The 25 best boxing movies of all time, ranked

From old Hollywood classics to enduring franchises, here are the most revelatory fighters on film.

It’s an open secret that boxing is one of the most exciting and dynamic sports ever invented. We challenge you to watch two powerful pugilists plugging away at each other without your heart skipping a few beats. And given how boxing makes for a great spectacle, it also serves as the inspiration for some breathtaking films.

Below, EW has formed a knockout lineup of the 25 best boxing movies of all time. Our list is ranked, so read on to see which films should be considered the ultimate heavyweight champs.

"The Champ" (1979)

The emotional core of any good boxing movie is seeing athletes fight for their families. Though usually metaphorical, that drama is quite literal in The Champ, seeing a former boxer (Jon Voight) hop back in the ring to provide for his son (Ricky Schroder) after his wife (Faye Dunaway) comes back into the picture. The result is an affecting story with its fair share of sad surprises. As EW’s critic put it, “the film plays against easy tears until the very end, gazing instead at poverty-line existences without blinking or grandstanding.”

Where to watch The Champ: Amazon Prime Video

"Real Steel" (2011)

In light of our modern anxieties about losing jobs to AI, Real Steel feels startlingly relevant. It’s the story of a boxing champ (Hugh Jackman) whose skills in the ring mean nothing once robots replace humans as fighters. Now, he puts bots together for underground battles, and once he teams up with his estranged son (Dakota Goyo), he has one last chance to be a contender. EW’s critic specifically praised director Shawn Levy, “who makes good use of his specialized skill in blending people and computer-made imaginary things into one lively, emotionally satisfying story.”

Where to watch Real Steel: Netflix

"The Harder They Fall" (1956)

The most compelling part of The Harder They Fall is how it examines the world of boxing through the eyes of an outsider. Mike Lane stars as the central fighter, who seems oblivious to his own lack of skill and the fact that his victories are arranged by a crooked promoter (Nick Benko). This leaves a down-on-his-luck reporter played by Humphrey Bogart with a terrible choice: Is he willing to print the truth, even if it means the death of all a young man’s hopes and dreams?

Where to watch The Harder They Fall: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

"Requiem for a Heavyweight" (1962)

Screenwriter Rod Serling (The Twilight Zone) does a masterful job of blending fictional and nonfictional characters, following the exploits of an imagined, aging boxer (Anthony Quinn) after he’s defeated by a budding Muhammad Ali. From there, he bounces between the manipulative machinations of his manager (Jackie Gleason) and the gruff support of his trainer (Mickey Rooney). With its powerful performances and a reminder that life after the ring can be brutally painful, Requiem for a Heavyweight set a high bar for future boxing movies to follow.

Where to watch Requiem for a Heavyweight: Amazon Prime Video

"Golden Boy" (1939)

Golden Boy is fittingly named, given it hails from the Golden Age of Hollywood. It also has a charmingly vintage plot in which a young violinist (William Holden) decides to see what will happen if he forsakes the musical arts in favor of making some chin music in the boxing ring. A financially strapped manager (Adolphe Menjou) helps encourage his new dream, but the rookie soon gets an unpleasant taste of just how unforgiving life can be for a fighter.

Where to watch Golden Boy: YouTube

"Jungleland" (2019)

Boxing matches have long been a metaphor for the American dream, and Jungleland further elevates that subtext. It follows the story of two petty criminal brothers (Charlie Hunnam and Jack O'Connell) who, out of desperation, head west to “Jungleland,” a brawl where the winner walks away with a cool $400,000. Their story asks a provocative question: Is there anything more American than fighting for a better life, one punch at a time?

Where to watch Jungleland: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

"Chuck" (2017)

If you don’t mind a bit of meta in your movies, Chuck follows the adventures of real heavyweight boxer Chuck Wepner (Liev Schreiber), an athlete whose iconic fight with Muhammad Ali served as the inspiration for Rocky. Wepner has since mostly faded into the background, but through great casting — “Schreiber buoys the film with his characteristic blend of nuance and smirking humor, exuding likability,” says EW’s critic — this movie finally gives the man his due.

Where to watch Chuck: Tubi

"Somebody Up There Likes Me" (1956)

Somebody Up There Likes Me feels like a fever dream doused in real boxing history. Paul Newman plays a fighter named Rocky (no, really) who doesn’t fit into polite society; he goes from petty crime to AWOL army status, eventually fashioning the sport into a sanctuary from his many woes. Newman has solid chemistry with a love interest played by Pier Angeli, but what impresses us most about this film is how director Robert Wise connects the plights of laborers, soldiers, and boxers into a singularly compelling tale.

