Diana Guzman is a struggling high-school student, living in a tight Latin community in New York. She takes no crap from anybody, and chucks knuckles with anyone who tries. She sinks deeper in trouble with the school authorities with each fight, but she doesn’t seem to care. Her life is a downward spiral and she’s losing control. She sees light at the end of the tunnel when she visits the gym where her brother is training boxing. Hiding it from her father, she convinces Hector, the owner of the gym, to train her. Armed with patience, Hector recognizes Diana’s talent, and gives it discipline and skill, making Diana into something she’s never been – a success.

Surprisingly enough, the story of a teenage female boxer is almost completely devoid of stereotypes. There is no glory of Rocky here, no glamorous rinks packed with thousand of screaming fans. In fact, Kusama chooses dirty camera work to portray the gritty neighborhood, giving the movie the feeling of a documentary. The gym is decorated with "inspirational" sayings, such as "When you’re not training, somebody else is training to kick your ass", and "It’s not the size of the dog in a fight, it’s the size of a fight in a dog". Diana will develop a romance with one of the boxers, Adrian, but not even that relationship will be conventional, as they both live in a very special world. In a twist of fate, they will have to fight each other, and the outcome of the fight could be a deciding factor in the outcome of their love, as well.

In a demanding main role, Michelle Rodriguez delivers a knockout punch. Her demeanor and appearance, while still very female, intimidate and confuse those around her. She is a tough product of a tough environment, and boxing as a choice makes a lot of sense. She deals with racial to gender prejudice on a daily basis, and her emotional scars are deeper than the physical scars will ever be. Although the supporting cast is also above average, Rodriguez’s performance stands out, demanding attention from the critics and expectation from the viewers.