While sports movies have been a showcase for inspiring cinematic stories for decades, the best boxing movies have ranked high in the genre with some truly exceptional films. Featuring the stories of underdogs overcoming adversity, unlikely fighters becoming champions against the odds, or the experiences of legendary real-life sports stars and their extraordinary journeys, a great boxing movie has the power to enthrall and excite audiences and filmgoers. From gripping documentary s to fantastic fictional foes, boxing films have the potential to be total knockouts with viewers when done right.

There have been countless boxing movies over the years, but the best of this kind showcase how versatile they can be. Films like The Boxer with Daniel Day-Lewis addressed the political tension that plagued the life of its lead character Danny Flynn, while documentaries, such as When We Were Kings, used archival footage to depict an extraordinary moment in the history of boxing. These movies feature some of the greatest big screen heroes of all time, like Rocky Balboa, as well as some truly complex and troubled characters like Jake LaMotta.

15 Southpaw (2015)

Directed By Antoine Fuqua

Southpaw was the compelling story of a grief-stricken boxer determined to get his life back on track following the murder of his wife and losing his daughter to child protective services. Starring Jack Gyllenhaal as Billy “The Great” Hope, Southpaw delved even further into the underdog narratives often seen in boxing movies to deliver a story of overcoming adversity, perseverance, and redemption that felt deeply personal and raw.

While Southpaw may lean heavily into melodrama at times, it showcased how hard boxers must fight inside, and outside, the ring, to achieve their professional and personal requirements. Gyllenhaal gives an intense and committed performance in the lead role, transforming himself into a fiery fighter while also showing the man's vulnerability in his family life. It is such a hard-hitting drama that many people are still convinced Southpaw is based on a true story.

14 Creed III (2023)

Directed By Michael B. Jordan

Creed III had the daunting task of being the first movie in the Rocky franchise not to include Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa. However, it is also the film that proved Michael B. Jordan was ready to take the franchise on his own while also proving himself as a director. The third movie has Jordan returning to the role of Adonis Creed, who has become the biggest name in boxing. However, his past comes back to haunt him as a former friend and boxing partner (Jonathan Majors) returns looking for the shot at glory he feels was robbed from him.

Creed III continues the saga of the Rocky franchise while also allowing itself to stand on its own. Jordan continues to shine in the role while Majors is intimidating yet sympathetic in the antagonist role. Standing out from other boxing movies, Jordan incorporated his love of anime into the fight scenes to great effect.

13 Ali (2001)

Directed By Michael Mann

The story of perhaps the greatest boxer who ever lived, Muhammad Ali, was portrayed in Michael Mann’s powerful biopic Ali. While there are many stories of fictional boxers who overcome societal pressures and rise to the top of the sport, Muhammad Ali truly lived out that tale as he became champion of the world, faced criticism for his conversion to Islam, and acted as a source of inspiration for Americans following the deaths of civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King and Malcolm X.

Smith was nominated for an Oscar for the performance.

With a committed lead performance by Will Smith, Ali was a stunning tribute to an incredible fighter. Smith embodies the legendary fighter in one of his best performances, while the movie is filled with a terrific ing cast that includes Jamie Foxx, Jeffrey Wright, and Jada Pinkett-Smith, among others. Smith was nominated for an Oscar for the performance.

12 The Hurricane (1999)

Directed By Norman Jewison

The Hurricane is an example of a great boxing movie that spends little time in the ring and rather delves into the life of the central fighter. The true story of boxer Rubin Carter and his wrongful conviction for triple homicide was first immortalized in a song by Bob Dylan. Denzel Washington stars as Carter, delivering one of his many Oscar-nominated performances that have cemented him as one of the greatest actors of all time.

A tragic tale of boxing, crime, and prejudice, The Hurricane cataloged Cater’s journey from a top-ranked middleweight boxer touted to become a great champion, to a murder suspect for a horrific crime, and the nearly 20 years he unjustly spent in prison. The Hurricane stripped back the curtain of real-life racism that served to cut short a young black man’s opportunity for greatness.

11 Knuckle (2011)

Directed By Ian Palmer

While the narrative boxing movies have done a great job of revealing the world of the sport, there is nothing quite like witnessing from the real athletes themselves. A powerful documentary made over 12 years, Knuckle was a behind-the-scenes look at the secretive world of Irish Traveler bare-knuckle boxing. The difficult story of three feuding families, the complexities of Irish Travelers' long-festering rivalries, and their deep-seated sense of pride were depicted in Knuckle, a documentary just as intense and gripping as any fictional boxing movie.

