The Hammer

Jerry Ferro is turning 40 and leads a mediocre life in the Los Angeles area. He works part-time as a carpenter and as a boxing instructor, drives a beat-up pickup, and has recently lost both his construction job and the woman in his life. His situation sets up the motivation for what's ahead.

An amateur boxer asks him to spar with Malice Blake. Jerry takes a beating but lands a surprising one punch knockout. His left hand is so powerful that fans refer to him as the Hammer, a nickname that people tease as a joke about his carpentry.

Boxing coach Eddie Bell notices Jerry and invites him to the Olympic tryouts. Jerry is clearly too old and out of shape and is not interested at first.

Jerry is encouraged by his friend Oswaldo Sanchez and by Lindsay Pratt, a lawyer at the gym who has caught Jerry's eye. They urge him to give the Olympic tryouts a chance.

Jerry attends the tryouts and is mocked by Robert Brown, the top light-heavyweight contender. The challenge motivates Jerry to train in earnest, lose weight, and declare that a new sheriff is coming to the division.

Bell privately views Jerry as nothing more than a sparring partner to motivate Brown, a true Olympic candidate. He plans to keep Jerry hopeful to avoid paying him the daily sparring fee.

Jerry drives the team to Phoenix for the first stage of Olympic eliminations. He faces the No. 1 contender and, in the middle of the bout, Bell deserts the corner. Jerry delivers a shocking knockout, and both he and Brown advance.

After the fight, Brown learns that Bell lied about Jerry's prospects, and he starts to sympathize with Jerry. The two unlikely fighters form an uneasy friendship as they advance toward the next round.

Jerry and Brown advance to the next round in Pasadena and prepare for the upcoming fight. Lindsay has a job offer that would require her to move out of state, forcing Jerry to confront his uncertain future in boxing.

The final round of the competition pits Jerry against Brown again, with both toward Olympic qualification. The emotional stakes grow as personal lives intersect with the boxing future.

In the final moments, Jerry is about to win and KO Brown, but he chooses to hug him and let Brown win instead. The act of sportsmanship underscores their friendship and seals their bond.

The film closes with a party at their house where all three celebrate. Jerry becomes Brown's trainer, embracing a future in boxing on a different role rather than as a fighter.