Once upon a time, Dicky Eklund was known as the pride of Lowell, Massachusetts. There isn't a person in Lowell who doesn't know about the time that Dicky knocked down the great Sugar Ray Leonard. By the early 1990s, Dicky's crack addiction has soured everything, although he dreams of making a comeback. The real contender is his half-brother Micky Ward. 31-year-old Micky is an unassuming nice guy, long regarded as little more than a stepping-stone for rising fighters, but with undeniable potential. Between his controlling mom Alice, who manages his career, his crack head trainer brother, and a Greek chorus of seven sisters, Micky doesn't have a chance. Until his tough-chick bartender girlfriend Charlene gives him the confidence and support to consider a different course. But his success comes at a cost--as he must leave his family behind in the process.