Arena (1989)

 Saw it on the MGM channel a couple of months ago. Many good laughs and the film looks cool.

Goes down great with beer and pizza.

Arena is an American science fiction film directed by Peter Manoogian and starring Paul Satterfield and Claudia Christian. Set in 4038, Satterfield plays Steve Armstrong, the first human in 50 years to compete in the intergalactic boxing sport called simply "The Arena". 'The film was produced by Charles Band and features original music by Richard Band.

Steve Armstrong (Paul Satterfield) is working as a short order cook on a space station somewhere in the galaxy. Overwhelmed by the volume of orders, he repeatedly fouls up and soon finds himself in a confrontation with an alien patron named Fang. After a fight which smashes up the diner and leaves the alien injured, Steve and his friend and co-worker Shorty (Hamilton Camp) are fired. As it turns out, Fang is an Arena fighter, and his manager Quinn (Claudia Christian) confronts Steve. Amazed that a human could beat one of her best fighters, Quinn offers him a contract, but convinced that humans no longer have a place in the Arena, Steve refuses, intending to make his way back to Earth.
Lacking sufficient money for a ticket, Shorty attempts to raise the cash by gambling in an underground casino. The game is raided by the authorities and in the confusion, Shorty pockets the money. Caught in the act by crime boss Rogor (Marc Alaimo) and his enforcer Weezil (Armin Shimerman), Shorty is held for ransom. Steve promises to pay off the debt, so he reluctantly returns to Quinn and agrees to a contract. Remarkably he wins his first match with an alien named Sloth in an upset. He continues fighting, determined to prove that a human has what it takes to be champion, and soon becomes a top contender. Despite Rogor's multiple attempts to cheat, Steve ultimately wins the championship from Rogor's top fighter, an alien named Horn (Michael Deak).

 Notes

• During one early scene, Armstrong's friend Shorty enters a seedy casino using the password "swordfish."
• The film's tag line "For a thousand years, no human has been the champion. He wants to be the first." contradicts the actual plot as Marcus was the last human champion 50 years ago, and Steve describes him as the reason Steve became a fighter.
• Features future Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Babylon 5 stars Marc Alaimo, Armin Shimerman, Hamilton Camp, Claudia Christian and Shari Shattuck. Both shows also take place on a space station in the future.
• Originally intended for a theatrical release, the film was released directly to videocassette on September 19, 1991 by RCA/Columbia. On July 9, 2013 the film will be released on DVD as part of a 4-Pack with America 3000, Eliminators, and The Time Guardian.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arena_(1989 _film)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101366/