The 20 Greatest Boxing Movies of all time!
From 'Ali' to 'When We Were Kings,' Moviefone counts down the 20 greatest boxing movies ever made.
Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures.
Everyone loves a good boxing movie!
While it is 1976's Academy Award winning 'Will Smith.
Not to mention the long running 'Rocky' franchise which has produced six 'Rocky' movies and three 'in theaters on March 3rd.
In honor of 'Creed III's release, Moviefone is counting down the 20 best boxing movies of all time, including 'Creed III.'
Let's begin!
20. 'Rocky Balboa' (2006)
MGM Distribution Co.
His Wife (Talia Shire) is dead and his Son (Antonio Tarver) retaliates by challenging Rocky to a nationally televised, 10-round exhibition bout. To the surprise of his son and friends, Rocky agrees to come out of retirement and face an opponent who's faster, stronger, and thirty years his junior.
19. 'Grudge Match' (2013)
A pair of aging boxing rivals (Robert De Niro) are coaxed out of retirement to fight one final bout -- 30 years after their last match.
18. 'The Champ' (1979)
The more you love, the harder you fight. The world looks at Billy Flynn (Ricky Schroder) sees what the world doesn't. He knows what his flawed but loving father is, was and always will be - The Champ.
17. 'Bleed for This' (2016)
The inspirational story of World Champion Boxer Vinny Pazienza (Miles Teller), who after a near fatal car crash, which left him not knowing if he'd ever walk again, made one of sports most incredible comebacks.
Bleed for This
16. 'Rocky II' (1979)
After Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) goes the distance with champ Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), both try to put the fight behind them and move on. Rocky settles down with Adrian (Talia Shire) but can't put his life together outside the ring, while Creed seeks a rematch to restore his reputation. Soon enough, the "Master of Disaster" and the "Italian Stallion" are set on a collision course for a climactic battle that is brutal and unforgettable.
Rocky II
15. 'Million Dollar Baby' (2005)
Warner Bros. Pictures
Despondent over a painful estrangement from his daughter, trainer Frankie Dunn (Hilary Swank) to enter his life. But Maggie's determined to go pro and to convince Dunn and his cohort to help her.
Million Dollar Baby
14. 'Real Steel' (2011)
Charlie Kenton (Dakota Goyo) to rebuild and train an unlikely contender.
13. 'Cinderella Man' (2005)
The true story of boxer Jim Braddock (Russell Crowe) who, in the 1920s following his retirement, makes a surprise comeback in order to get him and his family out of a socially poor state.
Cinderella Man
12. 'Creed II' (2018)
Between personal obligations and training for his next big fight against an opponent with ties to his family's past, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) is up against the challenge of his life.
11. 'The Boxer' (1997)
Nineteen-year-old Danny Flynn (Emily Watson). Fourteen years later, Danny is released from prison and returns to his old working class neighborhood to resume his life as a boxer.
10. 'Ali' (2001)
Sony Pictures Releasing
In 1964, a brash, new pro boxer, fresh from his Olympic gold medal victory, explodes onto the scene: Cassius Clay (Will Smith). Bold and outspoken, he cuts an entirely new image for African Americans in sport with his proud public self-confidence and his unapologetic belief that he is the greatest boxer of all time. Yet at the top of his game, both Ali's personal and professional lives face the ultimate test.
9. 'Rocky III' (1982)
Now the world champion, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is living in luxury and only fighting opponents who pose no threat to him in the ring, until Clubber Lang (Mr. T) challenges him to a bout. After taking a pounding from Lang, the humbled champ turns to former bitter rival Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) for a rematch with Lang.
8. 'Creed III' (2023)
After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has been thriving in both his career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damien Anderson (Jonathan Majors), resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face-off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damien - a fighter who has nothing to lose.
7. 'The Fighter' (2010)
Boxer "Irish" Micky Ward's (Christian Bale), a boxer-turned-trainer who rebounded in life after nearly being KO'd by drugs and crime.
The Fighter
6. 'Rocky IV' (1985)
Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) proudly holds the world heavyweight boxing championship, but a new challenger has stepped forward: Drago (Dolph Lundgren), a six-foot-four, 261-pound fighter who has the backing of the Soviet Union.
Rocky IV
5. 'Southpaw' (2015)
The Weinstein Company
Billy "The Great" Hope (Forest Whitaker), a former fighter who trains the city's toughest amateur boxers. With his future on the line, Hope fights to reclaim the trust of those he loves the most.
4. 'Creed' (2015)
The former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan), the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers).
3. 'When We Were Kings' (1996)
It's 1974. B.B. King.
When We Were Kings
2. 'Raging Bull' (1980)
The life of boxer Jake LaMotta (Robert De Niro), whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.
1. 'Rocky' (1976)
United Artists
When world heavyweight boxing champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) wants to give an unknown fighter a shot at the title as a publicity stunt, his handlers choose palooka Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), an uneducated collector for a Philadelphia loan shark. Rocky teams up with trainer Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith) to make the most of this once in a lifetime break.
