No he's no Di Niro but his street pug slugging came off very real. Mickey Rooney looked like he was really taking some shots up there and I wouldn't doubt it if he actually insisted on doing it for the realism. Either that or the editing deserved an Oscar! Interesting cameo of , Johnny Andrisiano,( Rocky ) the real-life fighter who trained Mic for the film. (And who died mysteriously-suicide?) Also keep your eyes peeled for a quick but fleeting glimpse of Shelly Winters as one of two autograph hounds in the car. James Dunn playing his poor song-and-dance soul was superb! This movie is a rare gem and it really deserves more credit than it's given.