Killer McCoy

Tommy McCoy grows up on the city streets, earning money as a pool hustler and a street newsboy. His father is a faded vaudeville performer who squanders the family's money with drink while waiting for show business to return. This harsh background hardens Tommy and sets his sights on something bigger.

At a charity amateur boxing event sponsored by Father Ryan, Tommy fights a rival newsboy in the ring. He wins decisively, and the crowd's reaction signals his potential to move beyond street brawls. The victory acts as a springboard toward the professional arena.

Champion Johnny Martin takes notice of Tommy's talent after the charity bout, signaling the start of a slow climb toward professional boxing. Tommy begins to train more seriously, gaining weight and muscle as he targets lightweight matches. The change marks the shift from street fighter to aspiring pro.

Tommy faces Martin in a title-caliber bout and is reluctant to unleash his full power. He lands a brutal left hand that knocks Martin out, and Martin dies from the confrontation. Tommy is later tried for manslaughter and is acquitted, earning the nickname 'Killer' as bettors weigh his future.

Bookmaker Jim Caighn buys Tommy's contract from his debt-ridden father, gaining control over his boxing career. Caighn directs Tommy to hold back his right hand until late in each match to fool bettors and keep odds favorable for him. The manipulation hints at a much larger scheme behind the sport.

During a training stint at a Connecticut estate, Tommy meets Sheila Carson, who is Caighn's daughter. She appears unaware of her father's gambling activities, and she is drawn to Tommy despite the brutality of boxing. Their budding romance deepens amid warnings and secrets.

Cecil Walsh, a major bookmaker aligned with Caighn's rivals, discovers that Tommy works for Caighn and that Sheila is Caighn's daughter. He orchestrates the kidnapping of Sheila and Tommy's father to force Tommy to lose in an upcoming championship.

Tommy agrees to the plot and enters the championship with instructions to throw the eighth round. He allows himself to be beaten in earlier rounds to seam a controlled fight and swing the betting odds against him. The tension in the arena grows as the ruse unfolds.

During the kidnapping spree, Tommy's father frees himself and Sheila from the captors, but a shootout breaks out between the gangsters and their rivals. The confrontation ends with the father dead and Sheila narrowly escaping, heightening the stakes for Tommy in the arena.

Sheila races to the arena and pleads with her father, persuading Caighn that Sheila is safe. Caighn relents and informs Tommy that Sheila is secure just before the next round begins.

Tommy pushes forward in the next round and wins the championship, breaking free from the manipulation that controlled his career. His victory marks the turning point, and he begins to consider a life beyond boxing.

In the aftermath, Tommy announces he is giving up boxing and reconciles with Sheila. Sheila's father grants his blessing, signaling a new start away from the gambling schemes that framed his career.