Want to know the best Boxing Movies? How about the worst Boxing Movies? Curious about Boxing Movies did at the box office or which Boxing Movies picked up the most Oscar® nominations and Oscar® wins? Need to know which Boxing Movies movie got the best reviews from critics and audiences? Well you have come to the right place….because we have all of that information.
This page represents part 5 in a series of pages that are trying to identify the Top 100 Sports Movies . This page will look at the top 63 boxing movies. Movies are ranked by using a combination of box office results, reviews from audiences and critics and award recognition. To be considered for the page the movie had to be released at movie theaters. If you see a movie not on the list, just put the title in the comment box and I will add the movie as long as it was released in theaters.
As for this boxing page, we have two Oscar® winners for Best Picture….Rocky and Million Dollar Baby and numerous Oscar winning perfromances for playing boxers……Christian Bale, Hillary Swank, Morgan Freeman, Robert DeNiro, Wallace Berry and Melissa Leo(although she won for playing a boxing manager/mother of boxer). The boxing movies in this page are broken down into three tables…Table One looks at the Top Ten Boxing Box Office hits, Table Two looks at the Top Ten Boxing Critical hits and Table Three ranks all 64 boxing movies from Best to Worst.
Boxing Movies Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table
The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.
- Sort Boxing Movies by the star of the Boxing movie
- Sort Boxing Movies by actual domestic box office grosses
- Sort Boxing Movies by adjusted box office grosses using current movie ticket cost
- Sort by how Boxing Movies were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations and how many Oscar® wins each Boxing Movie received.
- Sort Boxing Movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | UMR Score | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Actual B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | B.O. Rank by Year | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | S |
| 2 | Million Dollar Baby (2004) AA Best Picture Win |
Clint Eastwood & Morgan Freeman |
100.5 | 174.4 | 376.30 | 24 | 90 | 07 / 04 | 99.8 | |
| 1 | Rocky (1976) AA Best Picture Win |
Sylvester Stallone | 117.0 | 592.1 | 1,137.70 | 1 | 79 | 10 / 03 | 99.8 | |
| 3 | The Champ (1931) AA Best Picture Nom |
Wallace Beery | 4.4 | 227.8 | 227.80 | 5 | 74 | 04 / 02 | 98.4 | |
| 4 | Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941) AA Best Picture Nom |
Robert Montgomery & Claude Rains |
3.9 | 149.0 | 149.00 | 55 | 84 | 07 / 02 | 97.8 | |
| 5 | Gentleman Jim (1942) | Erroll Flynn & Alan Hale |
5.1 | 188.5 | 408.00 | 41 | 82 | 00 / 00 | 97.2 | |
| 6 | The Fighter (2010) AA Best Picture Nom |
Christian Bale & Mark Wahlberg |
93.6 | 127.8 | 176.40 | 35 | 88 | 07 / 02 | 97.1 | |
| 6 | Raging Bull (1980) AA Best Picture Nom |
Robert DeNiro & Directed by Martin Scorsese |
23.5 | 97.5 | 97.50 | 33 | 94 | 08 / 02 | 96.7 | |
| 9 | Champion (1949) | Kirk Douglas | 5.8 | 146.2 | 146.20 | 40 | 83 | 06 / 01 | 95.7 | |
| 7 | Rocky II (1979) | Sylvester Stallone | 85.2 | 365.8 | 859.70 | 5 | 71 | 00 / 00 | 95.4 | |
| 11 | Creed (2015) | Michael B. Jordan & Sylvester Stallone |
109.8 | 140.4 | 222.00 | 28 | 87 | 01 / 00 | 94.7 | |
| 9 | Creed III (2023) | Michael B. Jordan | 156.2 | 156.2 | 274.40 | 16 | 81 | 00 / 00 | 94.5 | |
| 12 | Let's Do It Again (1975) | Sidney Poitier | 35.8 | 188.0 | 188.00 | 15 | 71 | 00 / 00 | 94.4 | |
| 13 | Rocky III (1982) | Sylvester Stallone | 124.1 | 455.2 | 986.90 | 4 | 61 | 01 / 00 | 92.9 | |
| 13 | Body and Soul (1947) | John Garfield | 3.8 | 110.2 | 110.20 | 91 | 84 | 03 / 01 | 92.1 | |
