“You never got me down, Ray.”

Raging Bull is a true story of former world middleweight boxing champion the ‘Bronx Bull’, Jake La Motta. It focuses on the journey of his boxing career and portrays his relationship with his two wives and younger brother. It takes an in-depth look at the man behind the exceptional boxer who was aggressive, short-tempered, stubborn, suspicious, insecure, paranoid and had a violent temperament. These traits wrecked his personal life to such an extent that they ultimately led him to the path of self-destruction.

My interpretation of Raging Bull is presented by highlighting some of the traits inherent in Jake La Motta. It traces a phase in the life of a talented Parsi boxer, Rishad Pundole. Since his childhood he had been boxing in a neighbourhood club. His dream was to compete on the international professional boxing circuit. After consistently winning medals at the national and international amateur level, he was well on course to translate his dream into reality and turn professional. However, unable to afford international travel or find a sponsor, he was forced to put a pause to his aspirations and continue to fight as an amateur boxer.

Around the same time, the Indian Professional Boxing Association (IPBA) was formed to promote professional boxing in India. It had received the approval from the World Boxing Council (WBC) and was supported by corporate entities. Its aim was to regularly send a squad to compete on the international professional boxing circuit and provide a platform to deserving boxers to launch their professional careers onto a world stage. In the first year of its operations Rishad managed to catch the attention of IPBA’s selection committee and was amongst three boxers short-listed to fight it out in the round robin selection trials for the last spot left in the Indian professional boxing squad.

In the selection trials, Rishad began his campaign by comfortably beating his much-acclaimed opponent in the first fight. However, he suddenly lost his nerve during the crucial second fight and ended up blowing the one opportunity that he had worked towards all his life. After this fight, having turned professional, he was no longer allowed to fight as an amateur as per international rules. He was able to compete only in the few and far between professional boxing events held within India. Without any success in them he never managed to get the nod from the selection committee again. Slowly, his frustration and bitterness started to take its toll. His professional and personal life plunged into a deep abyss from which there was no return. Sadly, he had no one to blame but himself.

On this low note, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our desi ‘Raging Bull’, Rishad Pundole.