Antonio joins a gang

Felix trains longer and harder

they feel a barrier rising between them

Felix decides to quit boxing

think of his best friend as a stranger

force himself to hate the other

never see the other boy again

beat the other boy to a pulp

like the way that Antonio fights

want to go through with the fight

trust Antonio's trainer

want Antonio to let him win

gold-plated medals

scrapbooks of boxing match tickets

fancy boxing shoes

positive attitudes

does not want to see Antonio beaten

sees himself as the champion and Antonio as the challenger

decides that winning the fight is not worth ending the friendship

knows that life never works out as neatly as movie plots

their appearance

their memories of fight statistics

their dedication to working out

their commitment to their friendship

how to end their friendship so they can fight each other

how to pursue their own goals without hurting their friend

how to avoid shame if they lose the fight

how to explain the fight to their friends

the huge crowd

the boys' kindness to each other

Felix's bad fighting

the boys' savagery

leave the ring together

decide not to fight each other

begin the fight

watch The Champion together

plot

characters

setting

rhyme