Deaf boxer Paul Callan captures the interest of gold-digging blonde Sonya Bartow and retired fight manager 'Pop' Richardson. For a time, Sonya has the upper hand with Paul, but ultimately a rival appears in the shape of upper-crust reporter Ann Hollis. With a 3-way fight under way for influence over Paul, he takes matters into his own hands, but learns that getting what he wanted isn't necessarily a happy ending.

While amateur boxer Paul Callan pummels his opponent, the crowd, which includes boxing fan Sonya Bartow and manager Jack "Pop" Richardson, watches in amazement. In the locker room after the fight, Sonya visits and is at first disgusted to discover that Paul is deaf and does not speak, but, sensing that he is a future champ, asks him to take her out. When she kisses him, Paul falls in love. After his next fight, Sonya learns that Pop has signed Paul to be his first fighter since his beloved champ, Jackie Lawrence, died in the ring. Paul wins all his early fights and soon becomes like a son to Pop. Although Pop wants to groom Paul slowly for the championship, Sonya pushes him to put Paul in as many fights as possible so they will make more money. Paul asks Sonya to marry him, but she will not until he wins the championship. He tours the country, still winning every fight, and upon his return, Sonya tells Pop either to set Paul up in a fight with crooked boxer Joe Burns or leave. Pop walks away but, upon overhearing other managers discussing how easy it would be to take advantage of Paul, returns. Over the next weeks, Pop teaches Paul various defenses against dirty fighting, but worries that if Burns gouges Paul in the eyes, the deaf boy will have nothing. As Paul trains, reporter Ann Hollis arrives to interview him. Ann, who learned sign language from her father, a successful architect, tries to speak to him using her hands. Paul is drawn to the kind Ann and admits to her that he knows sign language, but is reluctant to use it because when he does, people call him names. When Sonya, who is jealous of Ann, laughs at Paul for using "the dummy language," Ann chastises her. Ann and Paul begin spending time together and soon fall in love. She brings him to her upper-class home and he is astonished to discover that her deaf father could have accomplished so much. During the Burns fight, Ann cringes while Sonya cheers until Paul, badly battered, finally wins. Soon after, Ann brings Paul to a school for deaf children, and they kiss. When he returns home, a drunken Sonya insists that he marry her immediately, then threatens to kill him when he pushes her away. Confused, Paul visits an ear doctor Ann recommended and learns about an operation that might restore his hearing, and secretly sequesters himself in the hospital to try the procedure. Days later, as Sonya and Pop grow worried over Paul's disappearance, Paul wakes from the operation and hears rain at the window. The doctor encourages him to talk and he slowly learns to speak perfectly. He races to Ann's, where a society party is in progress. He and Ann embrace joyfully, but she is obliged to tend to her guests, and as Paul wanders through the party, the guests's inane, noisy banter overwhelms and upsets him. After he runs out, Ann's mother consoles her, noting that he needs to learn how to survive in the world of words. Despondent, Paul returns to Sonya and his training, but every noise distracts him and he fights poorly. He nonetheless insists on fighting Logan, the champ, and on the day of the fight, Sonya bets all her money on Logan. Just before the fight begins, Paul finds out that Sonya is hiding a telegram from his doctor stating that the fight may make him lose his hearing again, and throws her out. The fight is long and punishing, and with every hit Paul loses more of his hearing, until he is deaf again. As soon as the roar of the fans no longer distracts him, he wins the championship. Ann finds him in the locker room, where he tells her that he was scared of the world, but now realizes that everyone else is also frightened and he is no different from anyone around him. They walk out hand in hand, and in the street Paul is thrilled to find that he can hear people talking.