Boxing movies have always been very popular since the earliest days of cinema. This sport and the screen seem to get along so well that every now and then we all receive a shiny, new boxing movie to watch.
Television is no different. How many times have you seen one of the Rocky movies at home and sang to the theme song “Eye of the Tiger”? Yes, that’s right, you don’t even know. Neither do we and whenever they are showing it again, we may just watch it one more time.
Maybe it has to do with boxing becoming more and more popular in the XX century, at the same time the movie industry also began to grow and expand. Or perhaps filmmakers and audiences just love to watch mythical and violent matches where our hero manages to defeat his opponent after a long and tough fight.
Or maybe it could be the story behind the characters that people like the most. Many of these movies are about people who have struggled and found in boxing a way to overcome their fears, situations and better themselves.
Whatever it is that you like from boxing movies, we have gathered some popular films that you can watch and get inspired (in no particular order). Get your popcorn ready!
1. Million Dollar Baby
This boxing movie from 2004 starred by Hilary Swank and Clint Eastwood is perfect if you are a female boxer and are looking for training inspiration (especially if you have ever felt you haven’t been treated as the woman boxer you are). It could also make you cry in the end, but we don’t want to spoil it for you if you still haven’t seen it.
This movie is about Maggie who begins training with Eastwood’s character, a washed-up old-time trainer, despite him not being too convinced to do so at first. Their hard work together and determination even turns into a sort of father-daughter relationship at the end.
2. Ali
One of the greatest boxing movies for inspiration starring Will Smith who plays the legend Muhammad Ali. Released in 2001, the film chronicles the admired life of this boxer. It is known that both the director, Michal Mann, and Smith, spend long periods studying very closely Ali’s fights in preparation for filming.
This movie is considered to have a lot of technical accuracies, as well as the needed controversy, glamour and tragedy every good Hollywood movie needs.
3. The Greatest
Since we’ve mentioned Muhammad Ali we might as well talk about his autobiographical movie from 1977 called The Greatest where he plays himself. It was partially filmed by Milos Foreman and among the cast, there is Ernest Borgnine, Robert Duvall and James Earl Jones.
An interesting fact is that almost all of the boxing matches featured in the film are real footage from Ali’s fights. However, the film does not focus so much on the controversial elements that surrounded the boxer’s life and does not reveal anything new. It is simple, a portrait, a photograph of the boxing champion.
Nonetheless, if you need inspiration, there’s nothing best than watching the champs and legends themselves on screen in boxing movies.
4. Rocky
It is impossible not to feel inspired to train hard by listening to Rocky’s soundtrack. You almost feel like you need to wake up at sunrise and run around the city and then have some raw eggs for breakfast.
The first Rocky movie was released in 1976 and Sylvester Stallone’s performance was considered as one of the most enduring of the decade. Today, there is a total of eight boxing movies that make up this film franchise, but the first one tells the American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, a debt collector, who is given the chance to fight the superstar champion of the world.
The movie, which was shot in under a month with a $950,000 budget even won three Oscars, including Best Picture. If you haven’t yet seen it and you practice boxing, you need to fix this ASAP.
5. Warrior
Two estranged brothers enter a mixed martial arts tournament makes them come to terms with each other and their lives. This is Warrior, a boxing movie released in 2011 and starred by Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton and directed by Gavin O’Connor.
In this boxing (well, not quite boxing) movie, you will see recovering alcoholics, religious people, MMA fights, a daughter with health issues, financial struggles, and of course, the main plot, two brothers who find a way to reconnect with one another.
So, as you can see, Warrior will give you inspiration for many aspects of your life and that if you work hard in something you believe in, everything is possible. If anything, watch this film at the very least for Nick Nolte’s heartbreaking, Oscar-nominated performance as the brothers’ alcoholic father.
6. Creed
Creed is part of the Rocky sequel of boxing movies which focuses on the offspring of Apollo Creed, Adonis, who, unlike Rocky, comes from a wealthy background.
The boxing film features real-life fighter Tony Bellew as the opponent and you can also see a melancholic performance of Stallone as Rocky passing on the baton to Michal B. Jordan.
Creed was released in 2015 and it already has a sequel called, of course, Creed II that came out in 2018.
If you’re a fan of the Rocky franchise, you need to also see Creed, especially if you are someone that grew up with the first movies and are feeling a bit nostalgic.
7. The Fighter
This 2010 movie starring Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale is not only about professional boxing and fights but also about the bonds of love and friendship between brothers.
A crack addict, crime, a dominant mother and hard training that helps overcome tough situations in life are some of the things you will be able to see in this movie, which was performed with care for psychological and sports realism.
8. The boxer
You have The Fighter, explained above, and also now The Boxer, released in 1997, directed by Jim Sheridan. Taking place in Ireland, this boxing movie tells the story of an ex-con that opens a boxing gym where he tries to offer a “sane” and neutral space compared to the chaos and violence that the city is involved in. Acting giants Daniel Day-Lewis and Emily Watson headline the film and Day-Lewis, being the method actor he is, trained as a boxer in Ireland for a year.
