Through racial tensions rival fighters prepare their students for an upcoming bout. 

SYNOPSIS:

CLOSE RIVALS

Jack Marrick and Bruce Raymond are known rivals in full-contact fighting sports. During a fight Bruce slips, and Jack knocks him out with one punch winning the fight and the championship. Years later Jack is now retired, and training new fighters and the latest champion is his protege Matt Flynn who is now dating Jack’s daughter Filena Marrick. Then one night, while heading home, Matt and Filena run into a gang of thugs and Matt defeats them, and injuries one, who falls on his knife. However, the gangster, Geoff Boyd and because he was black many believe like his family think Geoff was trying to help Felina and Matt attacked them. While racial tensions rise, Jack and Filena with help from lawyers of the Jack’s gym help confirm Geoff was a gangster attacking them, but many do not believe this, and while racial tensions rise Jack and Matt arrange that it should be settled in the ring.

A few activists led by Isiaih Stennett learn who Jack is from MMA mogul Anson Oday and his rivalry with Bruce Raymond and tracks him down where he is now a workout training and teaches self-defense. After explaining the situation, and the offer to make it into a championship bout, Bruce’s star student Kobe LaCross convinces him to take it up viewing Jack’s win as an accident and they can make it right. During a press conference Bruce and Kobe appear and accept their challenge, and after some goading the training begins. Jack and Bruce both look forward to their long overdue rematch while Matt and Kobe are anticipating the upcoming fight. Matt fears that the racial tension could do some damage to the gym while Kobe wants the community to improve with help from Bruce’s daughter Jada Raymond. It is also revealed that Matt proposed to Felina, and they pair plan to wed after the fight.

During the training and anticipated publicity Matt and Kobe find themselves attacked by some strangers and think it was the other, and it almost comes to a heated confrontation, however Anson does some research and finds out that gangster Silas Charcot arranged for the attack and now exploiting a rivalry to profit from the fight and starts an illegal gambling circuit and then cheat for one of them. Before the fight Charcot kidnaps Felina and Jada to force them to fight to the extreme and plans to release one to have the other lose. Matt and Kobe fight while Jack and Bruce confront Charcot and with help from police overpower and defeat them, rescues the girls, and find that Charcot was the one who lead Geoff into a life of crime. The fight ends in a draw, but while Matt retains the championship, Kobe had won the crowd and is now a favorite to win a rematch.

After Matt and Filena wed, it is shown an upcoming rematch between him and Kobe is being prepared, while Jack and Bruce have a private rematch of their own.