Where to watch Somebody Up There Likes Me: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

"Ali" (2001)

Boxing is a sport filled with big personalities, and perhaps none were larger than Muhammad Ali’s. Michael Mann’s superb Ali is stacked, cataloging a decade in the fighter’s storied life with frequent stops to take the world’s sociopolitical temperature. Jamie Foxx dazzles as his trainer while Will Smith brings a kind of understated brilliance to the title character, coloring in the nuances of everything from his conversion to Islam to his most iconic fights. Ultimately, Mann’s film treats Ali like a cornerstone of American culture, with EW’s critic pointing out that “the script contorts wildly to connect him with virtually every major event in African-American history between 1964 and 1974.”

Where to watch Ali: Starz

"Cinderella Man" (2005)

Cinderella Man is a compelling period piece from Ron Howard focusing on a Depression-era day laborer and former fighter (Russell Crowe) who is given another shot to prove himself by his one-time manager (Paul Giamatti). Following his second-wind success, he must find a way to safeguard his career without destroying his relationship with his wife (Renée Zellweger). Thanks to the finely-tuned efforts of everyone involved, this hefty boxing movie floats like a butterfly, with EW’s critic noting that “Howard’s research and Crowe’s dedication are so dazzling in the ring that you almost forgive the formulaic clichés when the gloves are off.”

Where to watch Cinderella Man: Netflix

"Body and Soul" (1947)

Body and Soul remains a heavyweight entry even decades later for how it deftly balances family drama with the sports movie mold. There’s the initial story of a fighter (John Garfield) who throws himself into his burgeoning career as a boxer after the death of his father (Art Smith) against the wishes of his mother (Anne Revere); then there’s the emotional arc of him trying to stay on the straight and narrow even as he navigates the seedy underbelly of this violent sport. Put it all together and you get a film that delivers an enticing plot without (ahem) pulling any punches.

Where to watch Body and Soul: Plex

"Fat City" (1972)

Fat City may not turn the older fighter/young boxer trope on its cauliflower ear, but it’s still an endearing classic. Stacy Keach and a baby-faced Jeff Bridges spar in a tragic changing of the guard, in this case, seeing the oldtimer try to relive his glory days while a hopeful rookie is forced to grow up because, well, life. It’s a painfully human boxing movie that, like an aging prizefighter, carries an aura of hope despite the odds.

Where to watch Fat City: Tubi

"The Boxer" (1997)

The Boxer tells the underdog story of a fighter (Daniel Day-Lewis) whose time in the IRA and subsequent imprisonment tore his life apart. Now, he must try to put it back together one day at a time with the help of his loving spouse (Emily Watson). Solid Day-Lewis performances are a dime a dozen, but he does especially effective work here, having spent a full year boxing to prepare for the role. That said, EW’s critic wrote that the actor “bulked up and trained hard to become Danny, but athletic training alone doesn’t account for the impact of the character’s emotional reawakening.”

Where to watch The Boxer: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

"The Hurricane" (1999)

The Hurricane exists in that rare intersection between true crime and sports, starring Denzel Washington as a real-life boxer who was unjustly imprisoned. Boxing is more a backdrop for a story about one man’s fight for redemption and justice. There are great performances here from supporting actors like Vicellous Reon Shannon and Liev Schreiber, but as usual, Denzel carries the team. EW’s critic even wrote that one of the few downsides to the film is that the real Carter “cannot bear the weight of Washington’s fierce, Oscar-nominated portrayal.”

Where to watch The Hurricane: Freevee

"The Survivor" (2021)

Boxing movies are patently gritty, but we guarantee The Survivor is bleaker than any entry before or since. Here, director Barry Levinson traces the true story of Harry Haft (Ben Foster), a man who was forced to fight fellow prisoners to the death in order to survive Auschwitz. The film is filled with talent, including some actors (such as John Leguizamo and Danny DeVito) you would expect to see in a comedy rather than a drama. However, with an assist from Foster’s intense performance, Levinson keeps things serious and doesn’t relent from the more grotesque parts of the premise.

Where to watch The Survivor: Max

"Tyson" (2008)

At the height of his fame, Mike Tyson was just as complex and talented of a boxer as any fictional character. His antics in and out of the ring ultimately hurt his career, causing the fighter to launder his fearsome reputation into a soft-spoken shadow of his former self. In Tyson, documentarian James Toback brings the legend in to explain his meteoric career, his downfall, and everything in between. According to EW’s critic, the documentary emphasizes what fans already knew to great effect: that Tyson is “a potent puncher, a damaged man, and a handsome object for the camera’s gaze.”

