Boxing Movies

If you like boxing, then you are not only watching Friday night fights and pay-per-view championship boxing matches, you also line up in theaters to watch the latest boxing movie. But since the last great boxing movie was some years ago, it is about time to reminisce those great boxing movies that once had us cheering.

Rocky (Where Rocky was born)

In 1976, Rocky Balboa is a young, aspiring boxing from downtown Philadelphia who has the chance to change his life and make it better by fighting Apollo Creed, the current heavyweight champ, in a publicity stunt Creed is already set to win. Starring Sylvester Stalone (Rocky), Carl Weathers (Apollo Creed), Talia Shire (Adriann), Burgess Meredith (Mickey) and Burt Young (Paulie), from the Oscar winning director John G. Avildsen, Rocky is a story of a true underdog who truly "rises from the occasion."

The original Rocky is followed by Rocky II in 1979 where he fought, for the second time, against Apollo Creed in what is called "The Rematch of the Century". 1983 saw the release of Rocky III where Rocky Balboa fights and loses to Clubber Lang. Wanting to gain respect and title, Rocky trains with his former foe Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers. Rocky IV soon followed in 1985 where he fights against Ivan Drago who is played by Dolph Lundgren. The fifth Rocky was released in 1990 and in 2006, the series was closed out with Rocky Balboa.

Cinderella Man (2005)
Set in 1930's, during the North American Great Depression, Cinderella Man is a story about a once successful professional boxer, James Braddock played by Russell Crowe, who is trapped in his time and loses everything he has except his family including his 3 biggest fans, his kids. Mae Braddock (Renee Zellweger), his wife, stood by him to survive everyday despite lack of heating and daily needs. When his former coach and manager, Joe Gould offers him another chance to return to boxing, the simple boxer becomes the symbol of hope to ordinary people of a ruined nation.

Ali (2001)
Ali is biographical film about the great boxing icon, Mohammad Ali. It focuses between the year 1964 and 1974 – the time when Ali captured the heavyweight title against Sonny Liston, his conversion to Islam, his criticism in the war in Vietnam, his expulsion from boxing, his return fight again Joe Frazer, and his historic boxing that took place on October 30, 1974, against George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle.

Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Winner of 4 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress (Hillary Swank), Best Director (Clint Eastwood) and Best Supporting Actor (Morgan Freeman), Million Dollar Baby is a story about a poor 31-year old waitress, Hillary Swank (Maggie Fitzgerald), from a very poor and dysfunctional family who wants to make a difference by entering the professional boxing.

She convinces boxing trainer Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) to coach her and manage her. Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris, played by Morgan Freeman is an old partner of Dunn who sees great potential in Maggie. Working hard, Maggie became one of the best female boxers in her class.

Other boxing popular films include The Hurricane (starring Denzel Washington), Raging Bull, City for Conquest, The Harder they Fall, Diggstown, When We Were Kings and Requiem for a Heavyweight.