The Fire Inside

By starrymag | December 25, 2024

By: Malasha Parker

 

 

Q) This is your directorial debut and what a story to start with. What was it about Claressa’s journey and her story that made you tap in and say, “This is the story that I wanna tell.”

 

RACHEL MORRISON:  I mean, I think it started with the fact that I didn’t know it.  And Claressa [Shields] is such a badass force and an incredible athlete, and I follow sports.  So, for me to not know it, it felt like there was something wrong in the universe.  And I think Barry [Jenkins] had the same response, which is what inspired him to take on the project as well.  I’d been reading for a long time and looking for something that felt meaningful and additive in the universe and that I could be additive to.  There were things that I saw, you know, from my experiences being a female DP that I could sort of put into it as well.  But really it’s just Claressa’s story deserved to be out there.

 

Q) Where were you in the world when this project came to you and what was that audition process like and why did you say I have to be a part of this film?

 

RYAN DESTINY:  Ooh, I think I was in LA.  I was working on another project at the time, and it came in just like any other project does, you know, with your team to audition.  So, I just went in for it and I did my self-tape not thinking too much of it because I just knew how competitive it would be. Because I knew how special the project was and how incredible everyone was that was behind it.  So, yeah, it was just a thing where I was like, let’s just see how this goes and let’s see what happens.  So, it was fairly normal, you know, just like any other thing you do.  And then the callbacks came and yeah, I was really shocked that that even happened itself.  So yeah, it was really cool.  But I was out in LA during that time in my life.

 

Q) And was this a story that you were familiar with too, or was it a lot of new information for you?

 

RYAN:  It was a lot of new information.  Yeah.  I think for all of us, it was just unbelievable that we didn’t know much about the story. And I think that that’s also for, you know, other people that need to really see this film and get familiar and understand the history that she’s made and how iconic she is.  And yeah.  So, it was just crazy to learn so much more when I had to audition.

 

Q) Brian, what about yourself? You know, what made you say yes and how did this project of taking on Jason kind of aligned with where you were and what you were looking for your career?

 

BRIAN TYREE HENRY:  I think every actor with their weight in salt looks for that moment where we get to actually play somebody that’s real, that’s actual living and breathing.  But so rarely do you get a chance to do it where they’re still making history, where they’re still doing what they do. And much like them, I did not know the story, unfortunately Claressa and I remember getting the script and I was pissed. I was like, “Oh, well, why don’t I know that?” And then I sat down, I was like, “Oh, I know why I don’t that.”  And I was like, “Okay, so how do we make sure people never forget it?” And I wanted to explore the kinship between Claressa and Jason.  We so often see movies where we see boxers, men get in shape and do all this eat a can of tuna, and all of a sudden, they’re like, “Girl, that is the best actor in the world.” But like this is an actual story of this young black woman from Flint, Michigan who went on to do something that no one has ever done after her. And I wanted to explore what that relationship was like with Jason because he is a character and a man that we so rarely see projected in cinema. Like this mentor, this man that is still in Flint doing this for the kids, not for fame, not for fortune, but because it’s what he wants to do. And I know that I needed to see role models like that, especially portrayed in cinema.  I needed to feel like I was giving back to my mentors that did that for me. Also, I didn’t have to train.  So, I was like, “Cool, I ain’t gotta do it.  I ain’t gotta do what Claressa is doing. Great.” But I really wanted to get into the heart of that, because truly the heart of this movie is about this champion being made that goes on and breaks all these different records and is still doing it. It’s still a story that’s living and breathing, like the end title cards had to change like seven times because Claressa is still out here doing what she’s doing. You know what I mean?  I was like, “We may have to change it before Christmas.” But that was really inspiring to me.  And also, just to be in the passenger seat with these two women was really intriguing to me.  I had heard of Ryan Destiny for quite a while.  And to be there to watch her star shine like this was really awesome for me.  I was really excited about it. And I know Rachel’s work, but to actually see her with the director’s lens was also intriguing as well.

 

Q) Claressa, again, last but not least, what was your reaction when you learned that your life story, your journey so far was going to be portrayed in this film?

 

CLARESSA:  Well, somebody reached out to me two months before the second Olympics. So I hadn’t even went to the second Olympics yet. And they were like, “We want to do a movie about your life.”  And we watched T-Rex and we’re huge fans.  And I was like, okay.  And I was like, “Well, which part of my life are you guys gonna do because my life isn’t over yet?”  And then like the price goes up after I win the gold medal again.  [laugh] I was like –

 

BRIAN:  Yeah, for real.

