They Fight: Is Slim Based on a Real Person?

Hulu’s ‘They Fight‘ follows the story of an ex-con named Walt Manigan, whose life changes for the better when he starts coaching boxing to young boys at a local gym. However, the road to recovery is never easy, as Walt has his past traumas to resolve and demons to vanquish. When he comes out of prison, he has nowhere to go, which is when Slim comes into the picture. He gives Walt a place to stay at the gym, which seems to be struggling to keep its doors open. At first, Walt wants nothing to do with coaching, but when he sees the potential of the boys in front of him, he is forced to change his mind, and Slim has a great part to play in it. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Slim Represents the People Who Coached Alongside Walt Manigan

‘They Fight’ is based on the true story of boxing coach Walt Manigan, but it presents his story through a fictional lens. While most of what we see in the film is true, certain things have been tweaked for plot purposes. This likely includes the character of Slim, played by Wendell Pierce, who doesn’t seem to be based on a particular person. Rather, he is most probably a composite of the people who worked alongside Walt Manigan to coach the boys at the rec center. In real life, Walt went to prison for distributing drugs, and when he was released, he wanted something that would give structure to his days. He felt ashamed for having let down his students at his last gym, so he couldn’t go back there. However, he found a new home in the Ferebee-Hope Recreation Center.

The place already had coaches helping children find their passion for sports. When Walt joined the team, he brought his expertise in boxing and started a program called Lyfe Style. The other coaches wholeheartedly supported his initiative. Due to the lack of financial funding, they had to find ways to pay for the program by themselves. So, they started a crowdfunding initiative on GoFundMe. They even sold water bottles on the street, and sometimes, they even paid out of their own pockets. All this money went into buying boxing gear for the kids. It paid for their meals and haircuts, and when the time came to send them to tournaments, the money was used to book their travel and accommodation.

The movie uses Slim to represent all these people who created a strong support system for the kids and Walt. In preparing for the role, Pierce watched the 2018 documentary of the same name. He also credited director Sheldon Candis for helping fill in the gaps whenever necessary. He imbibed all this information and used it to present his own version of the character. He wished to do justice to Slim’s character while also exercising his creative freedom. He also credited his talented co-stars, particularly the kids, for teaching him different things and keeping him on his toes. He noted that the movie was made as an inspiration to show the audience that even after falling down several times, they can still get back up and continue to fight.

Through Slim’s character, the actor and the director present a person who knows the importance of second chances. His empathy gives Walt the crutch to get back up at a particularly low point in his life, and his continued support shows that he believes in the cause wholeheartedly. This reflects the spirit of the real people who worked with the real Walt and those who continue to work with the same hope and mindset even now. Thus, Slim gives the audience a kind and empathetic person who is not only a good person himself but also sees the good in others and helps them rise above their challenges.

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