Charles Bronson stars in this depression-era movie about a man who is forced to take up bare-knuckled fighting to earn enough money to survive.  Bronson arrives in New Orleans with a few coins in his pocket and no prospects.  Fortunately for him (and unfortunately for his opponents) he comes across a betting fighting match hosted by two local sharpies.  Bronson studies the situation with cold calculating eyes and realizes that he could earn some much needed food money with a few bouts of his own.  Introducing himself to one of the local sharpies, (James Coburn, who is superb in his role of a quick talking con-man in constant trouble with the local mob), Bronson and Coburn set out to win a small fortune on the match-making skills of Coburn and the hard punishing fists of Bronson.