Billy Hope (Jake Gyllenhaal) is one-time boxer at the height of his fame, with a fancy house and a loving family, and despite his career, his wife Maureen (Rachel McAdams), pleads for him to quit so he can spend time with his daughter Leila. He announces his retirement during a party, but when Maureen is accidentally killed during an altercation with another boxer, his world falls apart. When he loses Leila to child protection services due to his destructive behavior, his last hope is returning to the world of boxing with the help of trainer Titus “Tick” Wills (Forest Whitaker) in order to reunite with Leila.