 

CLARESSA:  You know, I was like, we got some negotiating to do. And so we negotiated for about a year. I had won the Olympics. The second time. And they had a lawyer named David Fox who I would go back and forth with, back and forth with and getting the numbers right and getting all this other stuff.  I mean, I was on Google like what are movie deals supposed to look like, you know?  And because I had no idea.  I’m a boxer, you know? And I had just started getting endorsements and sponsorships.  So, dealing with that was like, I was new to it.  So, I just remember that.  And I was just asking them, “So where are you guys gonna start in my life?  Where are you guys going to finish the movie about my life?” Because I had documentary T-Rex, which it went from ages maybe 16 to 20. And it was a hour and 30 minute long movie.  But of course, they followed me for years. And I just was like, people left the documentary T-Rex thinking that I won a gold medal and that was it. No endorsements, no sponsorships, still live in Flint.  Still living in poverty.  And I just was like, well, now with the movie that’s gonna be worldwide, I’m like, I need it to where people understand like, don’t leave out any of the bad stuff. Put it all in there. But just know, this isn’t a sad story. This is a very resilient story. I feel like this is a very fateful and a hopeful story.  I don’t want anybody feeling sorry for me because I don’t feel sorry for myself. But I want them to know, I went through this, I went through that.  Almost quit here.  Almost gave up there.  But look at where I am now.  And being 29 years old, I mean, we know about two Olympic gold medals with 15-time world champion who is still active, still undefeated. Greatest woman of all time. I’m like, “I need people to understand that you guys may not have knew back then, but don’t miss out now.” This is how powerful the story was because everybody doesn’t get a biopic. We’re talking about like, you know, Muhammad Ali type stuff.

 

Q) And you bring up a really great point saying that you really wanted to make sure that they were getting a 360-degree view of what your life was like. What was your involvement in helping to develop the story? Because we do get to see a lot of really incredibly vulnerable moments that maybe we didn’t see in the documentary initially.

 

CLARESSA:  Listen, I would tell you I had ten percent, maybe fifteen percent involvement. And when I say that, everybody did their own job. My job, I was still fighting, still active, so I didn’t have time.  Me and Ryan would be passing each other.  Whenever I was coming to Flint, she was leaving Flint.  [laugh] It’s like, we didn’t meet each other till the movie was over. In person, we didn’t meet each other till the movie was over on her birthday. I had just seen the movie the day before. It’s crazy stuff. So, I said that to say that the ten percent that I had involved was Barry Jenkins reached out to me.  Me and him had a meeting. We talked for four or five hours about what he thought my life was. And then I spoke to him about what my life was so we can get everything right. And then he was like, okay, I got it. And then two weeks later, he sent the script.  I read the script.  He told me, if there’s anything you don’t like, anything you want taken out, blah, blah, blah, let me know.  And I said, I will. I’m not wanting to bite my tongue. I got you.  So. I read the script, I said, “Oh, well, it was a great script. It just was maybe one or two things I was like, mm-mm.  Can’t go.” And he was very respectful of that.  He said, “I completely understand.” And only thing I did for Ryan, I didn’t come to the gym and train with her. I answered a few questions about a few relationships in the movie. And one day she called me, she said, “Okay, I’ve been training so hard to play you.  It’s extremely difficult.”  She said, “I’m sore. She said, I’m sore.  My bones hurt. What do you do when you’re sore and you’re tired and you can’t move?”  I said, “You rest.”  And she was like, “What?”  I was like, “Yeah, go get a massage, girl. Go ice bath and hot bath and Jacuzzi and steam room.”  I said, “Rest.”

 

RACHEL:  Treat yourself.

 

CLARESSA:  I said, recovery.  She like, “Oh, I’m so glad you said that.”  [laugh] And that is the only thing I did.  It is the only thing I did.  I think I spoke to Rachel more than I spoke to Ryan.  Rachel kept me in the loop about everything.  Okay.  This happened.  COVID happened.  COVID over.  We’re back shooting.  Oh, it’s not Ice Cube no anymore.  It’s Brian Tyree.  Like Rachel was hitting me with everything.  It’s not coming out on August.  It’s coming on Christmas. And then she said, “Christmas day.” I said, “Christmas day?”  Me not being a person in the movies, I was like, “Who’s gonna go see a movie at Christmas?” And she was like, “Claressa, come on.  Right?” So, I was learning too.  And then I was like, this is perfect for somebody who believe in Jesus.  Thank God I believe in Jesus because this is the ultimate like blessing, right? To share the day with him in this movie, to bless the world.  So, that was it.  I didn’t have much involvement.  [laugh] These guys are great.

