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Small-town boy Shawn MacArthur (Channing) goes to the big city to make his fortune but finds himself selling counterfeit goods. His luck changes when he meets Harvey Boarden (Howard) who offers him the chance to make big money on the street fighting circuit. During the course of his battles he comes across an old face from home who forces him to confront his past.

Montiel juxtaposes poverty with prosperity superbly. He shows the good, the bad and the plain ugly faces of New York. The audience will discover just how far street fighting penetrates the various echelons of society. As Shawn goes from fight to fight he ascends through the different classes of the city, but the one thing that remains the same throughout is the reaction that these brawls bring out in people. Whether they are from Manhattan or Brooklyn, a Wall Street Yuppie or a street seller, they all are reduced to a baying rabble when brought together to watch a fight.

The fight scenes are shot well with the mayhem and aggression not restricted to the fighters. The chaos feels infectious. Audiences are taken up close and personal to the action, giving the impression of a spectator. The atmosphere is heightened further by the constant movement of the camera which at times is being pushed back by other members of the crowd who are jostling for a better view.  

Unfortunately for Channing this role focuses more upon his physicality than his acting. His chiselled good looks and Adonis-like torso are likely to avert attention from his performance which is a pity as he is makes a good underdog. He is vulnerable internally but appears tough on the outside.

Howard is great as Harvey, the eccentric scam artist and fight organiser. His rambling speeches, spoken in an expressionless tone without a pause for a breath, are spot on. Viewers may wonder if he is all there as he seems distracted by something just beyond our periphery. He supports Channing's character in a very hands-off way unlike the traditional mentor figure in this genre.  
   
The film works both as an underdog story and a rite of passage tale; Shawn matures as he conquers his demons metaphorically and literally. Yet the underdevelopment in his past results in a lack of depth and makes it difficult to sympathise with him. Audiences may be wondering just how a young man like Shawn can end up in this dark world. Even with a training montage it never reaches manages to reach the stature of Rocky.

Fighting exposes all the grit and grime of the underground street fighting scene in New York but the plot lacks the emotional depth to make a real impact.