Struggling in poverty and obscurity of reality in a provincial Wisconsin Olympic gold medalist in wrestling Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) is invited by multimillionaire John du Ponta (Steve Carell) to move into the mansion and take part in preparing the team for the Olympic Games in Seoul ( 1988). Schultz eagerly agrees to the proposal, addressed the desire to leave the shadow of his older brother, Dave (Mark Ruffalo), a recognized trainer inventory, also winner of an Olympic gold medal.
With a huge fortune and the most modern training facilities du Pont appointed as the chief coach of the completed their team through financial incentives, hoping thereby win the respect of the environment and the acceptance of the eternally dissatisfied mother (Vanessa Redgrave).
Relation Schultz and large Ponta gains a new dimension with the growing perception Make your 'patron' as a mentor and ultimate authority. However, the variability du Ponta and his psychological instability over time, begin to adversely affect the athlete's personality labile and thus its performance on the mat. When the attention and favor large Ponta turning to his brother Mark, Dave - whose authority and confidence to impress him - the fate of the three major players in this psychological game seem inexorably toward tragedy, the final no one could have expected.