Plot

The saga of a drifter who turns to illicit bare-knuckle boxing in Depression-era New Orleans.

During the Great Depression, the mysterious drifter Chaney befriends the promoter of illegal street fights Speed and they go to New Orleans to make money fighting on the streets. Speed is welcomed by his mistress Gayleen Schoonoverand invites his former partner Poe to team-up with them. Meanwhile Chaney has a love affair with the local Lucy Simpson. Speed has a huge debt with the dangerous loan shark Doty and borrows money to promote the fight of Chaney and the local champion Jim Henry, who is managed by the also promoter. Casey wins the fight, they make a lot of money but Speed is an addicted gambler and loses his share in the dice table. But Doty wants his money back and Speed's only chance is Chaney accepts to bet his own money that he is saving and fight a winner that Gandil brought from Chicago. Will he accept the challenge?—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

A man named Chaney (Charles Bronson) arrives somewhere in Louisiana during the Great Depression. We don't know whether he is a hobo, an ex convict, a deserter or an asylum seeker but he sure is a freight hopper n a very good fighter. He comes upon a street fighting competition n after observing a bare knuckled fight, he approaches the manager (James Coburn) of the losing fighter n asks the manager to set a fight for him but cautions the manager that he needs only enough money to fill a few in-bet-weens before moving on. Before his first fight the opponent finds our hobo a little too old to be participating in such kinda fights but our hero is a silent type one who lets his knuckle speak more than his mouth.—Fella_shibby@yahoo.com

In the depression, Chaney, a strong silent streetfighter, joins with Speed, a promoter of no-holds-barred street boxing bouts. They go to New Orleans where Speed borrows money to set up fights for Chaney, but Speed gambles away any winnings.—Will Gilbert

Chaney (Charles Bronson) rides into New Orleans with two dollars in his pocket. He meets Speed Weed (James Coburn), a fast-talking promotor of bareknuckle fights. Speed, against his own instincts, gets Chaney a bout with one of the local toughs, and a career (or two) is launched. Chaney quickly makes a name for himself, but Speed does his best to self-destruct, setting up a final fight that's a life or death matter for Speed.