Hold on to your seat for China’s wildest crime drama since Infernal Affairs—The Knockout is a bloodthirsty, binge-watching classic that puts together The Godfather’s power game with The Departed’s moral free fall. It’s not a show; it’s a 20-year blood feud between a dogged cop and a fish-market gangster turned kingpin, served with thrill-belly action and Machiavellian plots.
Why It’s a Global Sensation:
A Villain for the Ages: Zhang Yi’s Gao Qiqiang—a bullied fish seller who claws his way to the criminal throne—is TV’s most complex antihero since Tony Soprano. His rise mirrors China’s lawless ‘90s economic boom.
Fight Choreography That Hurts to Watch: No CGI—just raw, bone-crunching brawls in rain-soaked alleys and neon-lit karaoke dens.
A Cop With a Death Wish: Zhang Songwen’s An Xin is the detective who gives up everything—family, job, sanity—to bring Gao down.
Power Is the Only Currency: Each episode explores corruption, betrayal, and survival in a world where laws are suggestions.
Shocking Real-Life Parallels: Fans swear the plot follows true unsolved triad cases—censorship fights made the writers rework the ending twice.
The Verdict:
With 2B+ views in China and a 9.3/10 on Douban, The Knockout isn’t television—it’s a cultural earthquake. Available now to stream with subs on iQIYI, it’s your new addiction.
