But while the combat sport might be at the heart of this new Australian drama, less time is spent in the ring and more attention is given to the relationships between family members, and between Amirah and the boxers she trains – a list that includes MMA fighter Lachy (Louis Hunter), who she convinces to switch things up under her tutelage. The fact that Lachy has the hots for her makes it an easy enough sell.
It’s what On the Ropes does with that family conflict and central romance that makes this four-part series a cut above most other local productions this year. Instead of letting the Al-Amirs’ ethnicity, Jess’s sexuality or the religion of its many Muslim characters define the series, it uses those elements as background colour and just gets on with telling its story. And that’s a story that deals with fairly universal themes of family, ambition and gender inequality. 
Listen to this week's episode of Binge List (below) to hear more of what the team thinks of On the Ropes, and tune in to SBS tonight at 8.35pm for Episode 1.
