Boxing Is An Art Form
Boxing is an art form, and a very brutal one at that. If you've never been in the ring with someone trying to knock you out, these documentaries do their best to bring you as close as possible.
From a look at Muhammad Ali’s life, to a documentary about the famous Dempsey-Tunney fight, these are the best boxing documentaries you can watch right now, and an important part of martial arts history.
Ten of the Best Boxing Documentaries
Great ones are hard to come by, unless you know where to look. Here are ten of the best boxing documentaries:
- Muhammad and Larry (1981)
- Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (2004)
- I Am Duran (2019)
- Tyson (2008)
- The Thrilla in Manilla (2009)
- Assault in the Ring (2008)
- The Kings (2021)
- T-Rex (2015)
- When We Were Kings (1996)
- Joe Louis: America’s Hero Betrayed (2008)
1. Muhammad and Larry (1981)
Muhammad and Larry is a 1981 documentary film about the fight between Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes that took place on June 15, 1980. The fight was a major event, with both men being at the height of their careers. It was held in Las Vegas and became Muhammad Ali's last championship bout.
The film is full of interviews with celebrities talking about their impressions of the fight and its participants. There are also numerous clips from previous fights between the two fighters, as well as backstage footage from both HBO TV broadcasts.
2. Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (2004)
Unforgivable Blackness is a 2004 HBO documentary film directed by Ken Burns that chronicles the life of boxer Jack Johnson aka the "Galveston Giant". The documentary explores the life of controversial boxer Jack Johnson, who became the first African American heavyweight champion.
It explores his rise to fame in early 1900s America when he dominated boxing until his fight with James J. Jeffries on July 4, 1910 which became known as the "Fight of the Century". Johnson claimed a definitive knockout victory of Jeffries and racially-motivated violence broke out across America. Watch the documentary to learn more!
3. I Am Duran (2019)
I Am Duran, a feature length documentary film, explores the life and legacy of Roberto Durán, internationally recognized Panamanian boxer and sports icon.
It is directed by Mat Hodgson and features cameos from Oscar De La Hoya, Robert DeNiro, and Sylvester Stallone.
4. Tyson (2008)
Tyson is a 2008 documentary film about former heavyweight champion boxer Mike Tyson. Directed by James Toback, the film was released on May 15, 2008 at the Cannes Film Festival and had a limited release in the United States on June 6, 2008.
It chronicles the life of Mike Tyson from his early years to his time as world champion and subsequent decline into bankruptcy filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2003 while owing $27 million dollars to various creditors.
The film shows how Tyson was able to rise from being released from prison and being homeless within three years. It's a must watch for fans of Mike Tyson and to understand the realities of boxing for some fighters.
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5. The Thrilla in Manilla (2009)
This film is about the famous boxing match between Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran. The fight, which took place in 1980, was dubbed "the fight of the century" by many sports journalists at the time.
The film won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1983 and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Documentary Film that same year (it ultimately lost out to Werner Herzog's Grizzly Man). It's also worth noting that Roger Ebert called it "one of the best sports films ever made."
6. Assault in the Ring (2008)
This documentary focuses on the most notorious and controversial fight in boxing history involving two fighters from the same family and it happened right at Madison Square Garden.
The film recounts the life of Luis Resto, a club fighter from Puerto Rico who had a chance to make his name in New York City. His opponent, Billy Collins Jr., was an Irish American fighter with an undefeated record. The night of June 16, 1983 was supposed to be a celebration for both men, but instead turned into a nightmare.
7. The Kings (2021)
The Kings is a four-part docuseries features stories of four world champions, Roberto Duran, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard.
The series portrays their dominance during boxing's golden era, as well as the inevitable fall that each one of them experienced.
8. T-Rex (2015)
The documentary T-Rex follows the incredible journey of Claressa 'T-Rex' Shields and her pursuit of becoming the first American woman in history to win a gold medal in Olympic boxing.
In order to succeed, she must overcome poverty and stereotype.
9. When We Were Kings (1996)
When We Were Kings is a 1996 documentary film directed by Leon Gast about the 1974 Rumble in the Jungle boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo).
The film focuses on how this historic fight affected those involved as well as those watching around the world at home on television sets or live in Africa at the time of its occurrence.
10. Joe Louis: America’s Hero Betrayed (2008)
The film focuses on how he overcame obstacles both inside and outside of the ring to become one of the greatest boxers in history.
Through interviews with family members and others who knew him, we learn about his private struggles with addiction and mental illness that plagued him throughout his life.
Wrapping Up The List
If you’re a boxing fan, watching your favorite boxers in action while learning more about them as people is one of the best ways to spend an evening. Do you have a favorite boxing documentary?
