History Recap / TheTwilightZone1959S5E2Steel

!!Tropes:

On August 2, 1974, former boxer turned boxing manager Timothy "Steel" Kelly (Creator/LeeMarvin) and his mechanic Mr. Pole (Joe Mantell) arrive in Maynard, Kansas with an outdated boxing robot, "Battling Maxo", for a heavyweight bout. Mr. Pole has doubts about the wisdom of this, which only seem to be confirmed when Maxo suffers a breakdown during last-minute preparations for the match. However, "Steel" has never given up on giving Maxo his comeback, and he doesn't intend to start now – even if he must pit "Steel" against steel to do it.

On August 2, 1974, former boxer turned boxing manager Timothy "Steel" Kelly (Creator/LeeMarvin) and his mechanic Mr. Pole (Joe Mantell) arrive in Maynard, Kansas with an outdated boxing robot, Battling Maxo, for a heavyweight bout. Mr. Pole has doubts about the wisdom of this, which only seem to be confirmed when Maxo suffers a breakdown during last-minute preparations for the match. However, "Steel" has never given up on giving Maxo his comeback, and he doesn't intend to start now – even if he must pit "Steel" against steel to do it.

Later adapted (very loosely) into the film ''Film/RealSteel.''

->'''Creator/RodSerling:''' Sports item, circa 1974: Battling Maxo, B2, heavyweight, accompanied by his manager and handler, arrives in Maynard, Kansas, for a scheduled six-round bout. Battling Maxo is a robot, or, to be exact, an android, definition: 'an automaton resembling a human being.' Only these automatons have been permitted in the ring since prizefighting was legally abolished in 1968. This is the story of that scheduled six-round bout, more specifically the story of two men shortly to face that remorseless truth: that no law can be passed which will abolish cruelty or desperate need—nor, for that matter, blind animal courage. Location for the facing of said truth: a small, smoke-filled arena just this side of the Twilight Zone.

On August 2, 1974, "Steel" Kelly and Mr. Pole, his mechanic, arrive in Maynard, Kansas with an outdated boxing robot, Battling Maxo, for a heavyweight bout. Mr. Pole has doubts about the wisdom of this, which only seem to be confirmed when Maxo suffers a breakdown during last-minute preparations for the match. However, "Steel" has never given up on giving Maxo his comeback, and he doesn't intend to start now -- even if he must pit "Steel" against steel to do it.

!!This episode contains examples of the following tropes:

->'''Creator/RodSerling:''' Portrait of a losing side, proof positive that you can't outpunch machinery. Proof also of something else: that no matter what the future brings, man's capacity to rise to the occasion will remain unaltered. His potential for tenacity and optimism continues, as always, to outfight, outpoint and outlive any and all changes made by his society, for which three cheers and a unanimous decision rendered from the Twilight Zone.

* SweetAndSourGrapes: The bad news is that "Steel" Kelly didn't won the match against the other robot and thus he earned a pittance. He still thinks he achieved a victory by surviving the bout, nobody noticing that he was a human, and gaining enough money to fix his robot.

* RealityEnsues: Regardless of [[UnderdogsAlwaysWin what tends to prove true about underdogs]], it's impossible for a human to outpunch a robot designed for boxing or even to last very long in the ring.

* BittersweetEnding: Because "Maxo" lost, they only get so little money, not enough to buy them a new boxing robot. But Steel, despite that's he's just been beaten within an inch of his life, hasn't lost his optimistic spirit. He looks on the bright side and estimates what little money they earned should be enough to buy new parts for the real Maxo. And then they'll be back on their feet.

* SweetAndSourGraped: The bad news is that "Steel" Kelly didn't won the match against the other robot and thus he earned a pittance. He still thinks he achieved a victory by surviving the bout, nobody noticing that he was a human, and gaining enough money to fix his robot.

* SweetAndSourGraped: The bad news is that "Steel" Kelly didn't won the match against the other robot and thus he earned a pittance. He still thinks he achieved a victory by surviving the bout and gaining enough money to fix his robot.

* TheBoxingEpisode: The episode has a boxing team arrive in town for a heavyweight bout, with the twist that human boxing has been outlawed and the boxer is a robot. It winds up being a man-versus-machine bout when the robot breaks down before the fight and its Towner "Steel" goes into the ring in its place.

* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Kelly is known by the nickname Steel as he was never beaten during his boxing career. His first name is never revealed.

* TheBoxingEpisode: The episode has a boxing team arrive in town for a heavyweight bout, with the twist that human boxing has been outlawed and the boxer is a robot. It winds up being a man-versus-machine bout when the robot breaks down before the fight and its owner "Steel" goes into the ring in its place.

* BittersweetEnding: Because "Maxo" lost, they only get so little money, not enough to buy them a new boxing robot. But Steele, despite that's he's just been beaten within an inch of his life, hasn't lost his optimistic spirit. He looks on the bright side and estimates what little money they earned should be enough to buy new parts for the real Maxo. And then they'll be back on their feet.

* RealityEnsues: Regardless of [[UnderdogsAlwaysWin what tends to prove true about underdogs]], it's impossible for a human to outpunch a robot designed for boxing or even to last very long in the ring.
* {{Zeerust}}: The episode, in which human fighters have been replaced by boxing robots, takes place in the far off year of 1974, with human boxing having been outlawed in 1968.

"Steel" Kelly and Mr. Pole, his mechanic, arrive in town with an outdated boxing robot, Battling Maxo, for a heavyweight bout. Mr. Pole has doubts about the wisdom of this, which only seem to be confirmed when Maxo suffers a breakdown during last-minute preparations for the match. However, "Steel" has never given up on giving Maxo his comeback, and he doesn't intend to start now -- even if he must pit "Steel" against steel to do it.

* {{Zeerust}}: The episode, in which human fighters have been replaced by boxing robots, takes place in the far off year of 1974, with human boxing having been outlawed in the 1960s.