 

Q) Ryan, balancing both Claressa’s strength and vulnerability, I would imagine is a Herculean task [laugh] but you met the challenge. Talk to me about how you kind of balanced that and what maybe was most challenging for you in order to bring that to life?

 

RYAN:  Yeah.  I mean, it was very important for me to show the dynamics of who Claressa is.  She is so superhuman and I think to a lot of people, they see the strong parts, the parts that are extremely confident and just ready to fight, ready to go, you know? But she is a human, and so there’s other parts of her and, you know, she is vulnerable.  She is very kind; she is very empathetic.  She cares for her family, for the people around her.  And I just loved being able to highlight those moments within the film itself and just really showing the heart of who she is. There are moments in your life that get you to that point.  So. it was just very beautiful to be able to do.  And it was something that, I guess, I found challenging in the ways where I had to make sure that I could have that fighter in me. That very ferocious energy that she has and trying to make sure it was authentic and something that also felt grounded at the same time. So, I think that was probably the scariest part for me, aside from the physical. Was just making sure I could execute that in a way that was believable because an athlete’s mindset is so different than the regular human being. So, it was something that I just wanted to make sure I got right.

 

Q) Brian, you tipped at this earlier in your conversation and talking about you don’t normally get to see a character like Jason on screen. But I also would add to that. I don’t know that we have ever gotten to see the dynamic between these two characters on screen before.  I would love to hear you both talk about the chemistry that you guys established and what it was like working together on set to really give us this beautiful, authentic portrayal of mentee, mentor, and in some cases, father daughter.

 

BRIAN:  Mm-hmm.  Where to begin with Ryan Destiny?  [laugh] I was the newbie.

 

RYAN:  You love this.

 

BRIAN: [laugh] I do love it when they ask me that.  I’m like saying everything.  They had been a part of this for a while and I wasn’t.  I came in, I think, post COVID, you know?  They were finally digging back in, having to pick up from where they left off.  So technically that was a gift and a curse because I was like, well, now I have to go in and establish like who I am.  But they’ve also been with it for how I’ve been with it.  However, because of the documentary T-Rex, I will say there was a blueprint of what I was walking into. And some of the greatest moments of that documentary are watching the two of them ring [side?].  You know, like when he’s checking her grades or when, you know, like they’re at home because their chemistry is something that I’ve never seen before between coach and athlete, especially male coach, female athletes, especially in boxing.

 

But there was this amazing, amazing familiarity and familial tone between the two of them. And what you could always see is that they truly trusted each other.  Right?  And there was an absolute trust, like he knew he had the greatest fighting machine on the planet.

 

And she knew that she had one of the greatest coaches that was gonna see that.  And when you watch this documentary, you can truly see it.  And what I love about what Rachel did in this is that there are some shots from T-Rex that we put directly in the movie. Like, that we had to honor.

 

But then you meet Ryan, right?  And then you are just like, what is about to happen?  [laugh] She’s so sweet.  And she’s so bubbly. She’s just Ryan Destiny. And then you get in these scenes where you gotta put these pads on, and she’s like striking these things and you’re like, what is going on?  And that was like my first day.  I was like, “Rachel didn’t say this is gonna be.”  And Ryan’s like, “No, you gotta put your hand up like this.”  Okay, now I’m gonna do.  And I’m like, “Okay, look.  All right.  All right.”  But I felt that.  I really understood that.  Like I mean, she is so dedicated. She’s truly dedicated. Because look at who she’s playing.  Right?

 

And what I really wanted to do for me is that, because like, you know, what we do as actors is kind of athletic too.  You know what I mean?  Because you’re jumping in and out of someone’s real, but like this is a real life you’re portraying.  So, you have to really handle it with the care that it deserves.

