Fightland

Released from prison eight years after his brother is killed, disgraced heavyweight champion Duke Kilroy (Howard Charles) returns to London, where he plans to get revenge on the man responsible. That person is Kingsley Marshall (Nicholas Pinnock), a powerful boxing promoter and leader of a large criminal empire who hasn’t been seen in public for years. Duke works alongside the cartel to draw Kingsley out of hiding, which pulls him deeper into the city’s underbelly. As the situation grows increasingly precarious, Duke is forced to ask himself how far he’s willing to go for vengeance.

Created by Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan and Marlon Smith and executive produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Fightland is a hard-hitting crime drama that’s carried by a charismatic performance from Charles. The first three episodes provide an intriguing character study of someone consumed by revenge, but some uneven performances and a collection of contrived plotlines are noticeable shortcomings.

The world this show takes place in is brutal both in and out of the ring. This is made clear in the first episode before the opening titles even roll as viewers witness Duke fight for the championship, Kingsley intimidate a journalist, and the vicious assault that becomes the catalyst for the series. The violence only escalates throughout the following episodes as Duke’s plan is put in motion, which leads to a steady stream of gripping set pieces. As visceral as these moments can be, the show never loses sight of its protagonist. Charles does an exceptional job of conveying the character’s inner conflict to make Duke a far more complicated person than he initially seems.

Despite Kingsley being largely absent, Pinnock makes a frightening first impression as the antagonist. Being out of the picture, his criminal operations are overseen by his children, Zeek (Charles Babalola) and Cece (Anita-Joy Uwajeh), who are both also strong additions to the cast. Not all performances are up to the same standard, however, with some supporting actors giving distractingly hammy line deliveries. Subplots involving Duke’s former romantic interest (Deborah Ayorinde) and his estranged father (Richard Pepple) likewise serve to artificially inflate the drama rather than furthering the plot.

Although a handful of missteps weaken the overall punch, an engrossing performance from Charles alongside a compelling revenge plot is enough to get Fightland off to a promising start.

Andrew Murray

Fightland is released on Sky on 27^th August 2026.

Watch the trailer for Fightland here: