Southpaw is a movie that was written by Kurt Sutter and Directed by Antonie Fuqua. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Billy Hope. This movie is about having everything that you want and then losing it all and trying to get it all back.
Billy is the World Lightweight Champion and is defending his title at Madison Square Garden. Billy grew up in an orphanage in Hell’s Kitchen. This is also where he met his wife Maureen (played by Rachel McAdams). After the fight Billy shows signs of taking too many punches. His wife convinces him that it is time to retire. At a charity event for the orphanage Billy is taunted by another boxer’ Miguel “Magic” Escobar that wants a shot at his title. When Miguel makes a rude comment to his wife, Billy gets mad and starts to walk towards Miguel, the whole time his wife is trying to get him to walk away but he does not and starts a fight with Miguel. During the fight Miguel’s brother Hector pulls out and gun and shoots Maureen in the stomach. She dies on the floor in Billy’s arms.
After the funeral Billy starts to abuse alcohol and drugs as he looks for the Hector. He gets a tip to where Hector might be, but when Billy shows up he learns that Hector is a father and walks away. After sometime he is encouraged to get back in the ring by his manager. During the fight Billy is taking a brutal beating. When the referee stops the fight Billy head butts the ref and is suspended leaving him indebted, leading to his house and all his belongings being repossessed. One night he is nearly killed while driving drunk. This causes him to lose custody of his daughter Leila, who is placed in CPS care.
Billy gets sober after this but his daughter begins to cut him out of her life blaming him for what has happened and telling him that it was Billy that should have died and not Maureen. This hurts Billy but helps him get his life back together. As court ordered he needs to get and keep a job, find suitable living arrangements. Billy takes a job at a seasoned boxer Titus “Tick” Wills gym as a janitor. Tick becomes Billy’s friend and eventually new trainer. As Billy starts to progress and learn and even teach other boxers to fight. He is offered a boxing matching for charity. Billy does well in the boxing match and with his former manager in the audience he is offered a shot at the title which is now held by Miguel. Billy asks Tick to help him but Tick refuses to train pro boxers anymore. After the death of one of the pupils from the gym Tick decides to help Billy get his daughter and career back.
Leila begins to let Billy back into her life and ask that she be able to watch the fight just like mom used to but Billy says that it is too violent and her mother would not approve. Leila keeps asking and finally Billy says yes but only from the locker room on TV. In the beginning of the fight Miguel has the upper hand winning the first couple of rounds easily. The middle rounds with Ticks help Billy starts to come back using the Philly Shell Defense. Which basically covers up the face protecting the head and allows for counter punches. In the final minutes of the final round Billy is able to land a powerfully upper cut that knocks Miguel down although he is able to beat the bell, Billy is declared the winner in a split decision and regaining the title and his daughter who forgives him for his past mistakes.