Where to watch Tyson: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

"Million Dollar Baby" (2004)

Million Dollar Baby is proof that good boxing movies don’t have to be original, they just have to be well-executed. Certainly, the story of Hilary Swank as a young woman seeking training from Clint Eastwood’s aging expert seems familiar: Reluctant Mentor Trains Talented Protege is a tale that was old even when boxing itself was new. But Eastwood proves once again to be just as talented at directing as acting, filling the film with emotionally raw moments that culminate in a stunningly sad conclusion.

Where to watch Million Dollar Baby: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

"Girlfight" (2000)

Girlfight feels like a spiritual successor to Rocky, following a young person who discovers who they really are in the ring. And just as Rocky made Stallone into a star, Girlfight made Michelle Rodrigeuz one of the hottest new actors in Hollywood. She runs circles around more experienced actors like Paul Calderón and Ray Santiago, with EW’s critic insisting that “Rodriguez is so surely, so naturally the gravitational center of this small, well-fought coming-of-age story that her focus and seriousness make the drama look bigger than it might otherwise have been.”

Where to watch Girlfight: Not available to stream

"The Fighter" (2010)

Mark Wahlberg is the beating heart of The Fighter, breathing new life into the tired boxing trope of an aging washout hoping for a shot. That’s partly due to director David O. Russell’s steady, unflinching camera as well as the colorful characters comprising his family. Melissa Leo won an Academy Award for playing a fiery mama bear and Amy Adams shines as the fighter’s suffering partner. But it’s Christian Bale’s Oscar-winning performance as his drug-afflicted brother that steals the show, captivating us “with a jack-o’-lantern grin and an energy so manic it borders on the obscene,” says EW’s critic.

Where to watch The Fighter: Netflix

"Cutie and the Boxer" (2013)

When does a boxing movie stop being a sports film and start being something more? Cutie and the Boxer explores this question through the story of an artist (Noriko Shinohara) married to a boxing painter (Ushio Shinohara) whose shadow she’d like to escape after four decades together. The premise is an interesting inversion of audience expectations; instead of using art to explore the world of boxing, this documentary and its subjects use boxing to create art… literally. What the movie lacks in physical fights it makes up for in constant clashes between personalities and art styles.

Where to watch Cutie and the Boxer: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

"The Set-Up" (1949)

The modern boxing formula of fights serving as metaphors for internal conflict owes a debt to The Set-Up. In this film, director Robert Wise introduces us to a boxer (Robert Ryan) who has seen better days and wants to up his game even as his wife (Audrey Totter) wants him out before he gets hurt. This leads to some verbal blows that are just as fierce as any meted out in the ring. It may seem formulaic to today's viewers, but it’s worth remembering that films like this didn't follow the precedent, they set it.

Where to watch The Set-Up: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

"When We Were Kings" (1996)

Part of boxing’s appeal rests in its neo-mythology: the “Rumble in the Jungle” between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali was our clash of titans. In When We Were Kings, Leon Gast gives us an incisive documentary that looks back on this epic fight through the lens of great talents such as Norman Mailer and B.B. King. It’s also accessible to those who know little about the sport; as EW’s critic put in their review, the film brings the fight “alive with a vibrancy guaranteed to move the souls of even the most boxing illiterate.”

Where to watch When We Were Kings: Max

"Creed" (2015)

Creed is more than another entry in the long-running Rocky franchise; this tale of an aging boxer (Sylvester Stallone) training his one-time foe’s brash, hotheaded kid (Michael B. Jordan) makes Rocky seem fresher than he has in most sequels. It’s a story of fathers and sons as much as it is of mentors and students, and it feels like a throwback to the original film in the best way. As EW’s critic mused in their review, the “first Rocky was a dark, downbeat masterpiece that reflected its New Hollywood era. Creed taps into that same gritty underdog authenticity.”

Where to watch Creed: YouTube (to rent)

"Rocky" (1976)

Rocky will forever remain one of the best boxing movies of all time, partially because Sylvester Stallone and his character are going through similar struggles. The titular boxer wants heavyweight glory, and young Stallone just wants the world to notice his talents as a performer and writer. That’s what happened, of course: He became a household name after we saw him bouncing off killer actors like Carl Weathers and Burgess Meredith. Watching each exhausting round of training and each blow in the ring is a reminder of how much Stallone had to fight for a place at the Hollywood table, making Rocky’s onscreen victory and subsequent sequels feel nothing short of cathartic.

Where to watch Rocky: Max

"Raging Bull" (1980)

Raging Bull is a boxing movie that feels like the audience is getting the rope-a-dope, because while the story follows Robert De Niro’s boxer trying to find love and glory, the real payoff for viewers is the inimitable performance from Joe Pesci. Director Martin Scorcese brings out the best in the actor, and when someone is as talented as Pesci, “the best” is even better than you can imagine, with EW's critic writing that he “doesn’t act so much as behave.”

Where to watch Raging Bull: Tubi

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Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.