Before a rematch with his arch-rival The Ayatollah on the twentieth anniversary of their legendary bout, former wrestling superstar Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) addresses the crowd with a speech about how he almost had to call off the fight, but wouldn't have missed it because his wrestling fans are the only people who truly love him. Of course, the crowd erupts in cheers, but the movie audience knows that because of Randy's heart problems he might be giving his own eulogy. However, for a guy who has spent his entire life playing pretend it's just another day in the office. Some might dismiss Randy's speech as the typical content of soundbites you hear from all aging sports legends, but when Randy says "you can lose everything you love, everything that loves you," we know from the preceding 100 minutes of heartbreak that he truly means it.