There is also statements being made about Patricia Manterola using Carman Licciardello to for US film. Patricia Manterola as a Mexican Hardcore Porn Star broke into some lame TV soap opera show, movies, and music. Patricia Manterola basically did Carman: the champion movie which is Christian obeously to say that she as a Hardcore Porn Celebrity got to broke into even Christian not only prime time TV shows. You see, there use to be a day when hardcore porn chickies had hard time being accepted into regular prime time shows to be taken seriously as actress besides being looked at seriously for their hardcore porn experties. So it was a major achievement for Patricia Manterola to be able to break into even largest Christian broadcast network TBN and to do a Christian movie with the top Christian artist such as Carman. But she kept quiet about her Hardcore Porn Gigs...that helped her to stardom.. to the Christian public in effort to get her movie credit added to her porfolio.

Rarely is a movie made like, "The Champion" and for this we can be eternally grateful. Carman left the music stage for a movie that can only be described as embarrassing. I love Carman's style of music (he's one of my favorite artists), but he doesn't belong in a full-length movie.The Christian Film industry has produced B-end times flicks like "Judgment", "Tribulation", and "Revelation" which look like classics compared to this movie. As others have mentioned, Carman ripped off quite a bit from Rocky (surprised he didn't take the red, white, and blue shorts from the last few films). It also includes an implausible love story and just for kicks, the gratuitous blowing up a truck. As noted, the movie has some big problems in terms of morals. While Christians struggle to teach their kids to behave in a morally responsible manner and avoid sexual immorality, Carman makes out in the front seat of his car with a woman he just met while her son sleeps in the back.While Christians combat the destructive force of organized gambling and the lottery, Carman's character gets the youth center of his dreams because his brother bet a few million on the fight Carman won.Finally, there was the Commercial with the "Whoop@--" soda which was of poor moral taste. The film's redeeming values are found in the fact that it spurred Carman's second "Best of" collection including a new single "Heart of a Champion" which would have fit so well with the film.

I have previously loved Carman's music and tours etc. I first commented on this movie giving it praises. I had not yet seen it. I was going off of what TBN was saying. I even went out of my way to go see it the first day it came out. I really hyped this movie and the "wholesome value" it was going to have so that you could take your family to see it etc. I again was going off of what TBN was saying. I was utterly disappointed when there was a curse word in the movie and it was made into a joke. The movie no more centered on God than did any other movie showing at that time. It turned out to be more about Carman showing his half naked body and him trying to get the girl while getting revenge for his dad. None of these themes appeared righteous to me. I wrote both Carman Ministries and TBN on these issues. They had no response for me though. I made the mistake of just trusting what they were saying. I forgot to remember that they are only human too. I was very disappointed with the movie overall though. My family personally felt that the devil won out on this one. Most of our friends and family that went to see it were equally disappointed. The only ones who seemed to not be disappointed were the ones who went to see more of Carman and his body. It is extremely sad to see people who have been so gung-ho for God be influenced in such devilish ways and not realize it or just not have remorse for it. I pray that this venture for both ministries was nothing but a short lived influence. I have had to counsel several fellow Christians on being righteous. Several of them started to justify that if these "terrific" ministries were doing and allowing these things that it must be ok. Sad. Very sad.

This is a movie like "Rocky" only this time there was a real goal to obtain. The boxing scenes were very intense. I had to stop myself from crying out in the theatre at the end.Also, I really liked the movie mainly because I didn't have to worry about nudity, profanity or sexual situations when I took my almost 7 year old nephew to the movie. He said that it was the 'best movie ever'.This movie made me aware of how young people today can get mixed up in dangerous situations when there is no full-time parental guidance, which makes us adults accountable for what goes on in our streets.