Eddie Ward was known for his Herculean strength and nearly superhuman stamina when he worked in a steel mill in New York. He was also known for his good nature and heroic inclinations. While walking home from work with his girlfriend, Connie Hodges, Eddie saw a man being attacked by a group of thugs. After battling the thugs, the man that Eddie had saved revealed that he was actually Lewis Black, a well respected fight manager. Lew, seeing how well the kid fought, offered to train Kayo and make a champion fighter out of him. Eddie accepted the offer, with hopes of winning enough prize money to marry Connie.