxing gym is lively, but shabby—although, since there's jazz playing, maybe it's secretly classy.
- We're introduced to Danger, a young, skinny wannabe fighter from Texas that Scraps says is the only fighter he's ever met who was all heart. Then we get his story through flashbacks.
- Danger ended up in L.A. because his mom's new boyfriend left him on the street there. Danger looked for him for a week before coming into the gym and introducing himself to Scrap. Danger isn't the smartest guy.
- Also? He plans to become the welterweight champion of the world. In fact, he likes to shout his intentions out at the top of his lungs frequently, even formally challenging "the Motor City Cobra, Thomas 'Hit Man' Hearns, to fight [him] for the welterweight championship of the whole world!"
- The particular year in which this movie takes place is never specified, but we're pretty sure Tommy Hearns retired a while ago.
- The other boxers, especially Shawrelle, make fun of Danger. A lot. Frankie's not a big fan, either. But Scrap looks out for him.
- Scrap also looks after the gym. He tells us through voice-over that Frankie bought the Hit Pit seventeen years ago, and running it's basically a labor of love. Most gyms lose money.
- Then they have a friendly fight about bleach. Frankie wants Scrap to stop buying the expensive stuff. Scrap claims it smells better; Frankie thinks bleach smells like bleach. These two bicker like an old married couple.
- Just then, Big Willie arrives. Everybody congratulations him on his nice fight last night—including two shady-looking dudes in leather jackets. Scrap looks on with interest and apprehension.
- Up in his office, Frankie's practicing his Gaelic when Scrap drops by to tell him about the two sketchy dudes talking to Big Willie. We learn that one of them is another manager, Mickey Mack.
- If Frankie's concerned, he's not showing it. He gets considerably more concerned when Scrap asks him who his new girl is down on the gym floor.
- It's Maggie, punching a heavy bag. Poorly. Frankie's not happy to see her.
- He heads downs to the floor and once again turns down Maggie when she asks him to train her, all while Scrap looks on. Seems pretty clear that Maggie's not going to give up. It also seems pretty clear that Scrap is the eyes and ears of this joint, a world-class eavesdropper.
- Time for more backstory. Now it's Maggie's turn to get the Scrap voice-over treatment. He tells us that Maggie came from nowhere, and grew up poor. Trash, actually. And as he gets his narration on, we see Maggie at her waitress job, wrapping up a customer's leftovers and pocketing them.
- When a customer spots her wrapping up a half-eaten steak, she says it's for her dog. Then we see her munching on it at home as she counts her coins. Do all of her customers tip in nickels?