‘Champions’ Looks at Boxing at Its Best

Lee Librado’s “Champions Forever: The Latin Legends” is a straightforward celebration of champion boxers Alexis Arguello, Julio Cesar Chavez, Roberto Duran, Kid Gavilan, Carlos Ortiz and Salvador Sanchez. As a documentary, it is routine in style, but it does bring humanity to a sport not always noted for that quality.

The men in this film are notable for their dignity in and out of the ring. They are survivors with a sense of accomplishment--and a sense of humor. They come across as ideal role models and take pains to stress the importance of clean living, clean fighting and avoiding drugs. Duran further suggests that young people should not regard boxing as the only way to become “somebody.”

Host Edward James Olmos quotes Muhammad Ali as saying, “Don’t fight a Latin fighter: They’re all fighting for God and country.” Judging from this film, Ali is on the mark, especially in regard to Duran, who stresses respect for mothers, and Arguello, who fought for the contras in Nicaragua--his brother died fighting as a Sandinista--and today runs a gym in his native country.

Olmos leads off by stating that it’s a cliche that all boxers come from poor families but admits that these six all rose from “grinding poverty.” Along the way there is comment by famed sports artist LeRoy Neiman and actor-boxer Mickey Rourke, among others.

Of course there’s a generous array of clips from the fights themselves, highlighting moments of triumph--and, occasionally, defeat. Inevitably, the most poignant moment occurs when, watching Sanchez become a champ in 1982 at age 23, we’re told that almost immediately afterward he was killed in a car accident. When we visit Sanchez’s grave in Mexico, a man remarks that many men and boys have rubbed their hands in his burial plot, hoping to absorb Sanchez’s strength and skill.

Gavilan, the oldest of the boxers in this group, demonstrates for us his famous bolo punch, which he developed cutting sugar cane in his youth in Cuba. Duran reveals that he lost his return match with Sugar Ray Leonard because it was scheduled too soon after his win, that he was injected with too many hormones to keep his weight down and that he ate a last-minute steak and drank wine just before the bout to stave off hunger. But neither he nor any of the other fighters make excuses, and all express gratitude for their careers.

Olmos is on target in summing up that these six men represent what boxing at its best can be.

* Unrated. Times guidelines: suitable for all ages, especially young people.

‘Champions Forever: The Latin Legends’

An American Home Entertainment presentation in association with Ron Hamady and Craig Glazer of New Champions Inc. and Panorama Entertainment Corp. Writer-producer-director-editor Lee Librado. Producer Carlos de la Torre. Executive producer Marco J. Gonzalez. Cinematographer Miguel Garzon. Music Bebu Silvetti. Running time: 1 hour, 33 minutes.

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* Exclusively at the Palace, 630 S. Broadway, downtown, (213) 239-0961; Teatro Fiesta, 305-100 E. 4th St., Santa Ana, (714) 541-4026; Panorama Theater, 9110 Van Nuys Blvd., Panorama City, (818) 892-0956; and Park Theater, 6504 Pacific Blvd., Huntington Park, (213) 582-3873.