According to Deadline, the official trailer for A Thousand Blows, which is Disney+ and Hulu’s upcoming bare-knuckle boxing drama, has dropped online, offering a glimpse into the brutal world of 1880s East London. The series, premiering on February 21, follows Malachi Kirby (Small Axe, Roots), who plays Hezekiah Moscow, and Francis Lovehall (Industry, Gangs of London), who plays Alec Munroe; these two best friends from Jamaica thrust into the brutal world of illegal boxing. As Stephen Graham’s (Boardwalk Empire, Time) character, Sugar Goodson, ominously declares, “You learn to fight, no matter where you’re from.

Set against the gritty backdrop of East London’s criminal underworld, A Thousand Blows sees Hezekiah becoming the target of the infamous Erin Doherty (The Crown, Les Misérables), who plays Mary Carr. She exploits his boxing talent to further her criminal empire, while Sugar, the self-declared ruler of the East End boxing scene, plots to eliminate his new rival. As Sugar warns Mary in the trailer, “I want him off my patch,” tensions boil over in a brutal showdown. “Watch me kill him,” Sugar says, with Mary replying, “Can’t happen. I need him for something. Plans are forming,” said an article via Deadline.

Some viewers may describe the show as a gritty power struggle.

“You can be the next champion,” Sugar tells Hezekiah, while Mary counters, “I need him for something. Plans are forming.” With fists flying and rivalries escalating, the music of Aitch and ArrDee’s ‘War’ underscores the intensity of the battle, signaling that the fight for dominance is far from over.

Alongside Knight’s leadership, A Thousand Blows boasts an impressive creative team, including writers Ameir Brown (Black Ops, Criminal Record), Insook Chappell (Princess Bari, Trinity) Harlan Davies (Common People, World’s Greatest Mountains) and Yasmin Joseph (A Thousand Blows). The directing team, featuring Tinge Krishnan(Little America, WeCrashed), Nick Murphy (A Christmas Carol, The Hot Zone), Ashley Walters (Top Boy, Safe House) and Coky Giedroyc (Save Me, Harlots), also serves as executive producers, further solidifying the show’s strong creative foundation.

With its star-studded cast, gritty setting and powerhouse creative team, A Thousand Blows is shaping up to be a must-watch series that dives deep into the cutthroat world of underground boxing. Audiences can look forward to a thrilling mix of action, betrayal and heart-pounding drama when the series debuts on February 21.