 Frankie, a young prizefighter, wins a fixed boxing match as part of a crime boss s plan to have him build up a following and then have him throw a championship fight. Later, while training, Frankie meets Mary as she is going to church with her family, and he begins a romance with her. The crime boss orders Frankie to stay away from Mary, while continuing to arrange for Frankie to win more fights. Just before Frankie s fight with the champion, he and the boss have an argument. Their plans to fix the fight are overheard by Mary s young brother, which soon leads to a tense situation.