- Loosely based on the career of fighter Primo Carnera.
- Humphrey Bogart's last film.
- According to Hollywood urban legend, Bogart was so sick during filming that his voice had to be re-dubbed by an impersonator. In truth, though, the voice heard in the film is indeed Humphrey Bogart's own voice.
- The character of Eddie Willis is based upon the career of writer and event promoter Harold Conrad.
- Primo Carnera unsuccessfully sued the film's makers, claiming it damaged his reputation for implying that he was involved in fixed fights. Carnera's career is one of the biggest mysteries in boxing, as many of the sport's historians believe that, without Carnera's knowledge, his managers paid most of his opponents to throw their fights.
>>> WARNING: Here Be Spoilers <<<
Trivia items below here contain information that may give away important plot points. You may not want to read any further if you've not already seen this title.
- SPOILER: Former heavyweight champion Max Baer plays Buddy Brannen, the boxer who ends Toro Moreno's career in the film's climax. In reality, Baer also ended Primo Carnera's championship run, knocking Carnera down 11 times in 10 rounds in a brutal beating. As the film is based on Carnera's career, Baer therefore essentially played himself in it.
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