B.J. Quinn is the current middleweight kickboxing champion of the world. His next opponent is Chad Hunter. Hunter proves to be quite the opponent with his impressive skills. In the second round, Quinn accidentally hits Chad with an elbow while going for a spinning back fist, causing the doctor to stop the fight. Quinn retains his title. At a party celebrating a new sponsor to kickboxing, middleweight contender and cocky fighter Jacques Denard hits on Quinn's girlfriend Carol. Quinn, seeing what Denard is doing, begins to confront him. As the two begin to push each other, party goer Ken gets into the mix to split them up. However, Quinn punches Ken so hard that he crashes through a table and ends up dead. At the trial, despite Chad's testimony that Quinn would have needed a reason to kill Ken, Denard's testimony proves enough to get Quinn convicted for twelve months on manslaughter charges. In addition, Quinn is no longer allowed to compete in professional kickboxing. A year has passed and Quinn has been freed from prison. Upon returning, he is shocked to learn that Denard, the man whose testimony has put him away due to pure hatred of him, has become the middleweight champion. Denard, in all his glory, proves to be a complete showboating type who resorts to using dirty tactics and has felt both the ire of kickboxing promoter Bob Wiser and the heckling of journalist Willard, who had done the same to Quinn during his days as a champion. Meanwhile, Quinn had learned that Chad Hunter had stood up for him during the trial and has befriended him. Chad is up for a title shot against Denard and asks Quinn to train him. Quinn agrees, but he starts to let his personal demons catch up to him. During a sparring session, Quinn gets too rough with Chad, who confronts him. Quinn knows that Denard has gotten under his skin for a long time and he begins to take his frustrations out on both Chad and Carol. Chad loses badly to Denard in their title fight and is sent to the hospital, where Quinn again trashes Chad. At another party, a drunken Quinn finally confronts Denard and beats him relentlessly using a chair, prompting Carol to leave him. Depressed and alone, Quinn finds another place to live and slowly begins to realize the mistakes he has made. Chad, who has ultimately forgiven Quinn, asks Quinn to help out at his school. Defusing a situation between two students, Quinn again begins to value what he has and begins a road of redemption for himself through training. Carol returns and she and Quinn rekindle their relationship. Denard, upset from the beating at the party, decides to challenge Quinn to a fight. However, knowing that Quinn cannot fight as a professional, Denard makes the challenge for $100,000. When Quinn gets wind of the challenge after seeing the headline on the newspaper Willard writes for, Carol tells Quinn she will help him through this. In addition, Chad has offered to become Quinn's trainer. During a sparring session, Chad and Quinn go at it again when Quinn starts to somewhat hold back. It is there where Quinn finally lets everything loose verbally, but about himself. He said everything he had has is gone. However, Chad finally offers some words of encouragement and Quinn realizes that he hasn't lost it all. With the help of Chad and former trainer Howard, who after Quinn's imprisonment became Denard's cornerman but grew tired of his antics; Quinn begins to put his heart into his training and prepares for the big fight. The long-awaited fight finally happens. Once again, Denard's showboating and dirty tactics begin to take its toll on Quinn. When Quinn goes down during one of the later rounds, he gets up at a nine-count. Showing he isn't holding back anymore, he surprises Denard with his punches and kicks. When he lands a haymaker, Denard is sent flying to the corner with his legs rubbery. Quinn finally unleashes a flurry of kicks to Denard, and ends it with a tornado kick, sending Denard to the ground for the ten-count. As Chad, Howard, Carol, and others gather to congratulate B.J., Willard makes one more heckle at Denard before Denard's cornerman knocks him out cold with a punch.
The film was shot in South Africa in late 1990, when martial arts films were becoming well known to shoot there for budgetary reasons. It is believed that the film is set in California, despite its South African location and supporting cast.
Sequels
In 1993, two sequels to the film were released. American Kickboxer 2 was shot on location in the Philippines and starred another former kickboxing champion, Dale 'Apollo' Cook. It was a sequel in name only and featured Cook as a cop who is forced to team up with his ex-wife's former boyfriend, a martial arts instructor, to save his ex-wife's daughter. However, the true sequel to this film is entitled To the Death. It was directed by Darrell Roodt and featured John Barrett as the newly titled "Rick Quinn" and Michel Qissi replacing Brad Morris as Jacques Denard, who starts out as Quinn's rival but ultimately becomes his ally when he is forced in a series of fights to the death by a ruthless promoter.
Release
The film was released theatrically in South Africa on March 1, 1991. The film never received a theatrical release in the United States, but Cannon Films released the film on home video on July 24, 1991.
