A hit man turns against his former boss after witnessing a nuclear weapon being smuggled into the US.

Six years ago Jack "The Ripper" Stemmons, an American boxer had his career destroyed by a St. Louis bookie. After Jack seeks revenge he is forced into hiding. Jack disappears half way around the world in Thailand. There he falls victim to the addictive spell of Bangkok's exotic and dangerous underworld. Eventually he finds solace in the arms of a beautiful prostitute who has been set in his path by a Russian gangster in order to get Jack back in the ring, This time in Bangkok's notorious underground fight clubs. No matter how hard Jack tries to distance himself from his past, it always hunts him down like a Bad Penny. When a mysterious fight fan appears, it's only a matter of time before Jack's past, present and future accelerate and collide into a twisted climax.

In 2005, the only thing hurting Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez more than his face from a recent bike accident was his pressing need for story ideas. That is when he discovers Nathaniel Ayers, a mentally ill, homeless street musician who possesses extraordinary talent, even through his half-broken instruments. Inspired by his story, Lopez writes an acclaimed series of articles about Ayers and attempts to do more to help both him and the rest of the underclass of LA have a better life. However, Lopez's good intentions run headlong in the hard realities of the strength of Ayers' personal demons and the larger social injustices facing the homeless. Regardless, Lopez and Ayers must find a way to conquer their deepest anxieties and frustrations to hope for a brighter future for both of them.