 

But what I really wanted was what happens in between takes. You know, who  are Ryan and I when the camera’s not rolling? Like what is she eating right now?  I’m like, what is she listening to?  Like how can I make her laugh?  Like, you know, is she in her head too much?  Am I in my head too much?  So it was really about those moments in between. Our trailers were right next to each other.  I was always at her door.  I was always in her face.  You know, she was eating protein all the time.  I was eating Cheetos, you know?  Like, but it was to have those moments so that it felt real.  Because there were some moments in this movie where you watch Claressa and Jason have that crunch.  And you watch them have that.  And you have to take it there.  You know, there’s a pivotal scene for when, you know, Claressa runs away, and I’m driving through Flint trying to find her.  And I just remember knowing that that was gonna be a true feat for Ryan, because, like, there’s no telling how many takes we had to do.  But I had to embrace her.  Like, really embrace her, find her, and hold her.  And I don’t think we would’ve been able to establish that if we didn’t have that safety with one another, that care for one another.  Like, I’ll ride for Ryan now.  Like, anybody say something about Ryan, I’ll ride on you.  You know.

 

RYAN:  Period.

 

BRIAN:  So, like, and it should feel that way because it felt like that between Claressa and Jason.  Like, I mean, you can see it.  It’s undeniable.  So, I think for me, when you’re playing real people, and real situations, you have to be real with the person you’re playing it with.  You just have to bring that.  So, I’m really glad that Ryan was open to that.  I’m really glad I didn’t irk her nerves too much.  You know what I mean?

 

RYAN:  You did.  [laugh] Wrong.

 

BRIAN:  And it was worth it.  It was all worth it.  It shows up on screen, Christmas day.  So, yeah. So, Dom Fisher asks Rachel and Claressa: How important was it to make sure that the city of Flint was an integral part of the story?

 

RACHEL:  I mean, [clears throat] it was everything to me.  I guess I started going to Flint, what, like, five, six years ago.  And I fell in love with it.  And it is this, like, really special, incredible place, community. And it’s irreplicable.  Like, so there was pressure to shoot.  We were shooting for tax credits.  We were shooting in Toronto.  There was a lot of pressure to shoot Toronto for Flint, and I was like, “Absolutely not.” I feel like you always have one hill that you’re, like, if you only pick one hill to die on, hopefully people well respect that specific hill.  And that was it for me.  It was like, I mean, to the point that every time we would come under on our day, I would put aside money to go back to Flint so that all of our exteriors are Flint, and our plates for the driving scenes are Flint.  Like, it was sort of, it was everything.  And I’m sure, I mean, I’m sure for Claressa, like, utmost importance.

 

CLARESSA:  Super-important. The mayor of Flint called me Flint’s favorite daughter.  You know, and all the kids and the people around, they all have a lot of respect for me.  So to see some of the streets in the movie, to see where I actually ran at, to see us in Flint, I think people are just like, “Wow, this is the street that people still live on right now.”  You know, “We used to see her running down the street.”  I mean, it was twice where Ryan was running in Flint with the cameras recording her.  People calling me like, “Ay, you in Flint?”  [laugh]

 

BRIAN:  “Saw you running down.”

 

RYAN: [laugh] No, but I think I remember running down, and I think I heard people be like, “Yo, Claressa.”  [laugh] And they’re, like, pointing down, like trying to see if that’s, like, her, or if it’s the film.  I’m like, it’s clearly, you see the camera.  It’s definitely not.

 

CLARESSA:  But.

 

RYAN:  Yeah, no, exactly.

 

CLARESSA:  For my documentary, I used to run down the block, and I used to have cameras following me.  So.

 

Q) They thought you doing part two. [laugh]

 

CLARESSA:  No, so I’m like, “No, you guys, that’s Ryan.”  And they’re like, “Oh, yeah, we see it.  Yeah, she’s playing.”  I’m like, “Yeah, it’s not me.  I’m in Atlanta.”  So, I knew that that part right there made me feel good because I was like, shoot, she’s running like me?  Can’t wait to see the boxing part of this.  But it was very special, and it hits people emotions who are from Flint when they see certain scenes.  When they see certain streets that she’s running on, passing certain houses.  What is this earring doing?  Oh.  They’re like, going crazy over.  They’re like, “Wow, she really represented for the city in the movie.”  It represented for the city, too.  An everybody know me.  Flint Town.

 

Q) What do you hope people take away from being able to see this relationship between Claressa and Jason that may be so different from what has been seen in other films about boxing??