In this film, you can see how boxing is portrayed as a way to channel anger and fear, just as we told you a little while ago that it also helps overcome anxiety.
9. Girlfight
No, we have not left women boxers out of the inspiration list. We told you about Million Dollar Baby, but Girlfight, starring Michelle Rodríguez, is another option for great boxing movies you need to watch to get inspired. (And don’t forget to read about the best boxing gloves for women in 2019).
This movie was released in 2000 and it is evidence of how women’s boxing has become more mainstream over time. Diana, played by Rodríguez, is a Brooklyn teenager who begins training in a boxing gym to help with her personal aggression. Her father and other men around her disapprove but she falls in love with the sport and the rest is history.
10. Tyson
Tyson is a documentary about, well, of course, Mike Tyson (you know, the fighter that bit his opponent’s ear). Released in 2008, it takes the audience to the so-called “baddest man on the planet’s” controversial life and ex-heavyweight world champion (and convicted rapist).
This may not appear to be the best example for inspiration or motivation, but it is a moving and cautionary tale about one of the great boxers, and all of the demons he carried within himself.
There is also a movie from 1995 about his life also called Tyson and based on his life. It is starred by Michael Jai White and was directed by Uli Edel.
11. Muhammad and Larry
More Muhammad Ali? You asked for it! This is another documentary that was created for ESPN and focused on the humane part of this boxer’s life. It has footage filmed by Albert Maysles in 1980 and shows the aftermath of the fight Holmes vs. Ali, which is considered that it should have never had happened.
Ali was far past his prime conditions and showing some signs of Parkinson’s disease. In addition, his opponent worshiped him and hardly wanted to hit him. This fight is considered to not have allowed Ali to retire gracefully and the film focuses on that primarily.
12. Champion
Now, let’s go back all the way to 1949 and talk a little bit about this great boxing movie you can get inspiration from. Starring a young Kirk Douglas who plays a poor fighter who refuses to be broke again. He is mean and appraising and is willing to step on anybody and doing anything he feels he needs to do to climb to the top.
13. Bleed for This
Now, this story IS for inspiration. Not only for boxing but for life. Bleed for This was released in 2016 and tells the story of Vinny Pazienzia, a young man from Rhode Island who struggled to fight again after a debilitating car accident.
Before a car accident, where he was left with a spine injury and a halo, he was a fighter with two world titles. He was determined to fight again… and also walk once more. However, he made it back to the gym to train and you need to watch the movie for the rest. Very inspiring, we know.
The movie is starred by Miles Teller, Katey Sagal and Ciarán Hinds.
14. Cinderella Man
Another biographical boxing story is Cinderella Man. released in 2005 and directed by Ron Howard, this sports drama film tells the struggles of world heavyweight boxing champion James J. Braddock (and was nicknamed Cinderella Man).
Russell Crowe, Renée Zellweger and Paul Giamatti star the film, which picked up three Academy Award nominations. The film not only is an inspirational boxing film, but an inspirational film about family, hope, not giving up, and an ode to perseverance during the Great Depression in the US. Crowe is in total “Gladiator” mode, channeling strength, stoicism, yet emotional vulnerability we can all relate to. One of the best boxing movies out there.
15. The Great White Hype
This boxing film is a comedy – which is a rare genre when it comes to this sport since most movies involving it are dramas. Released in 1996 and starring Samuel L. Jackson, it is a satire of racial preferences in boxing and inspired by Larry Holmes’s 1982 fight with Gerry Cooney.
The plot is that an undefeated heavyweight boxing champ defeats his latest challenger with ease and after speaking with a manipulative businessman concludes that boxing events are not as popular anymore because people are tired of watching only black boxers fight each other. Therefore, they are determined to find or create a white contender as soon as possible.
16. Knuckle
Finally, a documentary about the secretive world of Irish Traveler, who is a bare-knuckle fighter. This film follows him for a 12-year period where rival clans constantly encounter each other.
Ok, not exactly a movie about boxing but it is more of an informative piece to add to your boxing and fighting knowledge and if the topic of boxing is of interest to you.
17. Requiem for a Heavyweight
Written by Rod Serling, most famously known for his legacy on the “Twilight Zone” TV series, this film is a remake of Serling’s award-winning teleplay of the same name. It is also a heartbreaking and extremely well-made piece of cinema that takes us through the underbelly world of boxing and follows the trials and tribulations of a washed-out boxer trying to find his footing in the ring. Hollywood heavyweight Anthony Quinn burns the screen with intensity as the struggling boxer Mountain Rivera. Jackie Gleason plays his shady manager and Mickey Rooney plays his loyal trainer.
18. Raging Bull
Raging Bull is easily my favorite film about boxing and one of my favorite films of all time, ironically because while it appears to be a boxing film, it is actually a brutal and powerful character study filmed in impeccable black-and-white. Written by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin, directed by Martin Scorsese, and starring a cast of magnificent actors, many have regarded “Raging Bull” to be one of the greatest films of the 1980s as well as all time.
