The Great White Hype (1996) on Netflix
Promoter Rev. Fred Sultan wants a white challenger to boost the marketability of the fights. He hunts down Terry Conklin, the only man who ever beat champion James 'The Grim Reaper' Roper.
- Netflix2.4/5
- IMDb5.5/109,884 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes42%
Trailer
Plot summary
Rev. Fred Sultan promotes James 'The Grim Reaper' Roper, the undefeated heavyweight champion, and at an after-party he tells the crowd that the latest title fight lost money. Viewers, he says, have grown bored of fights between black boxers, and a white challenger would draw a huge payday. He searches for a white boxer without luck, then recalls that Roper lost an amateur bout to a white fighter named Terry Conklin. Sultan's crew finds Conklin in Cleveland, fronting a heavy metal band and speaking about peace and Buddhism. Conklin turns down a return to the ring until Sultan offers $10 million for his work against homelessness. Conklin reaches Las Vegas to train.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Great White Hype (1996)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- The film's satire of racial preferences in boxing was inspired by Larry Holmes's 1982 fight with Gerry Cooney, who was known as the "Great White Hope", and by Mike Tyson's 1995 return fight against Peter McNeeley.