| 15 | Creed II (2018) | Michael B. Jordan & Sylvester Stallone |
115.7 | 136.9 | 253.10 | 28 | 77 | 00 / 00 | 91.5 | |
| 16 | Kid Galahad (1937) | Bette Davis & Humphrey Bogart |
4.1 | 172.0 | 251.60 | 38 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 90.7 | |
| 17 | Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) | Paul Newman | 5.7 | 112.0 | 112.00 | 52 | 77 | 03 / 02 | 90.3 | |
| 18 | City for Conquest (1940) | James Cagney & Anthony Quinn |
3.3 | 127.2 | 197.30 | 45 | 76 | 00 / 00 | 90.1 | |
| 19 | The Hurricane (1999) | Denzel Washington & Rod Steiger |
50.7 | 108.0 | 157.60 | 48 | 80 | 01 / 00 | 89.5 | |
| 20 | Rocky IV (1985) | Sylvester Stallone | 127.9 | 388.3 | 912.40 | 3 | 50 | 00 / 00 | 89.1 | |
| 21 | Rocky Balboa (2006) | Sylvester Stallone | 70.3 | 115.1 | 255.10 | 38 | 73 | 00 / 00 | 87.6 | |
| 20 | The Main Event (1979) | Barbra Streisand & Ryan O'Neal |
69.5 | 298.4 | 298.40 | 11 | 46 | 00 / 00 | 87.5 | |
| 23 | Hard Times (1975) | James Coburn & Charles Bronson |
17.1 | 90.0 | 90.00 | 40 | 78 | 00 / 00 | 86.5 | |
| 22 | The Harder They Fall (1956) | Humphrey Bogart & Rod Steiger |
3.9 | 75.6 | 75.60 | 90 | 81 | 01 / 00 | 86.4 | |
| 24 | Ali (2001) | Will Smith & Jamie Foxx |
58.2 | 111.0 | 167.40 | 41 | 69 | 02 / 00 | 85.9 | |
| 25 | Real Steel (2011) | Hugh Jackman | 85.5 | 116.2 | 406.80 | 35 | 66 | 01 / 00 | 85.5 | |
| 26 | The Set-Up (1949) | Robert Ryan | 2.3 | 57.5 | 84.30 | 135 | 81 | 00 / 00 | 83.2 | |
| 28 | Cain and Mabel (1936) | Clark Gable | 2.3 | 99.2 | 99.20 | 88 | 66 | 01 / 00 | 82.6 | |
| 27 | Requiem For a Heavyweight (1962) | Anthony Quinn & Mickey Rooney |
3.1 | 45.2 | 45.20 | 75 | 83 | 00 / 00 | 82.1 | |
| 30 | Golden Boy (1939) | Barbara Stanwyck & William Holden |
3.0 | 116.2 | 116.20 | 75 | 56 | 01 / 00 | 80.3 | |
| 29 | The Prizefighter and the Lady (1933) | Myrna Loy | 1.6 | 73.9 | 159.80 | 58 | 69 | 01 / 00 | 80.1 | |
| 32 | The Champ (1979) | Jon Voight & Faye Dunaway |
30.4 | 130.7 | 130.70 | 29 | 49 | 01 / 00 | 78.7 | |
| 34 | Kid Galahad (1962) | Elvis Presley & Charles Bronson |
6.1 | 87.3 | 87.30 | 44 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 76.3 | |
| 34 | Fat City (1972) | Jeff Bridges & Directed by John Huston |
2.6 | 16.3 | 16.30 | 104 | 82 | 01 / 00 | 76.2 | |
| 33 | Southpaw (2015) | Jake Gyllenhaal | 52.4 | 67.0 | 117.60 | 53 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 75.6 | |
| 36 | The Great White Hope (1970) | James Earl Jones | 8.5 | 59.0 | 59.00 | 38 | 66 | 02 / 00 | 74.6 | |
| 35 | The Boxer (1997) | Daniel Day-Lewis | 6.0 | 14.0 | 38.80 | 136 | 77 | 00 / 00 | 68.6 | |
| 37 | Winner Take All (1932) | James Cagney | 1.2 | 58.1 | 81.10 | 98 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 67.3 | |
| 39 | Girlfight (2000) | Michelle Rodriguez | 1.6 | 3.1 | 3.10 | 172 | 78 | 00 / 00 | 66.4 | |
| 38 | Monkey On My Back (1957) | Cameron Mitchell | 0.7 | 13.8 | 13.80 | 179 | 73 | 00 / 00 | 63.3 | |
| 41 | Rocky V (1990) | Sylvester Stallone | 40.9 | 104.4 | 305.70 | 31 | 43 | 00 / 00 | 62.1 | |
| 42 | Flesh and Fury (1952) | Tony Curtis | 1.7 | 34.1 | 34.10 | 169 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 58.3 | |
| 42 | The Greatest (1977) | Muhammad Ali & Robert Duvall |
10.3 | 49.6 | 49.60 | 59 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 55.4 | |
| 44 | Chuck (2016) | Liev Schreiber | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.40 | 222 | 71 | 00 / 00 | 53.9 | |
| 43 | Before the Fall (2004) | Max Riemelt | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.30 | 269 | 71 | 00 / 00 | 52.7 | |
| 45 | Big George Foreman (2023) | Forest Whitaker | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.70 | 115 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 51.9 | |
| 47 | The Survivor (2021) HBO Movie |
Ben Foster & Danny DeVito |