 

CLARESSA:  I mean, for me, I wanted to show that it takes a village to raise a champion.  To raise a child.  I mean, takes more than one.  But I hope that they see it only takes one person to believe in somebody. Before, I mean, I walk around now and I have this big bravado and everybody like, “Man, she’s so confident,” and people take it as arrogant sometime, and they’re like, “Where does that come from?”  And before I believed in myself, Jason Crutchfield believed in me.  I was 14 years old.  We watched this girl, named Mary Spencer, fight.  She was a three-time world champion.  Like, she won the world’s. To win the world’s is very, very hard.  It’s seventy other countries there.  You got to fight five days in a row.  And Mary Spencer did this three times.

 

MODERATOR:  Wow. 

 

CLARESSA:  We watched her fight when I was 14 years old up in Canada.  And I watched her fight.  And I was like, “Man, she’s good.”  And Jason looked at me and said, “You’d beat her with one hand right now.” I said, “Coach, stop.”  Literally, like, “Stop.”  He said, “Ressa, in a couple years, you gonna be fighting and you gonna beat her easy.”  And I was like, “All right, whatever.”  I weighed 141 pounds.  She fought at 152.  And she was ranked number one in the world.  And he said that to me.

 

Q) And listen to me.  At the age of 16, I fought against Mary Spencer.  And when I tell you I beat the dog crap out of her, I was like, “He said this.” 

 

BRIAN:  He said you would.

 

Q) He put it out there, yeah.

 

CLARESSA:  And I was like, “It was easy.”  And then that’s the fight where he was like, “They ain’t never seen nothing like you.”  I was like, “You damn right.”  So that’s when my confidence started like, okay, now I’m the best.  [laugh]

 

BRIAN:  That’s real, though.  Like, that’s really a big deal.  Because I just think about my coaches and the people who saw me.  When I was running around not knowing what I wanted to be in this world.  And, like, those people who believed that in you and see that in you, you have to listen to them, you know?  It’s living proof, you know?  We’re living proof of it.  And so I’m really glad to hear her say that because I’m like, “She told it like it was yesterday.” It stuck with her like it was yesterday.  And I hope that those mentors and those trainers and those people know that about themselves.  So that’s why I really wanted to make sure this movie was made.  Because I feel like he needed to see that, for himself, and, you know, and believe that.

 

RYAN:  And obviously, we can count on one hand how many female boxing there are.  So with this one in particular, obviously it’s a true story, and I just feel like the dynamic between the two just feels a little different.  I might be a little biased, but it’s very authentic.  And I think it’s just so, so special, you know.  And I think you see that when you do watch the film, and I hope others do too.

 

Q) Ryan and Brian: What has this role made you reconsider within your own life experiences? What about this role?

 

BRIAN:  Working with Ryan again. It’s good.  In a good way.

 

RYAN:  Oh.

 

BRIAN:  I mean, depends on how the day go.  But, like, [laugh] no, it’s crazy because I didn’t think I was in a place in my career to feel like I was in a position to mentor anyone or show anyone. I just show up and I just didn’t think.  But Ryan reminded me all the time, you know, that, like, she was watching me, and that she wanted to, you know, pick my brain about stuff.  And I was like, “Okay.”  You know?  Like, I don’t know what I can really.  But, I would work with her a million times over.  Or just to be in the corner to watch her.  Because it’s insane that when you see somebody’s star rising and they’re just in it, and they don’t really know.  You know what I mean?  And so I’m like, looking at her.  And I was like, “She has no clue.”  No idea what’s coming for her, man.  No idea.  And to me, that’s really why this movie is so special.  Because I’m just like, I may give her a hard time all the time, but I’m just like, she has no clue what lies ahead for her.  And so it was one of the best gifts I got, to watch this young woman go up and, like, live in her body and be who she is and embody Claressa.  Like, this is a task that thousands of other women wanted, and she got it.  And she did it, you know?  And so, like, I don’t know.  Just to be a fly on the wall to watch Ryan, like, ascend the way that she’s ascending was truly the biggest gift for me.

 

Q) This movie is truly inspirational and shows that you have to have a fighter’s mindset in order to make it. What do each of you tell yourself to get into that mindset when you were on the set of this film?

