In the present day, Duncan Diggs, released after eight years from a twenty-year sentence at the Kingston Penitentiary, calls his childhood friend Owen Stuckey to drive him back home to Niagara Falls.

After dropping him off at his parents place, Owen goes to the woods and reminisces on their childhood friendship together which was based on their mutual hero-worship of a small-time wrestler named Bruiser Mahoney.

While the police arrest the men Mahoney, who happened to be exiting the arena at the same time, takes the boys into his van with the intention of returning them home.

His behaviour becomes increasingly erratic and he reveals his real name is Dade Rathburn and he is from Orillia before telling the boys that wrestling is fake.

As Duncan matures into adulthood he begins to bare knuckle box in an illegal ring run by Lemmy Drinkwater to supplement the meagre income he earns at the local cookie factory.

Shortly after the deal between Duncan and Lemmy is struck he receives a phone call from Owen who makes vague hints that he is being watched by the police.

Dissatisfied with his winnings Duncan, Owen and Silas come together to secretly record Lemmy discussing his cigarette smuggling business.

Knowing that they are close to salvation they nevertheless make the wrong turn they made as boys and end up in the cave they found as children.

In the final epilogue, we learn that all three men survived and that Duncan, suffering from brain-damage, has left Niagara Falls to pursue Ed and that Lemmy is in Attica.