0.1 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 162 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 50.3 | |
| 46 | Bleed For This (2016) | Miles Teller & Aaron Eckhart |
5.1 | 6.3 | 6.30 | 167 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 50.2 | |
| 49 | The Hammer (2007) | Adam Carolla | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.70 | 248 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 48.9 | |
| 50 | The Ring (1952) | Rita Moreno | 1.3 | 24.9 | 24.90 | 187 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 45.1 | |
| 51 | Night and the City (1992) | Robert DeNiro | 6.2 | 16.1 | 16.10 | 112 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 45.0 | |
| 51 | Tyson (1995) HBO Movie |
George C. Scott | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 275 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 44.2 | |
| 52 | Busted Up (1986) Limited Release |
Irene Cara | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.50 | 208 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 40.5 | |
| 54 | Resurrecting the Champ (2007) | Samuel L. Jackson | 3.2 | 5.0 | 5.10 | 190 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 39.5 | |
| 54 | Undisputed (2002) | Peter Falk | 12.8 | 23.7 | 23.70 | 136 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 39.4 | |
| 55 | Hands of Stone (2016) | Robert DeNiro | 4.7 | 5.9 | 5.90 | 171 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 38.7 | |
| 56 | Diggstown (1992) | James Woods & Louis Gossett Jr. |
4.8 | 12.6 | 12.60 | 123 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 38.5 | |
| 56 | Aztec Warrior (2016) Limited Release |
Luis Guzmán | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 298 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 37.8 | |
| 58 | The Power of One (1992) | Morgan Freeman & Daniel Craig |
2.8 | 7.3 | 7.30 | 140 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 36.9 | |
| 60 | Tough Enough (1983) | Dennis Quaid & Warren Oates |
2.4 | 8.3 | 8.30 | 109 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 34.5 | |
| 59 | Fighting Tommy Riley (2004) | Eddie Jones | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 392 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 34.4 | |
| 61 | Triumph of the Spirit (1989) | Willem Dafoe | 0.4 | 1.1 | 1.10 | 184 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 28.8 | |
| 62 | The All-American Boy (1973) | Jon Voight | 1.3 | 7.8 | 7.80 | 145 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 24.3 | |
| 62 | Grudge Match (2013) | Sylvester Stallone & Robert De Niro |
29.8 | 39.5 | 59.50 | 91 | 44 | 00 / 00 | 22.2 | |
| 64 | The Great White Hype (1996) | Samuel L. Jackson & Jamie Foxx |
8.0 | 19.5 | 19.50 | 137 | 48 | 00 / 00 | 19.1 | |
| 65 | Homeboy (1988) | Mickey Rourke | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.30 | 251 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 17.0 | |
| 67 | The Calcium Kid (2004) Limited Release |
Orlando Bloom | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.30 | 298 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 15.0 | |
| 66 | The Challenger (2015) | MIchael Clarke Duncan | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 304 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 14.9 | |
| 67 | The Joe Louis Story (1953) | John Marley | 0.5 | 8.2 | 8.20 | 230 | 49 | 00 / 00 | 14.5 | |
| 70 | Gladiator (1992) | Cuba Gooding Jr. | 9.2 | 24.0 | 24.00 | 98 | 42 | 00 / 00 | 12.1 | |
| 69 | Tiger (2017) | Mickey Rourke | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 294 | 49 | 00 / 00 | 11.4 | |
| 72 | Phantom Punch (2008) | Ving Rhames | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.20 | 264 | 48 | 00 / 00 | 11.1 | |
| 71 | Body and Soul (1981) | Peter Lawford | 1.4 | 5.4 | 5.40 | 127 | 46 | 00 / 00 | 10.1 | |
