Claressa Shields vs. Kaye Scott Fight Night was one for the books — and so is Hulu’s 2026 original boxing film ‘They Fight.’
On Saturday (August 15), Hollywood Unlocked accepted an exclusive invite to “Raise Your Gloves,” a private fight night event inside Atlanta’s State Farm Arena. The event was co-hosted by Cam Kirk.
The exclusive event celebrated the Hulu sports action and drama, ‘They Fight,’ directed by Sheldon Candis. The movie also stars fan-favorites André Holland, Wendell Pierce, and Samira Wiley. The film had a world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 8 and then officially premiered on Hulu and Disney+ on July 17.
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Hulu Original Boxing Film ‘They Fight’ Tells The Powerful Story Of Redemption, Resilience, Family, Mentorship, And Community
The movie is a powerful story about resilience, redemption, family, and second chances. It closely mirrors the resilient story of Detroit’s very own Claressa Shields. Like Claressa’s, this story is about boxing, mentorship, and community.
In the film, a reformed ex-con, Walt Manigan, comes home to Southeast D.C. a changed man. While chasing redemption, he looks to rebuild his life, but ends up embarking on a path he once tried to leave behind.
Desperate to reclaim his soul, Walt must return to the one place he swore he’d never set foot in again — a crumbling boxing gym clinging to life under the watchful eye of his old mentor, Slim.
Inside the gym, Walt mentors a new generation of young fighters — a ragtag trio including: Quincey, Peanut, and Twin. They too battle their own demons with nothing but grit and gloves. As Walt is pulled back into a world he tried to escape, he realizes his toughest fight was never in the ring.
While speaking on the film, director Sheldon Candis says:
“‘They Fight’ is my love letter to one of my all-time favorite directors John G. Avildsen. It’s a Karate Kid inspired narrative punched in the face with a John Hughes coming-of-age story about Southeast D.C. kids fighting to dream within amateur youth boxing. André Holland plays the real life character of Walt Manigan within this documentary adaptation of a man searching to reclaim his soul.”
Check out ’They Fight’ on Hulu and Disney + now. It’s a powerful and relatable story all about battles that extend far beyond the ring — the fight for family, purpose and a better future, and the people who step into someone’s corner when they need it most. When life knocks you down… LOCK IN.
#Socialites, be sure to check out the trailer below, then leave us your thoughts in a comment after!