Years later, Tony Curtis admitted that at this time he had a major drug problem and went broke, so he agreed to do this movie only because he needed money to buy cocaine. Since they needed to attach a name star as the coach to get the film green lit, this movie literally only exists because of cocaine.
The most interesting part of the film is the Antonio Inoki stuff, as he's supposed to have a match on US TV against an American martial artist as part of his push towards getting a rematch with Muhammad Ali. Not that it's good (neither was Ali vs. Inoki) but with that match taking on retroactive historical significance following the rise of MMA/UFC (it's now considered the "first MMA fight") it's interesting to see it referenced as a plot point in this film here. So pro wrestling and MMA fans may want to see it for the inclusion of Antonio Inoki and Judo Gene LaBell.
The most interesting part of the film is the Antonio Inoki stuff, as he's supposed to have a match on US TV against an American martial artist as part of his push towards getting a rematch with Muhammad Ali. Not that it's good (neither was Ali vs. Inoki) but with that match taking on retroactive historical significance following the rise of MMA/UFC (it's now considered the "first MMA fight") it's interesting to see it referenced as a plot point in this film here. So pro wrestling and MMA fans may want to see it for the inclusion of Antonio Inoki and Judo Gene LaBell.