| 72 | Streets of Gold (1986) | Wesley Snipes | 2.5 | 7.4 | 7.40 | 136 | 45 | 00 / 00 | 9.7 | |
| 73 | The Brawler (2019) Limited Release |
Joe Pantoliano | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 231 | 46 | 00 / 00 | 8.3 | |
| 74 | Price of Glory (2000) | Jimmy Smits | 3.4 | 6.9 | 6.90 | 152 | 42 | 00 / 00 | 7.2 | |
| 77 | Annapolis (2006) | James Franco | 17.1 | 28.1 | 28.20 | 125 | 35 | 00 / 00 | 6.4 | |
| 76 | Knockout (2000) | Paul Winfield | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.30 | 243 | 40 | 00 / 00 | 4.2 | |
| 79 | Split Decisions (1988) | Gene Hackman | 0.7 | 1.8 | 1.80 | 198 | 38 | 00 / 00 | 3.6 | |
| 78 | The Savant (2019) Limited Release |
Robert Loggia | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 388 | 39 | 00 / 00 | 3.5 | |
| 80 | Play It to the Bone (1999) | Woody Harrelson | 8.4 | 18.0 | 18.00 | 132 | 33 | 00 / 00 | 3.4 | |
| 81 | Against the Ropes (2004) | Meg Ryan | 5.9 | 10.2 | 10.20 | 158 | 34 | 00 / 00 | 2.9 | |
| 83 | Strength and Honor (2007) | Michael Madsen | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 321 | 31 | 00 / 00 | 0.9 | |
| 84 | The Great Fight (2011) Film Festival Circuit Only |
Robert Loggia | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 325 | 31 | 00 / 00 | 0.9 | |
| 84 | Carman: The Champion (2001) | Michael Nouri | 1.8 | 3.4 | 3.40 | 178 | 29 | 00 / 00 | 0.8 | |
| 84 | Teen Wolf Too (1987) | Jason Bateman | 7.9 | 21.7 | 21.70 | 88 | 22 | 00 / 00 | 0.7 |
Stats and Possibly Interesting Things From The Above Boxing Movies Table
- Nine Boxing Movie crossed the magical $100 million mark. That is a percentage of 14.28% of his movies listed. Rocky (1976) is the biggest box office hit when looking at adjusted domestic box office.
- An average Boxing Movie grosses $61.40 million in adjusted box office gross.
- Using RottenTomatoes.com’s 60% fresh meter. 38 Boxing Movies are rated as good movies…or 38.63% of his movies. Highest rated Boxing movie is Raging Bull (1980). Lowest rated Boxing movie is Teen Wolf Too (1987).
- Twenty-one Boxing Movies (Hoosiers) received at least one Oscar® nomination in any category…..or 33.33% of the listed movies.
- Nine Boxing Movies won at least one Oscar® in any category…..or 14.28% of his movies.
- An average Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score is 39.86. 20 Boxing Movies scored higher that average….or 31.74% of his movies. Rocky (1976) got the highest UMR Score….Teen Wolf Too (1987) got the lowest UMR Score.
My other Sports Movie Links
- Top 100 Biggest Box Office Grossing Sports Movies
- Top 100 Best Reviewed Sports Movies
- Top 400 Sports Movies
- Ranking Baseball Movies
- Ranking Basketball Movies
- Ranking Boxing Movies
- Ranking Football Movies
- Ranking Golf Movies
- Ranking Hockey Movies
- Ranking Olympics Movies
- Ranking Racing Movies
- Ranking Soccer Movies
- Ranking Other Sports Movies poker, surfing, rodeo, curling and others
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….well I’m a big big fan of your hubs and I am also a big big boxing fan – met Muhammad Ali and shook his hand and shared a few minutes with him at a dinner for Canadian legend and boxer George Chuvalo – Joe Frazier was also there; he even pulled a punch on me, no kidding – great night that was – so yes I love your hub here and I thought yes yes yes – I am finally gonna stump the great COGERSON – but alas, I see you have FAT CITY here – lol lol – a film directed by the late great John Huston – also a little homework assignment for you – a hubber buddy of mine RADIOGUY has some really terrific film related hubs which may interest you and a couple of classic boxing hubs too ……
also a question for you – what do you think of Pauline Kael as a film critic? And two of my favorite films?
