Real to Reel: These Boxers took their incredible talents to the big screen
Real fighters being in the movie often adds to its realism.
Boxing movies when done right is incredible pieces of cinema. From Tony Bellew to Sugar Ray Leonard, every great boxing movie features actual boxers either in major roles or as small-time cameos.
What these appearances do is add to the credibility of the type of environment the film is aiming to create. Moreover pretending to be boxer on screen may be hard hence it’s always useful to have someone in front of the camera that has actually mastered their craft.
So with that in mind, let us have a look at a few boxers who were able to transition their in-ring career for a more lucrative in-ring role on a movie screen.
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5 Boxers who have pretended to be boxers for the cameras
Wladimir Klitschko and Lennox Lewis – Oceans 11
To start off the list, the heavyweight title fight between these two men was featured as the central plot for the hit movie Oceans 11. With a hit cast featuring, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon, the central plot of the movie included the fight between Klitschko and Lewis being used as a distraction for the heist the movie is themed around.
While not shown in its entirety, the fight is frequently shown in the prime sequence of the movie. A few years after the release of the movie, Lewis would face Vitali Klitschko, Wladimir’s elder brother for the heavyweight title.
Tony Bellew- Creed 1
Starring as Pretty Ricky Conlan, the former British cruiserweight acts as the Apollo to Adonis’ Rocky and stars as the main antagonist of the film. He was very enthusiastic during the entire filming process and even got to knock out Michael B Jordan for a sequence in the climactic fight of the movie.
Gabriel Rosado – Creed 1
Another entrant from Creed, Rosado stars as Leo Sporino, an upcoming lightweight and the son of the current administrator of Mighty Mick’s Boxing Gym, Pete Sporino. In the movie, Rosado is the first opponent Adonis faces under Rocky Balboa’s coaching.
The fight sequence highly choreographed and shot without a single cut is one of the most enthralling boxing experiences put to screen.
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Andre Ward – Creed 1,2
The final entrant from the Creed cinematic universe, Ward has appeared in both movies up till now. In the first film, he’s a minor antagonist, who brutally beats up Adonis. Starring as Danny “Stuntman” Wheeler, Warde plays an equally accomplished fictional version of himself who knocks out Adonis during a sparring session with a heavy price in the line.
In the second movie, he is featured in the opening fight where a now-mature Adonis beats him via KO to win his first boxing world title.
Honorable Mentions
Sugar Ray Leonard– As himself in The Fighter.
Lucia Rijker – As Billie “The Blue Bear” Osterman in Million Dollar Baby,
Joe Frazier– As himself in Rocky
Tommy Morrison- Rocky 5
Perhaps the most well-known entrant on this list, Morrison starred alongside Sylvester Stallone in the cult classic, Rocky 5. In the movie, he initially was under the mentorship of Balboa before the temptations of fame soured their relationship.
By the end of the movie, Morrison who portrays Tommy Gunn would repeatedly try to bring Balboa out of retirement choosing instead to fight him on the street in the climax. With the crowd turned against him, Gunn is ultimately brutally beaten up by Balboa after an intense back-and-forth struggle. Having lost his pride and love among the people, Gunn lay in the trash with no one to check on him. This was perhaps an eerily sad foreshadowing of the tragedies that were to follow Morrison in real life.
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Jerin Mathew
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