'They Fight' Movie Ending Explained & Summary: Is Walt Manigan Dead?

Sheldon Candis’ sports drama film, They Fight, starring André Holland, Wendell Pierce, and Samira Wiley, is inspired by the journey of Walt Manigan, a boxing coach, who was a great mentor and an inspirational figure in the lives of the young kids he trained in Southeast D.C. For most of these kids, the Ferebee-Hope Recreational Center was an escape from gang fights and neighborhood chaos, and Walt Manigan made them believe that if they worked hard enough and stayed in the right lane, they would get to live a better life. He teamed up with other boxing coaches to start a boxing program called ‘Lyfe Style.’ The film is based on the 2018 documentary by the same name, and instead of delving into Manigan’s untimely demise, They Fight offers a hopeful ending.

Spoiler Alert

Why did Walt get back to training?

Walt was put behind bars for possession and selling drugs, he was sentenced to five years in prison but was released after three and a half years. Walt blamed himself for the death of his elder son, who followed in his footsteps and became an addict and died of an overdose. This time, Walt wanted to do better and be there for his younger son, but his partner, Ketta, refused to accept him back into her life. She feared that he might once again deviate from the right path and bring them more suffering and pain. She wanted him to put in the work, to prove to her that he was going to be there by her side for the long haul. Walt had every intention of proving to Ketta that he loved her and he was ready to do whatever she wanted to win her trust. 

Walt didn’t have a place to sleep, and given his history, his acquaintances weren’t ready to shelter him, so he ended up at the local recreational center. The place was managed by Slim, who wanted the kids in the neighborhood to have a place where they could hang out and learn a few useful skills instead of getting involved with gangs that operated in the neighborhood. When Walt showed up at the center to use the computer, Slim recognized the boxing legend. He agreed to let Walt live at the center, but in exchange, he expected him to keep the place clean and help the young boys train. Walt didn’t want to go back to boxing, it brought back painful memories, and so he wanted to stay away from it. But watching the kids practice every day with complete dedication changed his heart, and he couldn’t resist offering the kids a few tips to last longer in the ring. Soon, Walt started to train the kids with Slim, and he rediscovered his passion for the sport. He saw potential in the kids, and he decided that they must participate in tournaments to further build their confidence. Back in his day, boxers from D.C would always compete in regionals and junior nationals, and he was determined to bring back the good old days. His unique training method caught the attention of local news channels, who were impressed with how he was using bricks as weights to train the kids. Walt believed that one man’s waste is another man’s treasure, and they really hoped that the city would support the kids. especially since most of these community centers were being torn down. 

How did Walt inspire Peanut and Quincey?

Peanut and Quincey were two of the most talented kids at the center. Walt saw great potential in them, and he trained them to become their best selves. Peanut used to be bullied by the students at his school, and boxing taught him to fight back, Quincey too learned to take a stance for his friend. Boxing gave Quincey a reason to not give up after he lost his mother to cancer. Quincey was completely broken at the time, he didn’t care about the championship or even boxing, and he simply wanted to soak in the grief. But Walt helped him realize that staying in his room wouldn’t really fix anything, and that he was allowed to be vulnerable around him. Quincey broke down in front of Walt, and later he decided to continue participating in the tournament. Peanut was glad to have his friend by his side, but since they were both competing in the same category, they knew that at some point they would have to face each other. The one who would win the national championship stood a chance to get a spot on the US Junior Olympic team, and therefore the tournament was extremely crucial. 

Slim and Walt were proud when Peanut and Quincey made it to the final round. Maintaining the recreational center was a challenge, and they were well-aware that the place would be shut down some day, but they were overjoyed that two of their boys reached the final stage, because they knew that the visibility would be good for the entire community. Quincey won the final round, and although Peanut lost, he was proud of his friend, and they both celebrated his win. Peanut finally gathered the courage to ask out a girl he’d had his eyes on. He wasn’t the shaky under-confident young boy anymore, he had a reputation now, and his classmates didn’t dare to pick a fight with him. When the documentary was shot, Peanut, aka Ragahleak Bartee, was 24 at the time, and he was an officer at the Metropolitan Police Department, and Quiney, who was 22 then, was a professional boxer. Walt had completely changed the lives of these young lads, inspiring them to stay on the right track, and they mentioned that he was a father figure in their lives. 

Did Walt manage to fight addiction?

Walt regularly experienced a shooting pain in his back down through his right leg and foot, and he chose to ignore it at first, but when he started his blue-collar job, the pain made it impossible for him to work. His friend advised him to consult a doctor, and that’s when he discovered that he had sciatic pain and the doctor prescribed medication to heal the inflammation. Walt told the doctor that he’d been clean for three years, and he didn’t want to jeopardize what he had managed to achieve. But considering his physical condition, the doctor knew that he wouldn’t get better without prescribed meds. Walt soon started to depend on the pills, and he used them to cope with difficult situations. 

Meanwhile, Walt’s dedication towards the kids in the neighborhood and his sheer belief that they could reach great heights impressed Ketta. She’d asked him to prove himself and he did. He wasn’t doing drugs, he was busy working and training the kids, and she thought of giving him a chance. They started to spend time together; after Quincey’s mother passed away, Walt and Ketta started to look after him like their own. After the tournament, Walt decided to marry Ketta, he was nervous, and before heading to the ceremony he considered popping pills, but he stopped himself. He genuinely wanted to be better for Ketta, for the kids, and for himself. He realized that he mustn’t start the beautiful journey he was about to embark on with Ketta high on drugs. He put the bottle away, and exchanged vows with the love of his life. They were finally married, and they danced the night away. 

They Fight ends on a happy note, with Walt choosing the people who matter to him over his addiction. He was finally in a better place, he had the support of the love of his life, his students, and his community and he had big dreams for the little ones. The reality unfortunately is gloomy, Walt Manigan died of opioid addiction at the age of 55 in 2022. He was constantly under pressure to gather funds to facilitate the dreams of the young boxers, and that got to him. Regardless of how his life came to an end, his legacy is worth celebrating. His boxing program saved the lives of several youngsters, who realized that they could have a better and brighter future; little boys like Quincey and Peanut learned to dream, and that was all because a man showed faith in them and taught them never to give up and always to put up a fight. 

...