Blue Velvet and A Clockwork Orange.
Hey epigramman…that sounds like a great night when you got to spend some time with Ali and Frazier…two boxing legends. I love John Huston movie’s but I have never seen Fat City….but I am very aware it exists…so I made sure it made the hub.
Thanks for the headsup on Radioguy and his boxing hubs….I am already following him…..so I will check through his older hubs and find the ones you mention.
As for Blue Velvet….a very interesting movie….I have read lots of interesting ideas about what that movie was really about….one of them had to do with the insect world….which was why Hopper was always wearing that mask to give him an insect look…..if only David Lynch would give a clue about what he was trying to say…especially in some of his other movies….you can at least follow the story in Blue Velvet.
As for Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange….it is simple a classic…I find it much better than some of Kubrick’s masterpieces. Kubrick created a world that I still think about on a pretty regular basis. I would say it is in Kubrick’s top three…with The Shining, Paths of Glory and Clockwork….I actually have a Kubrick page..
.I would consider myself one of the foremost film experts here at the Hub – and man oh man , you really know your stuff – big time!!!!!
I am also the resident musicologist here at the HUB – lol lol – it’s been so nice to meet you – you have such a sincere passion, love and knowledge of the movies.
Can you list for me or do a hub of 5 or 10 of your most favorite scenes in movie history?
lake erie time 1:12pm July 21
Hey epigramman…I appreciate your compliment..it is greatly appreciated. I have been thinking about my favorite movie scenes…..and here would be the ones that popped into my head.
1. Robert Shaw talking about the USS Indianapolis in Jaws.
2. The chase scene in Butch and Sundance that ends with the big jump.
3. From my youth….Judd Nelson picking up Saturday detentions for the rest of the year….in Breakfast Club
4. The introduction of Indy Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark….right through the snake on the plane.
5. The plane flying over the graveyard with McQueen safely in it at the end of Thomas Crowne Affair
6. The ring dropping in The Sixth Sense and the realization of what the movie was really about.
7. The imaginary baseball game in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
8. When Cary Grant finds the painting and realizes the truth in An Affair To Remember
9. Richard Dreyfuss at the railroad track and his visit from the aliens in Close Encounters
10. Robert Redford’s homerun into the exploding lights in The Natural…..
Hi Cogerson; Though I’m not a big fan of sports films, there have been a lot of great Boxing films. “Rocky’ and “Raging Bull” were two amazing movies. My father loved “the champ” with Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper. The recent film “the fighter” was good, too.
Rob
Hey Rob, thanks for checking out the boxing page. I finally finished the page that required all these little pages…and the three movies you mentioned all did very well on the Top 100 Sports Page….Rocky actually ended up #1, while Raging Bull was #31 and The Champ(1932) finished 12th. This request was right up there with your requests of Loy and Cagney for difficulty level. As always thanks for stopping by
Pretty impressive list, I can tell you research the heck out of boxing movies, 3 movies in your top ten made before 1950. I will have to check out Gentleman Jim. My favorite boxing movie is Diggstown with James Woods.
Hey ShaunBroncoMan….Hollywood has been making boxing movies for a very long time….The Champ, Gentlemen Jim and Here Comes Mr. Jordan….still are excellent movies even if they are over 70 years old. As for Diggstown….I like the movie as well one of James Woods better roles…thanks for stopping by and checking out this boxing movie page.
As ,before,I had the VHS of Rocky 1 and watchede it over a hundred times,I even had the sound track.;)
Hey mentalist acer….I do not think you were the only person to wear out a VHS copy of Rocky…..I remember the days of VHS….the older the tape got the more lines would appear on the movie…those were the days….thanks for the comments.
Thanks for stopping by Mentalist Acer
I love me some Rocky, at least until he got so old. Ali with Will Smith was an excellent movie as well. I have only seen about half of The Fighter but I agree with the other comments, Bale is outstanding in the movie
Hey Kellye1967….I am glad that you like the hub and the fact that Rocky dominates the list. I actually have not seen Ali….but I agree Bale in The Fighter is awesome…..thanks for stopping by and checking out my boxing movie page