Hotheaded laborer B.J. Hammer can't go long without ending up in a fight, and, after he comes out on top in a particularly impressive workplace scuffle, word of his brawling skills makes its way to Davis, a top boxing manager. Hammer is hired by Davis and begins a lucrative career in the ring, only to find out that his new employer wants him to throw a fight and take part in other illicit activities. Hammer reacts to this news violently, and the feud is on.
Acting
Fred Williamson's effortless cool and physical presence.
Practical Effects
Raw, unchoreographed fight scenes with real impact.
Director
Bruce D. Clark
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Hammer embodies blaxploitation's shift toward self-directed Black heroes who answer to no system—corporate or criminal.
Fred Williamson was a former pro football player who insisted on doing his own stunts, which explains why the fights look genuinely punishing.
US
