Resurrecting the Champ

Resurrecting the Champ is a 2007 American drama sports film directed by Rod Lurie. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Michael Bortman and Allison Burnett, based on a Los Angeles Times Magazine article entitled Resurrecting the Champ, by author J.R. Moehringer. The film centers on a fictionalized former athlete portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson, living on the streets of Denver, who attempts to impersonate the life and career of former professional heavyweight boxer Bob Satterfield. The ensemble cast also features Josh Hartnett, Alan Alda, David Paymer, and Teri Hatcher.

Erik Kernan Jr. Hartnett is a young fledgling journalist employed by The Denver Times. Frustrated, Kernan struggles with his supervising editor Ralph Metz Alda concerning rudimentary coverage over his sports related articles. Metz views Kernans editorial work as bland and uninspiring considering his recently deceased father was a famous sportscaster. Kernan is separated from his wife, Joyce Morris, who also works at the newspaper, and worries that he might be losing touch with their young son, Teddy Goyo.In an alley near the Denver Coliseum, three rowdy young men taunt an elderly homeless man Jackson, who calls himself Champ and claims to have been a professional boxer. As the men begin to assault him, Kernan, leaving a boxing match he was covering at the venue, comes to his aid. Eventually, Kernan learns that Champ was once a famous former heavyweight boxing contender, Bob Satterfield. Most people though believe Satterfield died awhile back. ........

Source: Wikipedia