"The Homer They Fall" is the third episode of Season 8.
Synopsis[]
After Bart gets mugged for his Star Trek belt by Dolph, Jimbo, and Kearney, Homer confronts their fathers and gets beat up as well — but ends up scaring them when he takes all of their punches and doesn't react, prompting Moe the bartender to train Homer to be a boxer.
Full Story[]
While shopping with his family at a gadget store, Bart overhears Comic Book Guy failing to return his small-sized gimmick belt because he does not have his proof of purchase. Bart obtains it from him for $4. He shows off its features to his classmates at Springfield Elementary, but is then chased by Jimbo, Dolph and Kearney, who steal the belt and beat up Bart. Homer meets with the bullies' parents at Moe's Tavern, but they beat him up too and Moe saves Homer from the bullies' parents. Despite the force used against Homer, he does not fall down (explained by Dr. Hibbert as an ability gained from a genetic defect). Moe is impressed enough to reveal that he used to be a boxer, and agrees to coach Homer. There are two problems - Homer's punches are especially weak and his stamina is so low that one punch completely exhausts him - so Moe decides that Homer should wait for his opponents to get exhausted from pummeling him, then push them over.
Homer wins his early matches, mostly against underfed hobo opponents who don't put up much of a fight.
A parody of the George Bellows painting "Dempsey and Firpo" featured in this episode
Eventually, Lucius Sweet, Moe's former boxing manager, arrives with a proposition for Moe; the two arrange a match between Homer and the powerful boxing champion Drederick Tatum in a massive star-studded event. Tatum brings so much power to the ring that he knocks out opponents in one blow, which bores spectators, though Homer's amazing resilience means he could offer an actual fight. Despite a promise to Marge to stop the fight if Homer's life is endangered, Moe also promises Sweet that Homer can endure three rounds. Just seconds into the fight, it becomes clear that Tatum is brutal and inexhaustible,
meaning that Homer is going to get killed. Homer realizes the original plan is not going to work and chooses to punch his opponent, but misses. Just as Tatum is about to strike a possibly fatal blow, Moe airlifts the badly-beaten Homer from the ring using Fan Man's paramotor. Outside, Tatum expresses his respect for Moe's affection towards Homer, and Sweet declares Moe a perpetual loser, but gives him a healthy check nonetheless.
During the credits, Moe, still with the paramotor, is shown saving people from natural disasters in India.
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