You're giving Vincent way too much credit here. He's a bumbling nodder running his mouth in a place where he knows he's safe.

Vincent had no respect for him because he'd already heard who Butch was ( he called him Palooka) and that he was fixing a fight. Butch had lost his honor and integrity at that point, and in doing so was immediately disrespected by Vincent. It may have been that moment which made Butch decide to double cross Marsellus in order to regain his honor and self respect.

They were both in a bad mood to begin with.

Vincent had a REALLY bad day and also he was a criminal and a part of a gang. Butch wasn't part of any gang so he was not a threat to Vince. Sorry for my English

If this movie has a flaw I might consider it to be the fact that Vincent's motivation for insulting Butch is not clear in anyway. But this is after watching this movie a million times and not noticing even that this was the catalyst. Missing information is never this movies problem. It always keeps you in the moment. What a picture.

Butch was throwing the fight it had already been premeditated with his bookie, Vince did not cause that.

Your explanation makes no sense. It's not like Vega knows that Butch is throwing the fight, he can't hear their conversation. So, to assume that Vincent has some rigid code of honor that is being tread upon by Butch is silly I think.... 💯

Vince has already read the script.

Podåwful mentioned.

“Punchy” was Aldo the name of the Hawaiian Punch guy from 60s and 70s Hawaiian Punch commercials.

I would have come back looked at them pumping Marcellus. Stepped back silently and laughed my ass off, then continued to laugh until I had a brain hemorrhage and died with a smile on face.

Butch clearly planned to betray Marcellus from the start. He had his brother place bets with every bookie he could on him winning.

Vincent has the gall to despise so-called "weakness" in Butch for agreeing to a money-bribe deal to take a dive in a fight... yet, he himself has an expensive (and likely out of control) habit & addiction to heroin that nearly killed Marcellus' wife, Mia. I think this is less disgust & scorn and more in the way of jealousy by Vincent Vega.

I always thought the point of the scene was the irony: Vincent hates Butch for throwing the fight but tries to kill him for not throwing the fight.

Uh, you're totally wrong about something. Butch had always known he was throwing the fight. It wasn't something he did spontaneously because of Vincent, he'd planned it that way from the beginning. Re: the phone conversation he had with his bookie after the fight, having placed a bunch of bets on himself. You're saying Vincent was the inspiration behind that? Seems sus to me. Occam's razor? The answer is money. But also think about the rest of the decisions Butch makes throughout the movie. Do you really think he's the sort of guy who'd double-cross Marcellus just to get back at Vincent for a couple of bar-room insults? He doesn't seem anywhere near that hot-headed to me. Marcellus literally said the exact same thing to Butch, albeit a little more diplomatically. So Butch can stomach it from Marcellus but not from Vincent because he's rude? And that's why he plans to rip off the gangster? It's too bad you don't mention the rest of the sub-plot between Butch and Vincent because I think it also de-values your argument. Vincent insults Butch at the bar because he's in the know about the boxer throwing the fight and clearly doesn't respect that. This upsets Butch and he 'keys' Vincent's car as he leaves the bar. Vincent later discusses this event with his drug dealer. Then of course the two of them have a final meeting in Butch's apartment. When Butch kills Vincent he doesn't seem particularly gratified. Nor is it entirely intentional. If Vincent was responsible for it all wouldn't Butch have reacted differently? All of it shows that Butch is much like his watch. He's tenacious, tarnished, and quite opportunistic, but underneath all that he remains 'gold' (re: his choice to save Marcellus). Keying the car seems like a more appropriate-level response- and also more in line with Butch's character- doesn't it?

Give me a break. He set up “the dive” to drive up the odds. He bet that wad on himself and cleaned up.

Interesting. I always thought Butch intended to double cross Marcellus all along.

John: You heard what I said, Punchy. Bruce: Look Who's Talking 🚼 🍼

Mikey doesn't like his stepdad.

Butch intended to double cross Marcellus from the jump: his conversation on the phone to his confederate proves that they had set this up some time before.

The first time I've heard this. Makes a lot of sense.

They're referring to joe paluka

Short answer? Vincent was a junkie-ass thug.

I'm not convinced that this chance encounter was what caused Butch to flip on his deal with Marsellus. Later in the film, after the fight we hear Butch asking his friend how many bookies did he bet with? I think it was planned all along. maybe that's why Butch saves Marsellus later on, he felt guilty about conning him so decided to rescue him from the r4pist's. P.s Also. Butch didn't just ask for "cigarettes" at the bar.... he asked for "Red apple cigarettes"

Some random info on the insult…There was a comic strip called “Joe palooka” about a boxer in America that ran from 1930-1984

It’s all about bugs bunny cartoons and that’s what made it so funny and the fact that he is a boxer

It’s also in bugs bunny cartoons

My guess is that Butch purposely lost a fight Vince had money on.

Pulp Fiction is still a pointless movie.

Vincent was basically an idiot, he had that high school bully attitude which was bad for the business.... the stupid way he kills the black dude in the car, and how tried to to bully mr Wolf, thank god mr wolf dont take any kind of that crap....

It was nothing more than letting Butch know that Vincent knew who he was, a punched up has been.

I personally feel the real message is KARMA…. Alzonzo was big shit but evil and Jake was good….. in the end EACH CHARACTER RECIEVED THERE FAIR KARMA!!!!!! If that’s not the case then think about the lil girl in the Alley and Smiley was bout to blow his top off

Butch had bookies already set up with Scotty. Makes it look like he always meant to double cross Wallace, but just did it using out-of-town bets.

"Freak occurrence" ??? More like divine intervention.

i just assumed vince had lost alot of money on one of butch's fights

Ambiguity is an important part of storytelling

Plus, more than likely, Butch keyed Vincent’s car

A couple of years ago I rewatched this movie for the first time since it was new. Upon rewatching, I realized what an idiot Vince was. And how incompetent he was bc of his herion use.

It's because he was a talking baby. Look who's talking. Did you look? Obviously not.

Butch was always gonna bet on himself and not take a dive.

Butch was not taking on jive talkin'.

Last time I watched Pulp fiction i realized that Vincent isn't coo, or suave, or slick, or anything like that. I think the guy is on the spectrum honestly - he straight up doesn't understand social cues in any context, doesn't understand simple etiquette regarding being in someones home like jimmy or getting help from someone like the wolf and he acts like a little boy on his first date when he's with Mia.

“Systematically dismantling” is a stretch, I think… but they were definitely pointed insults. I do think Butch always intended to throw the fight, however. He had a plan in place with his brother to bet on him after the odds changed when the fix was in. You could argue the plan evolved from this insult. Either way, it’s an interesting theory.

Butch would’ve killed his assassin regardless of words they exchanged earlier,I get it though

"You ever been on a horse?" "You ever been on life support" Tulsa King 😂

UCSC Banana Slug here, just glad to see my school get a shout-out. 89-94 "The Earthquake kids.."

I always took this interaction as Vincent's way of letting Butch know that if he screws this up, he would be the one putting a bullet in his head. Vincent doesn't want to have a friendly relationship with somebody he might have to kill, not even as an acquaintance having a drink at the bar.

Or he's a big fan of boxing

I've always loved that shot of Butch as he turns around. Bruce really nails that angry, incredulous look.

Vincent is just flexing on Butch because they're in his territory and he can run his mouth a bit knowing Butch can't do anything about it. It's just a brief moment between two 'alpha' dudes. I always felt like the watch story reminded Butch about honor, loyalty and basically not being a piece of shit and that's what changed his mind to not throw the fight.