Carolla plays a once-promising boxer, now a middle-aged construction worker, who attempts to join the U.S. Olympic boxing team.

An amateur Golden Gloves boxer long ago, Jerry is asked one day if he would be willing to spar with an up-and-coming fighter named Malice Blake.

But his friend and co-worker Oswaldo Sanchez gives him encouragement, as does Lindsay Pratt, an attractive lawyer who works out at the gym and has caught Jerry's eye.

He goes into serious training, loses weight and needles Brown, telling him there is "a new sheriff" in town in the light-heavyweight division.

By falsely boosting Jerry's hopes, Bell can avoid paying him the usual $100 per day for a hired sparring partner.

Jerry drives team members to the first stage of the Olympic qualifying eliminations in Phoenix, where because of his age and lowly status he is immediately paired against the No.

Jerry knows he has little future in boxing, no matter what happens next, so he needs to get his priorities straight as he and Brown head toward a showdown in the ring.

Ferro's life is based on Adam Carolla's real experiences as a construction worker and boxing coach in L.A.

[8] Jesse Thorn of the public radio show The Sound of Young America called The Hammer the best sports comedy of 2008.