Boxer from Shantung

Boxer from Shantung follows Ma Yongzhen and Xiao Jiangbei. Ma and Xiao are manual laborers busting their tails in Shanghai at the beginning of the film, and Ma's first encounter with the crime lord Tan Si - who shares power in the city with Boss Yang, who has the Four Champions fighting for him - starts him off on the underworld influence ladder. Step by step, he earns the respect of everyone he meets, either with his strength of character or by beating them up. When he gets a really big break by defeating a Russian strongman, he indulges himself in a fancy cigarette holder, much like the one Tan Si uses. However, he is mindful of his humble beginnings, and of the fact that times are still tough for many in Shanghai. He shares his good fortune with his old fellow wage slaves, and when they assist him in his various extralegal activities, he lectures them on the futility of trying to extort money from people who simply don't have any to spare.

The tea house that Ma and his underlings frequent employs a singer, Jin Lingzi, and her uncle, who provides the music. Ms. Jin's hopes that Ma's arrival will mark a turn for the better for conditions in the crime-plagued city are dashed when she ascertains that he isn't different enough from the other bosses she's seen rise and fall. She begins contemplating leaving the city.

Tan Si is ambushed and killed by Boss Yang. Ma finds Tan Si's body and is subsequently invited by Boss Yang to discuss business in a restaurant. Ma's followers warn him that Ma might be ambushed during the meeting. Ma decides to go anyway. He calls his friend and cart driver Xiao Jiangbei, gives him 100 dollars to leave the city as he is worried about his friend, who is too friendly and naive for the gangster lifestyle. In the restaurant, Yang has all the waiters and customers thrown out and replaces them with his own men. Ma arrives, observes the situation and slowly starts the conversation with Yang. He quickly tells Yang that he only came to the meeting to kill Yang. Suddenly the men Yang had placed in the restaurant start attacking Ma und hurt him with an Axe, that gets stuck in his torso. Despite his injury Ma - with the help of his own men, who arrived to help their boss - fights all of Yang's men and incapacitates them -including the four champions. Ma then kills Yang. One of Yang's men, who has survived the fight, attacks Ma and kills him. Ma's killer is then finished off by Ma's men.

The film ends with Jin Lingzi, her uncle and Xiao Jiangbei leaving Shanghai on a train.

• Chen Kuan-tai as Ma Yongzhen
• Ching Li as Jin Lingzi
• David Chiang as Boss Tan Si (guest star)
• Cheng Kang-yeh as Xiao Jiangbei
• Chiang Nan as Boss Yang
• Fung Ngai as Fang Ah-gen
• Ku Feng as Chang Chin-fa
• Tin Ching as Li Caishun
• Wong Ching as Lu Pu
• Mario Milano as Russian muscleman
• Chan Ho as Jin Lingzi's uncle
• Lee Man-tai as Innkeeper
• Liu Wai as Horse carriage maker
• Shum Lo as Tea house owner
• Bruce Tong as One of Ma's men
• Leung Seung-wan as One of Ma's men
• Wong Chung as One of Tan Si's men
• Wang Kuang-yu as One of Tan Si's men
• Fung Hak-on as Tan Si's coachman
• Tang Tak-cheung as Russian muscleman's challenger
• Yen Shi-kwan as Russian muscleman's challenger
• Wong Pui-kei as Russian muscleman's challenger
• Hsu Hsia as One of Ma's men
• Wong Mei as One of Ma's men
• Ling Hon as One of Ma's men
• Wong Shu-tong as One of Ma's men
• Yuen Yat-cho as One of Ma's men
• Yuan Man-tzu as Prostitute
• Chin Tsi-ang as Brothel mamasan
• Bai Yu as Brothel mamasan
• Kam Tin-chue as Brothel boss
• Fuk Yan-cheng as Brothel boss
• Cho Kin as Tea house waiter
• Chu Kai as Yang's thug
• Cheung Siu-lun as Casino manager
• Lo Wai as Tan's man
• Kot Ping as Brothel mamasan
• Lee Chiu as Tan's man
• Ng Yuen-fan as Tan's man
• Ho Bo-sing as Tan's man
• Yeung Pak-chan as Tan's man
• Chan Chuen as Yang's thug
• Tung Choi-bo as Yang's thug
• Danny Chow as Yang's thug
• Huang Ha as Yang's thug
• Chik Ngai-hung as Yang's thug
• Chu Fat as Yang's thug
• Wynn Lau as Yang's thug
• Dick Chan as Yang's thug
• Wan Fat as Yang's thug
• Yuen Shun-yee as Yang's thug
• Alan Chan as Yang's thug
• Ko Hung as Yang's thug
• Ho Pak-kwoing as Yang's thug
• Wong Chi-keung as Yang's thug
• Philip Ko as Yang's thug
• Brandy Yuen as Yang's thug
• Lee Hang as Yang's thug
• Tam Bo as Yang's thug
• Law Keung as Yang's thug
• Lai Yan as Yang's thug
• Chan Siu-kai as Yang's thug
• Chui Kin-wa as Yang's thug
• San Kuai as Yang's thug
• Tino Wong as Yang's thug
• San Sin as Yang's thug
• Yuen Cheung-yan as Yang's thug
• Yuen Woo-ping as Yang's thug
• King Chuen as Yang's thug
• Hung Ling-ling as Casino waitress
• Ting Tung as Horse carriage worker
• Yi Fung as Train passenger
• Sai Gwa-Pau as Wrestling spectator
• Tsang Choh-lam as Wrestling spectator
• Chu Yau-ko as Wrestling spectator
• Wong Yuet-ting as Wrestling spectator
• Wong Kung-miu as Wrestling spectator
• Lam Yuen as Wrestling spectator
• Chan Ho-cheung as Wrestling spectator
• Chai Lam as Casino gambler
• Kwan Yan as Casino gambler
• Tony Lee as Casino gambler
• Cheng Sek-au as Casino gambler
• Cheng Chok-chow as Wrestling spectator

• Hero, a 1997 remake, starring Takeshi Kaneshiro as Ma Yongzhen
• Master Ma, a 1998 Hong Kong-Taiwanese television series about Ma Yongzhen, starring Kenny Ho
• Once Upon a Time in Shanghai, a 2014 loose remake, with time setting changed to 1930s, starring Philip Ng as Ma Yongzhen

• Boxer from Shantung at IMDb
• Boxer from Shantung at AllMovie
• Boxer From Shantung at Hong Kong Cinemagic