Herwin Novianto’s latest show, Ellyas Pical, portrays the inspiring story of Indonesian boxing legend Ellyas Pical. Despite growing up with damaged hearing and poverty, Ellyas rises to become a boxing champion, putting Indonesia on the world stage. Ellyas’ Left-hand jab earned him the nickname “The Exocet,” after the French missile. The show follows Ellyas’ journey from a kid with limited resources to becoming a legend in the boxing world.
Spoilers Ahead
How Does Ellyas Start To Pursue Boxing?
A fish bombing accident damaged Ellyas’ hearing in his childhood. Not very bright at studies, Ellyas had a gift for fighting. When some of his schoolmates bully him, he swiftly knocks them out one by one. That catches the eyes of his uncle, Alex. Ellyas’ mother, Ana, is conservative and religious and doesn’t want her son to get humiliated . Ana’s old-school beliefs and her protectiveness about her son stop Ellyas from practising boxing. Alex and his wife Ci motivate Ellyas to follow his natural talent, and he starts training at a young age thanks to them. Sneaking out of the house to fight in the local boxing matches, Alex and Ci contribute massively to Ellyas’ growth in boxing.
How Does Moving To Jakarta Help Ellyas?
Ellyas grows up to be a formidable boxer in the local circle. He has been inspired by Muhammad Ali since childhood, and his ambition of becoming a world champion couldn’t be fulfilled by staying on the little island. Ellyas wouldn’t take towels and stoves for prizes anymore, and he left for Jakarta to become a professional boxer. In Jakarta, he lives in a boxing gym with a few boxers. The gym is owned by Rio Tambunan, who makes his boxers sign a contract to split their boxing earnings with him in exchange for letting them stay and train. Ellyas’ compadre here is Nico, a fellow boxer. Ellyas’ Fighting and technique make headlines in some of the local newspapers, and it catches the attention of Boy Bolang. Boy Bolang is a promoter who has just returned from America and has the vision to launch an Indonesian boxing superstar. He arranges a World Championship title fight for Ellyas against the South Korean superstar Ju-do Chun. Boy Bolang and his team bring the contest to Jakarta. Indonesian people bring massive support for Ellyas. In front of his countrymen, Ellyas dominates Chun for most of the match. In the 8th round, he gets a flashback from his childhood, remembering how he told his uncle that he wanted to be like Muhammad Ali. In a series of furious punches, Ellyas lands his robust left-hand punch to knock Ju-do Chun out. The entire stadium burst out in sheer joy, and history was made. Fulfilling his lifelong dream, Ellyas Pical became the first world champion from Indonesia in front of people chanting his name.
What Happens After The Championship Bout?
Ellyas had become a celebrity overnight. Being a World Champion has its perks, and Ellyas certainly wants the overwhelming attention he achieved. From starring in commercials to meeting the President, Ellyas was living the dream. He goes back to his village, and his mother and the people applaud their national hero. Ellyas’generosity to his people knows no bounds; he gives away everything he and Nico have with them. Mama Ana is still in no mood to cut Ellie any slack. She makes him pray and tells him to never forget his roots. After Ellyas comes back to Jakarta, he’s told that he should look and behave like a world champion and shouldn’t be seen as anything below that. Nico takes him to shop for clothes, where Ellyas meets a saleswoman, Lita. Ellyas asks Lita out, and they go to a nightclub to party. Before this, Ellyas had always refused to touch alcohol of any kind. But when Lita offers him a beer, he can’t refuse. After this, he develops a habit of partying, and the paparazzi start to attack him, asking inappropriate questions. The controversy concerns Bolang, Rio, and Anton, and they decide that Ellyas must go back into the ring to shift the focus of the media.
Can Ellyas Successfully Defend His Championship?
Boy Bolang had realized the business opportunity Ellyas had opened up for him. He decides to double the ticket prices for the title-defending match of Ellyas. Ellyas kept himself busy and trained continuously, despite the media portraying him as someone who drinks more than he trains. Boy Bolang finds the right person to challenge Ellyas and he’s Australian Superfly Champion Wayne Mulholland. At the press conference before their fight, Wayne makes big claims about taking Ellie down. Mama Ana comes to watch his son box for the first time in her life, and Ellyas is grateful. In the match, however, Ellyas knocks Wayne out in just three rounds. Ellyas tells the journalists that it wasn’t much work for him, and he might’ve trained too hard for this. Ellyas and Nico move into a bigger house with much more comfort. Mama Ana disapproves of Ellie’s drinking habits, and she threatens him that she will go back home if he doesn’t stop right away. Ellie agrees, and Mama Ana and Aunty Ci stay with him.
What Will Happen In The Next Episode?
In the ending sequence of Ellyas Pical, episode 2, Ellyas is told that his next opponent will be Cesar Polanco from the Dominican Republic. Ellyas’ Trainer, Khairus, is worried about Cesar, as he’s known to be an extremely tough boxer to be in a ring with. Cesar Polanco is known to win fights mostly by knockouts, and Simson is also worried that Ellyas needs more time to prepare for him. Ellyas agrees to the fight nonetheless. The next episode might feature this fight, and Ellyas is likely going to lose the title to Polanco. Ellyas’ Would-be wife, Rina, also appears in the closing moments of the second episode. She introduces herself as a fan who only watches boxing for Ellyas, and the instant chemistry between them sets the tone perfectly for their romantic saga in the upcoming episodes.
