The drama tells a "thinly disguised à clef account of the Primo Carnera boxing scandal,"[2] with the challenger based on Carnera and the champ based on Max Baer; previously both Baer and Carnera had starred in The Prizefighter and the Lady (1933), in which Carnera is the world champ and Baer is his challenger. Bogart's character, Eddie Willis, is based on the career of boxing writer and event promoter Harold Conrad. Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Background 4 Reception 4.1 Critical response 4.2 Lawsuit 5 See also 6 References 6.1 Sources 7 External links