The Great White Hype

The Great White Hype is a 1996 American comedy set in the world of professional boxing. When promoter Rev. Fred Sultan finds that his unbeaten champion, James Roper, no longer draws the crowds he once did, he looks for a way to revive interest in the sport. His plan centres on Terry Conklin, an amateur fighter who years earlier handed the champion his only defeat, and who has long since left boxing behind. Sultan talks him into a comeback bout, marketed as a clash between a white challenger and a black champion, while the champion trains half-heartedly and lets himself go. A reporter begins looking into the promoter's methods even as he is drawn in by his charm.

The film was directed by Reginald Hudlin, his third feature after House Party and Boomerang, and was written by Ron Shelton and Tony Hendra. Samuel L. Jackson plays Rev. Fred Sultan, with Jeff Goldblum as Mitchell Kane, Peter Berg as Terry Conklin, and supporting turns from Corbin Bernsen, Jon Lovitz and Cheech Marin. Its box office return of about 8 million dollars was modest. On IMDb it holds 5.5 out of 10 from around 11,000 votes, and on TMDB 5.2 out of 10 from 109 votes. A critics' rating of 4.9 out of 10 from 24 reviews places it broadly in line with the audience scores.