There’s nothing like watching a true story about someone who defied the odds and lived to tell the tale. Boxing has done a terrific job of immortalizing its greats at the box office, and I can only hope that MMA will follow suit one day. Here are my Top 10 biographical boxing films. If you haven’t seen any of them, I hope you’ll pop some popcorn, put your feet up, and enjoy them as soon as possible.
10. The Fire Inside (2024) | Claressa Shields
It’s a yearly Christmas tradition to sneak out of the house and go to the movies after some of the family’s older members have settled into their post-dinner naps. This year’s featured flick was The Fire Inside, the biographical drama following the life of two-time Olympic gold medalist and four-division women’s boxing champion Claressa Shields. The movie stars Ryan Destiny and Brian Tyree Henry and is carried by the duo’s portrayal of Shields and her former trainer, Jason Crutchfield.
While I’ve always been a fan of Henry’s performances in Atlanta, Bullet Train, Eternals and many others, I was blown away by Destiny’s performance. Her casting was a head-scratching decision initially because she is so much smaller than the current World Boxing Federation Heavyweight Champion. Still, Destiny proved she was born for the role. She took her training seriously, and this is evident in the film’s gritty fight sequences. Shields has had a dominant career; she’s undefeated as a pro boxer and only lost one fight as an amateur, but the film depicts the adversity of her fight for recognition and advances in women’s sports very well. If you’re looking to get out of the house this weekend, The Fire Inside is worth the price of admission.
9. Hands of Stone (2016) | Roberto Duran
The 1980s are heralded as a golden age in boxing thanks to “The Four Kings.” Sugar Ray Leonard, Tommy Hearns and “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler were all incredible champions, but none were as polarizing as the stone-fisted destroyer Roberto Duran.
Hands of Stone stars Edgar Ramirez and chronicles the rise, fall, and eventual redemption of Duran alongside Robert De Niro’s performance as legendary trainer Ray Arcel. Usher Raymond plays Duran’s most notable rival, Leonard, and the movie handles some heavy issues including the American occupation of the Panama Canal. Fans of Duran may be disappointed in how fast the movie flies through Duran’s life in the 111-minute run time, but the film is a nice introduction for fans who have never heard the story of the man with hands of stone. If you’re interested, the movie is currently playing on Netflix.
8. Bleed For This (2016) | Vinny Pazienza
Every fighter on this list has had to overcome some sort of adversity, but Vinny Paz’s journey back to the ring after injuring his neck and spine in a life-altering car crash is truly mind-blowing. Bleed For This is a gritty R-rated tale that sees Miles Teller and Aaron Eckhart give memorable performances. Pazienza was a solid champion, but his accolades are overshadowed by most of the fighters on the list. His heart, however, is second to none.
7. The Featherweight (2023) | Willie Pep
The Featherweight was one of the highlights of 2023. Pep was one of boxing’s all-time great defensive fighters and champions in the 1940s, but this film is set in 1964, when a direct cinema camera crew followed Pep as he prepared to make a comeback at age 42. James Madio conveys the spirit of a man past his prime but burdened by the memories of greatness. Pep proves that he has more than enough in the tank, and the old-school documentary film style will be a treat for classic film buffs.
6. Ali (2001)
There is no fighter, past or present, with a career better suited for the big screen than Ali. That’s why, when this movie debuted in 2001, it came with a cast full of heavy hitters. Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Jon Voight, Mario Van Peebles and many others gave their best shot at chronicling the life of the best-known sports figure of the 20th century.
Alas, this movie settles in at sixth because it simply had the impossible task of telling Ali’s story in 159 minutes. 1964-1974 was a critical decade for the former three-time heavyweight champion, but there’s a reason why a new significant documentary on Alli drops every year. The man just had so much story, and true fans of the champ were left feeling underwhelmed by Smith’s portrayal of Ali. Ali is a larger-than-life figure, and while Smith did an admirable job portraying Ali’s size and boxing ability, he fell flat in capturing Ali’s unmistakable voice and cadence. Make no mistake, Ali is still one of the best biographical fight films ever, and director Michael Mann shot a beautiful movie, but you’ll leave the viewing with only a fraction of the story. Check out Ali now on MGM+ or Amazon Prime.
5. Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World (2023)
If I had to kill two hours, Big George Foreman would be one of my favorite ways. I don’t know what it is about this movie that makes it so damn rewatchable. The only reason it’s at No. 5 is because the top four are some of the best movies of all time, but Big George Foreman is a nearly perfect boxing film. Khris Davis portrays Foreman through multiple stages in his life in a believable and relatable way. In the 70s, he was the most terrifying and angry champion since Sonny Liston but by the 90s, he had become one of the warmest and most beloved pugilists in boxing. The music is top tier and will make you want to get up and dance, and the film is tight and doesn’t carry much fat. Unlike Ali, you’ll walk away from the movie feeling like you’ve seen what you need to see, but you’ll have a newfound appreciation for the grill-selling heavyweight kingpin.
4. Cinderella Man (2005) | James J. Braddock
There are great boxing films and then there are great films, period. Cinderella Man is undoubtedly the latter. Few films move me to tears, but Cinderella Man can pull on the heartstrings. It earned three Academy Award nominations, and for good reason. Russell Crowe’s portrayal of former heavyweight champion James J. Braddock cemented the actor as one of the best of the early 2000s and Paul Giamatti’s performance as trainer Joe Gould was some of his best work.
While the boxing scenes are solid, what puts this movie near the top of the list for me is Ron Howard’s portrayal of 1930s New York. You can feel the despair and desperation of The Great Depression, and when Braddock pulls off the impossible, it’ll make you want to run through a brick wall.
3. The Hurricane (1999) | Rubin Carter
One of my all-time favorite actors is Denzel Washington and you could argue that this is one of his most important roles. Rubin “The Hurricane” Carter was a formidable middleweight in the 1960s whose career was stolen from him after he was falsely imprisoned for murder. Washington gives his all in the fight scene flashbacks, but what carries the picture is his pen-pal friendship with young teenager Lesra Martin (Vicellous Ron Shannon).
When I first watched this movie, I didn’t know the full story of Carter and I’m so glad I didn’t. While Cinderella Man made my eyes heavy, The Hurricane made me drop fully formed tears. Washington is desperate for his freedom but is nearly broken by his fight for justice. It will pain you to watch a man’s life hang in the balance and see him nearly lose all hope before eventually rising from the canvas again. The Hurricane is the most thought-provoking movie on the list, but it’s not a traditional boxing movie, so I cannot crown it with the top spot.
2. Raging Bull (1980) | Jake LaMotta
There are some legendary acting performances on this list but they all fall short of Robert De Niro’s portrayal of former middleweight champion of the world Jake “The Bronx Bull” LaMotta. LaMotta was a talented brawler but a man plagued by paranoia and endless rage. You will root for him throughout the film, but then pity him as his demons push away everybody important in his life. The man is a powder keg ready to explode at any moment.
The trio of De Niro, Joe Pesci and director Martin Scorsese knocked it out of the park and the movie is one of the all-time sports classics. It was interesting to film the movie in black and white, but the cinematography perfectly captures the 1940s and 1950s. You feel like a fly on the wall during LaMotta’s conversations and fights, and you’ll find yourself tensing up from the violence. That said, the fight scenes have not aged well since this movie was released 45 years ago. It’s clear that the punches aren’t landing, and the fight choreography is sometimes almost comical. Aside from that, the movie is a masterpiece.
1. The Fighter (2010) | Micky Ward
There’s a reason why this 2010 masterpiece was nominated for seven Academy Awards and took home two. Mark Wahlberg stars as Ward and gives a powerful performance, but the film is carried by Christian Bale’s portrayal of his brother Dicky Eklund and Melissa Leo’s performance as their mother, Alice Eklund-Ward. It’s incredible that this raw and gritty movie was told about a man who was still living. The Ward family dynamics will hit home for a lot of people who feel overshadowed and under-appreciated in their own families. Eklund’s battles with drugs and Ward’s re-emergence as a lightweight contender amidst the madness of his family create cinema that’s well-layered and complex.
David O. Russell captured Ward’s high-octane, offensive-minded style in his fight cinematography and Wahlberg’s physicality is believable. My only gripe with this film is that we don’t see one of Ward’s career-defining wars with Arturo Gatti play out on screen, but that’s nitpicking for a 116-minute film that’s damn near perfect. If you haven’t seen The Fighter, you can still catch it on Paramount+ or Amazon Prime.