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Boxing movies are always exciting and virtuoso filmed.
Boxing is often used as a metaphor for life; the good against the bad, determination, training, sacrifice, dedication and personal toil.
No sport is better suited to movies than boxing. The drama is inherent, the characters' intentions are clear, and the heroes and villains are easy to spot.
Two entertainers 'dance' on a raised stage and under bright lights. Vulnerable and comfortable at the same time, they exchange blows with their fists.
There are periodic breaks, with the athletes getting pep talks from their trainer and being "spoiled" with water, wet sponges, advice and motivational words.
Boxing movies have been extremely popular since their inception.
A lot of people seem to be a big fan of Creed 1 & Creed 2.
Adonis Johnson Creed (Apollo Creed's son) travels to Philadelphia where he meets Rocky Balboa and asks him to become his boxing trainer.
Adonis never knew his own father. Rocky is no longer active in the boxing world, but finds Adonis talented and therefore decides to take up the challenge.
In addition to these well-known boxing films from Creed, there are a number of other boxing films that are worth watching. You can find our favorites in the table below.
| Best boxing movies | Images |
| Best new boxing movie(s): Creed 1 & Creed 2 | 
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| Best boxing movie(s) for Rocky fans: Rocky Heavyweight Collection | 
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| Best old boxing movie: Raging Bull | 
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| Best Boxing Movie For Women: Girlfight | 
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What we discuss in this comprehensive post:
Best Boxing Movies Reviewed
Best New Boxing Movie(s): Creed 1 & Creed 2
With this boxing film set you get the two parts of Creed, namely Creed 1 and Creed 2.
creed 1: Adonis Johnson, played by Michael B. Jordan, is the son of the (deceased) world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed.
Adonis wants to claim his own title and tries to convince Rocky Balboa (played by Sylvester Stallone), a friend and rival of his father's, to become his trainer.
Adonis seems to have a chance, but will first have to prove that he is a real fighter.
creed 2: Adonis Creed tries to balance his personal obligations and next fight and is primed for the biggest challenge of his life.
His next opponent has ties to his family, which gives Adonis extra motivation to win this battle.
Rocky Balboa, Adonis' trainer, is always by his side and together they go into battle. Together they find out that what is really worth fighting for is family.
This movie is about going back to basics, the beginning, why you became champion in the first place and that you will never be able to escape from your past.
Best boxing movie(s) for Rocky fans: Rocky Heavyweight Collection
With this film set you get the full collection of boxer Rocky Balboa, played by Sylvester Stallone.
There are six DVDs, with a total of 608 minutes of viewing pleasure.
Stallone's role has been hailed as "an unprecedented fusion of actor and character."
The very first Rocky film won three Academy Awards, including Best Picture. This first film is now available along with the sequels as the Rocky Heavyweight Collection.
Best Old Boxing Movie: Raging Bull
In the boxing classic Raging Bull, DeNiro lives very well in the role of a man who is ready to explode. The fight scenes are especially famous for their realism.
The film is about Jake La Motta looking back on his career. In 1941, he wanted to raise the bar and prepare for heavyweight boxing.
La Motta was known as an incredibly violent boxer who was not only in the ring, but also outside of it.
The first part ends with a tragic closing speech by Jake La Motta, but fortunately the story doesn't end here. Because on the second disc you get to see interviews and a revealing look at the production of the film.
Telma Schoonmaker tells everything from the editing room to the Oscar ceremony, about how it went to portray the story of one of the most famous boxers in America.
Best boxing movie for women: Girlfight
Diana Guzman (played by Michelle Rodriguez) in the boxing movie Girlfight at school fights with anyone she can challenge. She will fight at the slightest thing.
At home, she even defends her brother against her father, who has a mind of his own about what it means to be a man or a woman.
One day she walks past the boxing gym where her brother takes lessons. She becomes captivated, but money is needed to get Hector the trainer to work with her.
Her brother takes on the burden and Diana soon realizes that boxing is much more than just beating.
Hector sees how quickly Diana learns and gains admiration for her character. He organizes a boxing match for her, in which no distinction is made between the gender of the athletes.
Diana fights her way to the final. She finds out that her opponent is her lover and sparring partner.
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Also read: Boxing clothes, shoes and rules: here's what you need to know.
Why do we love boxing movies so much?
Where does this desire come from and why are fight movies always so successful?
The raw nature
Most fighting movies are based on real events, so it's not difficult to make the movies as close to reality as possible.
Fighting is the oldest skill we have.
Two men facing each other to see who is the best is not new; it's in our DNA, which makes the whole situation very appealing to most people.
The Soundtracks
The soundtracks in fighting movies are inspiring, upbeat and accompanied by the fight scenes or training scenes. It's like watching a music video.
When the two forms of media are linked together, an inspiring spectacle is created.
Just think of when Rocky is on the floor and the music suddenly starts playing; everyone knows that a big comeback is about to happen.
Recognizable
We've all been beaten, maybe we've hit someone else, or at least had some sort of struggle.
Everyone can relate to the events that take place.
The pain the fighter is going through, getting injured and sidelined, trying to balance a career and a relationship, etc.
People know what these things feel like, which gives fight movies a really human quality that seems to grab our attention.
Underdog Story
Everyone loves an underdog.
If a fighting movie were released where the main character beats everyone, like Tyson, without the self-destruct that came years later, it wouldn't be an interesting movie.
For example, a movie about Floyd Mayweather in the future wouldn't be that interesting. He's undefeated and most people don't know what that feels like.
We love a loser who picks himself up and comes back stronger, it gives us hope for our own future.
It's also extremely inspiring to see someone go from the gutter to the top accompanied by hard work and motivational music.
The magical story formula
There is a formula that has been used in movies, books and plays for centuries.
It involves an early rise or a brief success, accompanied by complete destruction and endless losses, which eventually ends in the main character climbing again to the top.
This V-shaped storyline has been the reason for so many successful stories in the past and fighting movies have mastered it.
Think of the fighting movie Bleed For This.
The main character is a world champion, is injured in a car accident, is told to retire, starts training and makes his way back to the top.
Fight movies seem to be at their peak, and they won't seem to be fading any time soon. I think we can expect many more successful fight movie releases in the next decade.
Salvation
Winning a boxing match is often much more than an individual achievement.
Warriors become surrogates for something greater; a defeated city, an entire class structure during the Great Depression, an entire country fighting for independence – where victory equates to cosmic justice and gives hope for the future.
'Cinematic' violence
Believe it or not, people just love violent movies. In addition, directors just like to film these kinds of films.
Unlike other individual sports, boxing focuses on choreography.
For example, director Michael Mann chose to film from multiple angles in the movie Ali and used slow motion to emphasize the fast feet and unrelenting fists of his revered protagonist.
And then there's the ugly beauty of the sweat, the spit and blood dripping from the nose, the sound of the jaw cracking...
These moments tempt you to turn away from the images, but also create a fascination at the same time.
What is the importance of boxing?
Boxing is a great aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise makes your heart beat faster and helps lower your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
It can strengthen bones and muscles, burn more calories and improve mood.
Boxing movies for entertainment and inspiration
Boxing movies have been very popular since their creation.
A lot of boxing movies have been made over the years, and in this article we have explained a few that you should definitely see.
Boxing movies are not only fun for people who box themselves or have an affinity with it; also, they can be exciting and exciting for people who have never had anything to do with the sport.
We hope that after reading this article you have gained a better understanding of boxing films, why they are so interesting to watch, why they are not purely about violence and that often an important lesson is also learned.
Getting started with boxing training at home? Here we have reviewed our top 11 best standing punching bags (incl video).