 

RYAN:  I feel like mine was, what would Claressa do.  [laugh] I think I just kept thinking about her every single day. And whenever I needed to be reminded of something, be reminded of just the energy that you needed to have, I would also look her up.  I would look at what she’s saying.  I would look at the documentary that was downloaded on my computer for reference any time I needed it.  Like, I would just need some sort of, like, rejuvenation of just a reminder of that energy that you need to have.  So, I think it was literally “What would Claressa do at this moment.”  [laugh] Because she is my inspiration, literally, even outside of the film. I think everyone should have that confidence that she embodies.  And, you know, being able to speak life into herself I think is so, so important for us as humans to be able to do.  And I think a lot of people shy away from that because they think it’s egotistical or whatever it may be.  They just think you shouldn’t feel so good about yourself.  But you absolutely should.  And that’s something that I know I’ve taken away from the entire experience in itself.  But yeah, I would definitely think of her.

 

RACHEL:  I mean, I had just a great time making the film.  But it was not a chore to get out of bed in the morning.  I just felt so lucky to be there.  And, like, to be working with these guys, I mean, the chemistry was magnetic from day one.  It was such a blessing.  So I think for me, I mean, maybe just, you know, we obviously put a lot into get the movie back up at all.  And I think I just felt so grateful every day that we actually were getting to tell this story that deserved to be out in the world.  So I think that was the juice that I needed.

 

BRIAN:  Gratitude was a big part. Because when am I ever gonna say that I was standing next to an Olympic, like, boxing ring watching a flag come down because this black woman just won the gold medal?  And getting to do it take after take.  And, like, and I mean, take after take, I was sobbing.  Like, every time, and, like, the Star-Spangled Banner would come on and you would see Ryan as Claressa cheese-ing, holding, like, literally doing, you know, holding this gold medal.  I would just start crying.  I’m like, this really happened.  Like, this really, really, really, really happened.  And you get to do it.  Like, there are so many moments of gratitude where I was, like, putting myself, like, they’re walking down the hallways, and you see the banners for the Olympics, you know?  And you see, like, just wearing my T-Rex t-shirt, you know?  But also having those moments we’re in the bowling ring, having to sell the shirt.  Like, it was such a gratitude.  Because, like, at the end of the day, what I loved about this story is, like, Claressa just feels like family.  Like, she feels like somebody I grew up with.  She feels like somebody I would’ve sat at the lunch table with.  Like, she just feels home, right?  And to watch that be actualized on screen, and to watch her to go prom, and to watch her have the school.  Like, that, I mean, it was a charge, man.  It was a charge every single day.  And I was emotional.  Like, I got really emotional in places I shouldn’t have been emotional.  I was like, you ain’t supposed to cry here.  Jason ain’t crying at this point.  But I was just so grateful to know that that happened and that I was able to walk those halls and be in those places to watch this champion, you know, be made, and it was truly just gratitude.  A well of gratitude.

 

Q) And I was gonna say, since you’re the actual boxer, what does it do for you to hear what everyone just said about trying to channel you in that fighter’s mindset?

 

CLARESSA: I have accepted that I’m a different type of woman and person a long, long time ago.  And I’ve told myself to embrace that.  So when I hear them say the positive things about who I have channeled myself to be, and they understand that it’s not that I’m arrogant, it’s not that I’m cocky, it’s that I just truly believe in myself, it makes them believe in themselves. And I feel good hearing that, to know that I can add to someone else life in that way.  Not just in boxing, but just in their own life.  And I was never on set.  I was never on set.  But when I watch the move, just like Brian said, listen.  I just cry.  I just cry.  Like, I just cry.  I’m like, what is going on?  Like, I can’t wear makeup to the premiere [laugh] because I mess it up.  I mess it up, and it’s like, when I leave, I’m like, I need to go to the gym.  [laugh] I need to get back to my eating right.  I need to go back and I need to go run.  I need to go punch a bag.  Coach.  Two in the clock in the morning, let’s go.  Like, I feel so, what’s the word you use?  Rejuvenated.  Because I’m like, it’s giving me power.  And, you know, you would think that seeing it, seeing your life on screen, and it’s still going, you would think, maybe the first time I seen it, it was triggering, and it made me think about my trauma that I went through in life.  But then when you get to the end part, it was like, “Eh, you still won.”  And not just won in the ring, but you won in life, and you’re still winning in life.  So I just was like, ah, you know, just remembering this stuff is like, ah.

 

RYAN:  You did that.

