Corner Duty at Pell Street

Wren Okoye, 19, mops floors and tapes hands at the Pell Street Boxing Club, a leaking former tram depot where kids train under a hand-painted sign that reads "Nobody Fights Alone." When head coach Sal Brannigan collapses with a stroke, he leaves a scrawled note naming Wren as interim coach. She has never thrown a competitive punch. That night she discovers the club's insurance lapses in six weeks unless a registered fighter places at the regional amateur championships. The only one eligible is Dani Ferro, 20, Wren's former schoolyard tormentor. Dani is a ferocious southpaw whose right shoulder was shattered in a scooter crash. Doctors say she will never punch at full power again. Dani refuses pity, refuses help, and refuses Wren. Wren cannot fix Dani's arm, so she has to learn real coaching fast: footwork, ring IQ, counterpunching from a fighter who has to box smarter, not harder. A rival gym owner wants the depot lease. Sal's estranged son questions Wren's authority, and every mistake in the corner is hers to answer for. The two young women have to rebuild trust from old wounds, and decide together whether winning is even the goal.