Hulu's A Thousand Blows, a six-episode series from Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, plunges viewers into the brutal world of bare-knuckle boxing in 1880s London. Based on real-life people and stories, the show stars Stephen Graham as feared pugilist Sugar Goodson. He reigns supreme in the rough-and-tumble East End, smashing opponents in unsanctioned brawls, until newly arrived Jamaican fighter Hezekiah Moscow (Malachi Kirby) challenges his dominance. Eventually, a new style evolves in the city's tonier West End — fighters wear gloves and observe Marquess of Queensberry Rules — leading to the dawn of modern boxing.
Veteran fight choreographer and stuntman Derek Lea made sure the bouts look authentic. "We did slow-speed rehearsals to work out choreographed moves," says Lea, who used period research and character breakdowns to map out fights.
Graham (Snatch, Peaky Blinders) spent months bulking up to become Goodson. "He's a pit bull — aggressive and gnarly," Lea notes. "We came up with a signature punch for him: a blasting uppercut, very Tyson-esque."
The boxing matches of A Thousand Blows — like this one (above) between Hezekiah Moscow (Malachi Kirby) and Sugar Goodson (Stephen Graham) — were mapped out after conducting research into the time period and locale, says fight choreographer and stuntman, Derek Lea. / Photo Credit: Hulu
While Graham had fighting experience, Kirby (Roots) did not. He spent a month training with Lea and a coach to learn to fight on camera. Lea recalls, "I let him have a bit of flair, let him move how he wanted to move. I didn't want to dictate punches to him." One highlight is a titanic face-off between the stronger Sugar and the younger, faster Hezekiah. "Our choreography showed how speed and agility, coupled with Hezekiah's evolving smarts, could outfox sheer brute force," Lea says.
By the series' end, Hezekiah's boxing prowess is evident, as he dances around the ring in what looks like a progenitor of the Ali shuffle.
Lea's biggest challenge was syncing movements to camera. "We had Steadicam, handheld and Technocranes," he says. "We would fine-tune the camera moves and tweak actors' positions until every punch registered as a hit on camera, hopefully making it much easier for editing."
The transition from bare-knuckle to gloved fighting allowed for more versatility. "Because the hands are covered, you have more punches in your arsenal," Lea explains. "Hooks come in, we could lay body shots on and make more contact, which means it doesn't matter as much where the camera is, because a hit's a hit."
Lea, a veteran of three dozen–plus screen roles, takes a turn as one of Sugar's bare-knuckle challengers. He lands some good blows — even knocking the legend down — before Sugar rallies to defeat him.
"It was a shame I couldn't win," Lea says, chuckling, "but that's the way it goes."
A Thousand Blows is now streaming on Hulu.
This article originally appeared in emmy Magazine, issue #2, 2025, under the title "Packing a Punch."