As the Joyces, Nevins, and Quinn-McDonagh families fell ever further into bitter fights and feuds, they reasoned the only way to solve their issues was with their fists. It is a fascinating juxtaposition to many of the great boxing movies that deal with athletes at the top of the sport. These real people are not living such lives of luxury and are not well-known celebrities. They are simply people dedicated to the fight.

10 Cinderella Man (2005)

Directed By Ron Howard

Cinderella Man told the extraordinary true story of heavyweight boxing champion James J. Braddock who overcame extreme poverty during the Great Depression. A devastating tale of perseverance, led by incredible performances by Russell Crowe as Braddock and Paul Giamatti as his trainer Joe Gould. Set during the Great Depression, Braddock was a man out of work and out of options, like many people, who returned to the ring to his family. Defying the odds, he began to rise up in the sport, becoming a symbol of hope for a struggling nation.

Cinderella Man also highlighted the medical risks of the sport and the danger a boxer has of being killed in the ring, as well as the fear this profession laid on boxers’ wives and children.

Braddock makes for an interesting protagonist as he is a boxer who is talented in the ring but is a very gentle and soft-spoken man outside of the ring. Cinderella Man also highlighted the medical risks of the sport and the danger a boxer has of being killed in the ring, as well as the fear this profession laid on boxers’ wives and children.

9 Rocky Balboa (2006)

Directed By Sylvester Stallone

Many people laughed at the idea of Sylvester Stallone returning to the role of Rocky Balboa and stepping back into the ring at 60 years old. However, the sixth Rocky movie ended up being the best entry in the franchise since the original. The film finds Rocky living a modest life as the former champ, now a restaurant owner, who gets inspired to return to the sport when a debate is sparked about whether a current reigning champ could have defeated Balboa.

Rocky Balboa does what none of the other Rocky sequels had been able to do and that was to make him an underdog again. The sequel finds him as a widower with an estranged son who is looking for a way to remind the world of who he is. While audiences need to suspend a lot of disbelief in seeing Rocky take on a professional boxer half his age, the fight scenes are actually thrilling and Stallone fits wonderfully back into his iconic role.

8 Creed (2015)

Directed By Ryan Coogler

While Rocky Balboa was a surprise success, a decade after its release, many people thought the franchise was done for good. However, director Ryan Coogler found an approach that gave the Rocky franchise a new direction with a new fighter at the center. Creed stars Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed, the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed, discovered years after the boxer's death. Proving himself in amateur boxing matches over the years, Adonis eventually seeks out his father's old friend, Rocky, to help train him to become the next champ.

Coogler takes an exciting shot at the filmmaking, including one-take boxing scenes.

Creed is a fantastic melding of the new and the old, not relying on callbacks and nostalgia like some other legacy sequels, yet still paying respect to what came before. Coogler takes an exciting shot at the filmmaking, including one-take boxing scenes. Jordan is outstanding as the lead while Stallone earned his first Oscar nomination for acting as the older Rocky.

7 Fat City (1972)

Directed By John Huston

While the boxing movie genre had been around for decades and showcased stories of heroic fighters proving themselves in the ring, Fat City marked a change in the way boxing movies portrayed the sport and its athletes. Stacy Keach stars in the movie as a veteran fighter who gives his all in the ring and finds the sport taking a toll on him. As he begins to slip away from his prime, he connects with a young up-and-coming fighter (Jeff Bridges).

The story of the proven older professional and the inexperienced younger newcomer is one that has been told many times, but Fat City finds a way to subvert expectations and deliver something truly powerful. It is also a tragic story that shows the reality of the sport and the toll it takes while also allowing the audience to be in awe of these men who seek glory in such a violent world.

6 The Fighter (2010)

Directed By David O. Russell

The Fighter told the true story of Mickey Ward, played by Mark Wahlberg, and much like some of the best boxing movies, was the tale of an ordinary person who must fight against all odds for greatness. Ward was a promising boxer who was trained by his half-brother, Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale), another fighter with a lot of promise in his day, only for his life to spiral downward due to his drug addiction.

The Fighter received critical acclaim and was nominated for seven Academy Awards...

With powerful themes of family, loyalty, and redemption, The Fighter featured strong ing performances from Melissa Leo and Amy Adams and acted as the movie that reignited the career of filmmaker David O. Russell after a six-year absence from directing. The Fighter received critical acclaim and was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Bale also won an Oscar for his memorable performance.