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“If it wasn’t for this gym right there, there would be more of them dead out here,” says Coach Walt Manigan in this trailer for Fox Sports Films’ upcoming documentary, They Fight, part of the “Magnify” film series.
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In the film, young boxers Ragahleak “Peanut” Bartee and Quincey Williams take part in Manigan’s Washington, D.C.-based Lyfe Style boxing training program as they look to compete in the 2017 Junior Olympics.
The film also follows Manigan, who is seeking a permanent home for his gym while mentoring young boxers and helping them to avoid gangs, drugs and trouble. Meanwhile, he’s fighting his own personal demons after spending many years in jail for crimes he committed during his violent youth. It’s that violence from which he would like to protect this new generation.
They Fight features original music from artists such as 6lack, Odie, Octavian, Boogie and more. Atlanta-based LVRN, headed by Justice Baiden, collaborated with Fox Sports on the film’s soundscape.
“They Fight is an incredibly powerful film – one that we knew had to be a part of the Magnify series,” says Charlie Dixon, executive vice president, content, Fox Sports, in a statement. “It fits perfectly within our mission to use sports as a lens for telling important cultural stories. We’re happy with what we’ve accomplished in one year and excited to keep growing this brand with fresh, new documentaries and influential collaborators.”
They Fight premieres on Fox nationwide on Sunday, Nov 11, before or after NFL football depending on the market. It also will have a select theatrical release in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, Nov. 9.
Andrew Renzi directed, while Common and his company Freedom Road Productions produced, alongside Argent Pictures partners New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, Charlotte Hornets star Tony Parker, former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Derrick Brooks and former San Antonio Spurs star Michael Finley.
Producers include Jill Ahrens, Ryan Ahrens, and Ben Renzo for Argent Pictures; Derek Dudley, Shelby Stone, and Melisa Resch through Freedom Road Productions; Renzi, Michael Minahan, Daniel Yaro, Nick Boak, and Chris Burt through North of Now productions and Andrew D. Corkin’s Uncorked Productions. Jason Michael Berman executive produced for Mandalay Pictures along with Michael Sherman and Matthew Perniciaro of Bow and Arrow Entertainment; Tommy Oliver and Codie Oliver of Confluential Films; and Stanley Twarog.
The Magnify documentary series launched in November 2017 with 89 Blocks, executive produced by LeBron James and Maverick Carter for Uninterrupted, along with Sports Illustrated. Magnify also has aired Shot in the Dark, executive produced by Dwayne Wade and Chance the Rapper in February 2018, and Nossa Chape, from Jeffrey and Michael Zimbalist in June.
Next year, the series will debut Q Ball from executive producer and Golden State Warriors All-Star Kevin Durant, following the lives of teammates and inmates at California’s San Quentin State Prison, also known as “The Q.”