History Film / Diggstown

'''''Diggstown''''' is a 1992 boxing film starring James Woods, Louis Gosset Jr. and Bruce Dern. It plays on cable television ''a lot.''

* ActorAllusion, Caine tries to inspire Roy by reminding him that he's black, saying, "It's a ''{{Roots}}'' kind of thing. Louis Gossett Jr. was in ''{{Roots}}''.

* CareerEndingInjury: Happened to Diggs during his last fight [[spoiler:from having been poisoned by Gillon]].

* CorruptHick: Gillon.

* DeepSouth
* DownToTheLastPlay
* TheDragon: Paolo is this to Victor Corsini.
* GreyAndBlackMorality: Gabriel Caine makes a living conning and using people but Gillon's methods is so ruthless that he makes Caine look heroic in comparison.
* HangoverSensitivity: Fitz on the morning after the setup. [[spoiler: He breaks when he hears that Roy is not in the game yet, though Caine's life (and probably his own) relies on success.]]
* HustlingTheMark: Fitz in the setup.

* KarmaHoudini: Gillon ultimately loses the bet, but he never gets any comeuppance [[spoiler: for killing Slim]].
** Given his villain breakdown at the end, lost complete respect from his son, and getting punched out by Slim's brother he didn't completely get away with it.
*** He also assaults the town sheriff and takes his gun. Given that he is broke and no longer runs this town, the sheriff is likely to put him in jail for that.
*** Also, the mobsters almost lynched Caine when they thought he ''might'' not be able to pay them back. Gillon now owes the same mobsters, and he ''definitely'' can't pay them.

* NoodleIncident: Caine and Palmer refer to a cash fight in Mouline, which caused them to break up. Very few details are revealed.

* [[spoiler: PlayingDrunk: Fitz in the setup.]]

* TattooedCrook: Torres.

* VillainProtagonist: In a way Gabriel Cain is considered this.

* OutGambitted: Gillon is defeated after a back-and-forth battle of gambits to rig the wager. Realising that he'd been bested by a superior conman, Gillon admits, "You beat me fair and square!"

* TrainingMontage: In the second act.

* TheNoodleIncident: Caine and Palmer refer to a cash fight in Mouline, which caused them to break up. Very few details are revealed.

* ObfuscatingStupidity: Fitz in the setup.

* ThrowingTheFight: Gillon does it in the introduction. Caine intends to do it later.

* ShoutOut: When Caine is trying to inspire Palmer against a particularly tough fighter, he gives a little speech acknowledging how tough his opponent is, ending with, "But you remember this! You... are black." Palmer wonders what the hell that means, and Caine admits he was trying to inspire him; "It's a ''{{Roots}}'' kind of thing." Palmer retorts, "Well, you're shit at motivation."

** Given his villainousbreakdown at the end, lost complete respect from his son, and getting punched out by Slim's brother he didn't completely get away with it.

* KarmaHoudini: Gillon ultimately loses the bet, but he never gets any comeuppance [[spoiler: for killing that poor boxer's brother]].

* ShoutOut: When Caine is trying to inspire Palmer against a particularly tough fighter, he gives a little speech acknowledging how tough his opponent is, ending with, "But you remember this! You... are black." Palmer wonders what the hell that means, and Caine admits he was trying to inspire him; "It's a ''{{Roots}}'' kind of thing." Palmer retorts, "Well, you're shit at motivation."
** Doubles as an ActorAllusion, as Lou Gossett Jr. was in ''{{Roots}}''.

* ShoutOut: When Caine is trying to inspire Palmer against a particularly tough fighter, he gives a little speech acknowledging how tough his opponent is, ending with, "But you remember this! You... are black." Palmer wonders what the hell that means, and Caine admits he was trying to inspire him; "It's a ''{{Roots}}'' kind of thing." Palmer retorts, "Well, you're shit at motivation."

* IronicEcho: A particularly awesome non-verbal example. [[spoiler: Gillon signals to a fighter to throw the fight by giving what looks like a thumbs-up gesture, then changing it to thumbs down. Caine does the same thing to Palmer's last opponent, Minoso Torres, to let him know it's time to throw that fight.]]

** He's still a sore loser, as his next action is to grab the sheriff's gun and try to shoot Caine, only to be stopped by his own son.

* ShoutOut: When Caine is trying to inspire Palmer against a particularly tough fighter, he gives a little speech acknowledging how tough his opponent is, ending with, "But you remember this! You... are black." Palmer wonders what the hell that means, and Caine admits he was trying to inspire him; "It's a ''{{Roots}}'' kind of thing." Palmer retorts, "Well, you're shit at motivation." Doubles as a {{Crowning Moment of Funny}}. Also an ActorAllusion, as Louis Gossett Jr. was in {{Roots}}.
** There was an echo of this later on (but it was cut and only appears in one of the trailers). Roy is facing a nightmare challenger from his past.
-->'''Roy''' He seems awful mad.. (beat) Did you tell him he was black?

* BattleOfWits: To quote two characters: Never try and hustle a hustler[.] Never con a con-man.

'''''Diggstown''''' is a 1992 boxing film starring James Woods, Louis Gosset Jr. and Bruce Dern.