On a dark and stormy night, corrupt, flamboyant Atlantic City, New Jersey police detective Rick Santoro (Nicolas Cage) attends a boxing match at Gilbert Powell's (John Heard (actor)) Atlantic City Arena between heavyweight champion Lincoln Tyler (Stan Shaw) and challenger Jose Pacifico Ruiz. He meets up with his best friend since childhood, Kevin Dunne (Gary Sinise), who is a United States Navy Commander (United States)#Naval working with the United States Department of Defense to escort United States Secretary of Defense Charles Kirkland (Joel Fabiani) and Powell at the fight after a trip to Norfolk, Virginia, Virginia.