The book is way better.

***Spoilers***



Here are some of the differences between the book and the movie:

Movie: starts with the match between Leone & Banks. The rest of the movie is a flashback until it catches up with the match.
Book: Starts with a flashback of a fight between Leone and the then cruiserweight champion. Leone accidently injures his opponent bad enough, it leads to his opponents death. As a result, Leone quits boxing.

Movie: Laracco has Leone's dad killed because Leone refused to throw a fight
Book: Leone's dad was killed by gang members, and Sam Freeman (the books Larocco style character) had nothing to do with his death.

Movie: Leone starts a relationship with Allia, a waitress who works at a Mexican restaurant. They meet when her son Cesar gets caught by Leone I believe breaking into Leone's van. He goes to her restaurant to propose to her and they marry at the end of the movie.
Book: Leone meets Alicia, who is a sculpter, when he wants her to make a statue of his dad for the youth center. She has a daughter, Darla. He proposes to Alicia at his old pastors house. They get married more towards the middle of the book.

Movie: Leone works as security at a hotel. When Leone is called to restore order at a party cruiserweight champion(I Think) Keshon Banks is holding, Leone ends up knocking Banks out with one punch.
Book: Pretty much like the movie, except its heavyweight champion Antonio Vasquez.

Movie: Leone is forced back into boxing when Larocco buys the deed for the youth center and hospital, and agrees to give it to Leone if he fights Keshon Banks. If not he will sell it to the highest bidder. Leone had been unable to make the payments on the mortgage for the building.
Book: Leone still had one fight left on his old contract. Sam Freeman buys the contract from Leone's managers widow, and uses it to force Leone to fight.

Movie: Leone wins the fight by knockout. His brother, Freddie, who had been working for Larocco, bet a large sum of money on Leone's behalf on the fight, so Leone gets the money he needs for the youth center.
Book: Leone wins the fight by the judges decision. He bet the money he would get from the fight on him winning it, so he gets the money for the youth center. Unfortunately, Leone dies from injuries he sustains in the fight. His wife Alicia runs the center and it is implied Leone's brother Freddie will help.


"What is popular is not always right. What is right is not always popular."