Hard Times

Chaney watches a bare-knuckle street fight and wagers six dollars on the winner, then bets all of his own money on a fight against the same fighter. He convinces the younger challenger to take him on and fights with surprising aggression. He dispatches the opponent and earns a reputation as a formidable betting bad boy in the underworld fight scene.

Chaney and the cocky, fast-talking Speed travel to New Orleans to test their luck against local fighters at long odds. They recruit Poe as a cutman to help protect Chaney in the rough bouts. The trio begins their run in the Southern fight scene with high hopes.

Between fights, Chaney finds a down-on-her-luck woman named Lucy Simpson to sleep with. The arrangement is casual and transactional, reflecting the rough edges of their world. The encounters reveal how his personal life intrudes on his rising career.

Chaney easily disposes of his next opponent, a Cajun, in a decisive victory. The win cements his growing reputation and earns him more attention from local organizers. It signals that this tough new fighter is not to be underestimated.

When Pettibone refuses to pay off his bet, Chaney decides to take matters into his own hands. That night, he sneaks into Pettibone's honky-tonk, brandishes a pistol, guns down the hood's goons, and seizes the winnings from Pettibone.

For the next fight against Jim Henry, sponsor Chick Gandil raises the stakes to $3,000. To cover the shortfall, Speed borrows money from a mob of local loan sharks led by Doty. Chaney wins the bout handily, boosting his leverage but deepening Speed's financial peril.

Speed blows all his winnings in a backroom craps game, leaving him unable to repay the loan sharks. The debt heightens the danger and pushes the pair toward increasingly desperate actions.

Gandil pays off Speed's debt and takes him hostage, pressuring Chaney to bend to his will. Chaney is torn between loyalty to Speed and a need to protect himself when the coercion tightens. The stakes rise as Chaney considers sacrificing everything to secure Speed's fate.

With Speed in danger, Chaney wagers his entire winnings to take on Street, a prizefighter imported from Chicago, hoping to avert Speed's death. The bout is framed as a do-or-die gamble that could determine his future in boxing and crime. The crowd watches as alliances fray and risk escalates.

Street proves a worthy foe, pressing his advantage in the ring. When Street is down and on his hands, Gandil slams two metal cylinders on the ground for him to wrap around his fists, but Street is too proud to cheat. Chaney patiently wears Street down and finishes him off.

After the fight, Chaney gives Speed and Poe a generous cut of the winnings and leaves town. He even asks Poe to take care of his stray cat as a final gesture.

Chaney's relationship with Lucy ends as she finds a new man who offers more stability and a real job. The loss of Lucy marks a personal cost to Chaney's brutal ascent.