We think that Robert De Niro must really love boxing. This is another boxing movie with him from 1980 that tells the story of Jake LaMotta, an Italian-American middleweight boxer who led a self-destructive life.
Here, unlike nearly all of the other films on this list, the boxing ring appears to be at the forefront, with the masterful editing by Thelma Schoonmaker, dynamic sound editing and quick camera cuts by Michael Chapman. However, boxing is actually a metaphor for LaMotta’s inner demons. This film can be viewed as a dynamic character study, that while not necessarily uplifting, is a landmark piece of brutal cinema that serves as a staple on how to make a great character drama in cinema.
Other ways to find boxing inspiration
Some of the boxing movies we shared with you above will be great for you to find inspiration for boxing training. Others will just be informative or entertaining, but with this list, you have plenty of boxing material to go through, analyze and take ideas from.
However, boxing movies are not the only tools you can use for finding inspiration for your boxing training. For instance, you can print some motivational quotes and pin them near your working station or somewhere in your room for you to look at every day.
We decided to gather our favorites to share with you, and feel free to use them yourself (and share in the comments others you like).
- “Rhythm is everything in boxing. Every move you make starts with your heart, and that’s in rhythm or you’re in trouble.” – Sugar Ray Robinson.
- “The question isn’t at what age I want to retire, it’s at what income.” – George Foreman at age 45.
- “His mouth made him feel like he was gonna win. Not his hands, I had my hand. He had his lips.” – Joe Frazier on his fight with Muhammad Ali.
- “The tempt for greatness is the biggest drug in the world.” – Mike Tyson.
- “He can have heart, he can hit harder and he can be stronger, but there’s no fighter smarter than me.” – Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr.
- “Sure the fight was fixed. I fixed it with a right hand.” – George Foreman on his fight with Michael Moorer.
- “The loss just made me hungry; it made me want to go out and win another title.” – Thomas “Hitman” Hearns on his first loss to the hands of Sugar Ray Leonard.
- “The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses—behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.” – Muhammad Ali.
- “In order to be at the top and maintain your focus you have to have something that motivates you. For me, it was what I perceived as a lack of respect from the boxing world as well as the media, which made me want to work so hard and be great.” – “Marvellous” Marvin Hagler.
- “The hero and the coward both feel the same thing, but the hero uses his fear, projects it onto his opponent, while the coward runs. It’s the same thing, fear, but it’s what you do with it that matters.” – Legendary trainer, Cus D’Amato.
- “If you screw things up in tennis, it’s 15-love. If you screw up in boxing, it’s your ass.” – Randall “Tex” Cobb.
- “To see a man beaten not by a better opponent but by himself is a tragedy.” – Cus D’Amato.
- “In boxing, you create a strategy to beat each new opponent, it’s just like chess.” – Lennox Lewis.
- “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion’.” – Muhammad Ali.
- “That’s the most beautiful thing that I like about boxing: you can take a punch. The biggest thing about taking a punch is your ego reacts and there’s no better spiritual lesson than trying to not pay attention to your ego’s reaction.” – David O Russell.
- “To become a champion, fight one more round.” – James Corbett.
- “A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.” – Jack Dempsey.
- “The man who has no imagination has no wings.” – Muhammad Ali.
- “Don’t count the days, make the days count.” – Muhammad Ali.
- “To be a champ you have to believe in yourself when no one else will.” – Sugar Ray Robinson.
Find inspiration on social media
Social media is a great place to connect with others, and boxing is no different. Mashfeed has a list of which are the best Instagram accounts related to boxing you need to follow. “From Manny Pacquiao to the HBO Boxing feed, here are top-notch boxers and boxing feeds that will boost your adrenaline and make you want to hit the gym!”, they say.
@miketyson: Of course, this is the account of boxer Mike Tyson and in it you will find updates about his personal and professional life.
@mannypacquiao: Manny Pacquiao has a very interesting Instagram feed where he posts personal updates. However, you will also find boxing-related posts since, of course, he is the first and only eight division world champion.
@rondarousey: Ronda Rousey is “one of the most badass” female boxers out there and has appeared in SNL and Entourage. You can get inspired from her feed about her personal life and boxing updates.
@hboboxing: “Only the best fights. Only the best photos and videos”. This is what they have on their Instagram bio. As you may remember from reading above, HBO has several documentaries on boxing and this is why this feed will interest and inspire you,
@ryangarciaflash: Ryan Garcia is a 21-year old boxer with millions of followers considered a social media celebrity. Most of his posts are about his boxing life as a lightweight fighter.
Finally, the best way to get inspired for your boxing training is by heading to the gym and train, train and train some more. Get inspired by your own personal story, by the things you have overcome in life, by the struggles you’ve had to help you become who you are today. There is no better inspiration than yourself.
And also, when you are at the gym you can get inspired by your coaches, by your opponents, by others that surround you and the entire boxing atmosphere.
Don’t forget to tell us what boxing movies do you like for inspiration. Which ones are your favorites and didn’t make this list? Leave your comments below!
