In 1894, American filmmaker William K.L. Dickson filmed an exhibition boxing bout between Mike Leonard and Jack Cushing. Premiered a few months later in New York City, the six-minute film became the world’s first sports movie in history.
As the technology advanced, filmmakers started shooting more boxing movies, focusing on the story rather than the actual fights. Real actors got the leading roles rather than pugilists, adding to the artistic value of the movies.
The result was that boxing-themed films became fan favorites. And it’s been like that for more than a century. Fast-forward to 2022 and there are literally thousands of boxing movies out there for you to watch. Of course, some of those just aren’t worth your time. Some other movies, however, are a must-watch.
The latter category is what we’re going to focus on in this post – we’re now going to present you with our picks for the top 10 boxing movies of all time.
Gentleman Jim (1942)
The oldest movie on our list is Gentleman Jim. Released in 1942, this is a biopic based on the life of heavyweight boxing champion James J. Corbett, played by probably the biggest Hollywood star of the time, Errol Flynn.
Even though Flynn played a leading role in many other movies way more successful than Gentleman Jim, he considered this his favorite movie. If he liked it so much, so should you.
Father Stu (2022)
Released 80 years after the previously discussed film, Father Stu is also a biographical drama about a boxer. The man in question is Stuart Long, who had to give up on his dream of becoming a boxing champion due to a disease. Instead of pursuing a professional boxing career, he went on to become a priest.
The movie is an intense drama, with plenty of emotional moments throughout its 124 minutes. It’s also notable for being one of the best roles of Mark Wahlberg, who’s playing the main character.
The Fighter (2010)
Here’s another boxing movie featuring Mark Wahlberg, who’s co-starring with Christian Bale of the Dark Knight fame. Same as the previous two movies, The Fighter too is a biographical drama, notable for exceptional acting. In fact, for his role as Dicky Eklund, Bale got himself an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Directed by legendary actor/director Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby won four Oscars, including the one for Best Picture. This fact itself makes this movie a must-watch. Starring Eastwood and Hilary Swank, the film is considered not just one of the best boxing movies ever, but also one of the best pictures ever made.
Cinderella Man (2005)
Starring Russell Crowe, Cinderella Man is a 2005 biographical film telling the story of heavyweight champ James J. Braddock who used to hold the heavyweight title in the late 1930s. After its release, the film quickly became a commercial success, with critics praising the storyline and acting. Cinderella Man received three Oscar nominations but failed to win an award.
Raging Bull (1980)
Released in 1980, Raging Bull is a collaboration between director Martin Scorsese and actor Robert De Niro, who’s playing the leading role. Even though it had a moderate box office success, the film gained a cult status over the next couple of decades.
In 2022, Raging Bull is considered one of the best sports movies of all time, with the American Film Institute ranking it #4 in the list of greatest American films in history.
The Champ (1979)
Jon Voight stars in the remake of the 1931 Oscar-winning movie of the same name, together with Faye Dunaway and Ricky Schroder. The film tells the story of a former boxer struggling to deal with family issues caused by his excessive drinking and gambling. Gambling-themed movies have always been popular, and not always depicted in such a bad light as with this movie.
Rocky (1976)
No list of best boxing movies is complete without Rocky. Released in 1976, the movie was written by Silvester Stallone, who’s playing the lead role. Speaking of Stallone, Rocky was the movie that really made his career take off. In fact, before Rocky, he was working as an extra.
However, once Rocky was released, Stallone became a superstar overnight. The movie received ten Oscar nominations, winning three, including the one for Best Picture.
Creed (2015)
Stallone’s Rocky was such a success that the producers decided to make a movie franchise out of the story. Rocky II followed in 1979, Rocky III was released in 1982, Rocky IV had its release in 1985, while Rocky V hit the movie theaters in 1990. Sixteen years later, another sequel was released – Rocky Balboa.
It’s needless to say that none of those sequels received critical acclaim as the original story. However, in 2015, another sequel was released, and critics instantly fell in love with it. The movie in question is Creed, in which Stallone plays a supporting role.
When We Were Kings (1996)
We’re going to wrap up our discussion on the best boxing movies of all time with a documentary film. When We Were Kings tells the story of the Rumble in the Jungle bout between legendary fighters George Foreman and Muhammad Ali. With a running time of just under an hour and a half, When We Were Kings is a must-watch for every boxing fan.