 

CLARESSA: People, celebrities, and all of us try to put what we went through in the back of our head and only show the great things.  The good stuff.  And I was happy that I embraced them showing the bad stuff.  Everything wasn’t peaches and cream to get where I am.  It was hard.  People who think that life supposed to be easy is, that’s the problem.  They think that you go through any hardship, oh, I should just quit, I should just give up.  That’s weak.  That’s weak.  You’re gonna go through safe.  And just like Jason said, it’s all about how you get up.  And I always pride myself on just getting back up.  It’s times now where I’m like, oh, I’m down.  And then all of a sudden, the next thing, I’m like, okay, it’s time to get back up. And I think that everyone is gonna feel that when they watch the movie.  Christmas Day.

 

Q) What message do you hope audiences take away from The Fire Inside about perseverance and following their dreams? Let’s start with you, Rachel.

 

RACHEL:  I mean, I think Claressa just said it.  That, like, no matter how badly you get knocked down, like, the real test is like getting back up.  And I do think it’s just incredibly, like, inspiring, the level of resilience, not just inside the ring, but outside too.

 

RYAN:  Yeah, I second to that.  I think I always would love for people to understand what it takes to be a female athlete, especially in a sport that is male-dominated. And understand how powerful and exciting and fun women are to watch.  Just as much as men are.  And I really, really hope that it shines a light and continues the movement that, you know, female athletes have been having these past few years and continues to push that narrative of them being just as great, you know?  So hopefully, you know, it just adds on to that and continues growing.  Because it’s come a long way, but it still has a long way to go.

 

BRIAN:  If you think you know what it’s like to truly get back up, step into a ring and get in the head once.  Like for real.  I thought, like, when I went into this, I was like, at some point, Ryan’s gonna get hit.  I remember thinking that.  I was like, at some point, Ryan’s gonna get hit.  I didn’t have to worry about that, you know?  And I was like, “Cool, all right.”  But, no, truly, like, what’s the proverb of like, it’s not how many times you fall, it’s how many times you get back up, right?  But, like, in boxing, you get hit.  That’s what it is.  So, like, what do you do when that first hit happens?  Like, how do you come back?  How do you strike back?  You have to take your licks in boxing.  But what I love about that is all about the resilience, right?  The elasticity of who you are.  To actually get back in the ring.  People don’t know this, but getting in the ring in and of itself is hard.  Which rope to go in, how to jump in and out.  And then when you’re in there, you’re in there.  And I think that’s a beautiful metaphor for who we are as a people, for the city that Claressa’s from, for who she is.  For women in boxing and sports, period.  Women, period.   You know what I mean?  The resilience.  And so, you know, take your licks, but at the same time, you know, like, there is a resilience that comes from that.  There is a strength that comes from that.  And give it to them just as hard as they gave it to you.  You know what I mean?

 

Q) What is it that you want people to take away from experiencing your story?

 

CLARESSA:  I want them to take away, just like everyone else said, you know, to get back up and everything.  Don’t give up.  To never quit.  But also too, we got to stop as a world with this whole not believing in ourselves thing.  You know, we got to stop with this, “Oh, don’t give yourself too much credit.”  Or people tell me, I’ve heard a few haters said, you know, “Oh, the higher the climb, the higher the fall.”  You know, like the longer the fall.  Whoever said you got to fall?  Whoever said that falling is just that bad?  You know, people think that just because something happens, oh, now it’s just [makes noise].  It’s like, no, you may fall a little bit.  But you can still work yourself back up.  And I want people to know that just don’t be afraid of how great you can be just because you’re scared of how long the fall is at the bottom.  You don’t know if you’re ever gonna hit the bottom.  You know, you don’t know that.  And if you work very hard, it may never happen.  We got Floyd Mayweather.  Never lost.  We got Muhammad Ali.  Took his licks and his bruises and his losses but still is the greatest of all time. Like, we have people in the world like that because they never think like that.  And I think that you give yourself more power when you just believe and just doing your best, putting your best foot forward, and going out like a champion.  You know?  And it doesn’t have to be just in boxing, but just in life.  You know, Ryan, take the hard roads, you know?  And do your best.  And don’t worry about the outside judging because you’re only going to get better.  This isn’t gonna be your best film.  I think you’re gonna do way more, bigger films.  But this is the beginning, this is the highlight.  But it’s more to come.  Same thing for you, Brian.  Even Rachel.  Like, this is the highest right now.  It gets better.  And I want people to believe that and to just know, like, embrace this.  But whatever your mind is of how big you want to be, reach for the stars and paths up there and just get what you want.  But it all starts with you believing you.  And that’s what I want them to take from the fire inside, because I ain’t done yet.

 

 

*PRESS CONFERENCE*