Never Be A Punching Bag For Nobody (2023)

(0) based on 0 votes
The film weaves together three stories: colorful boxing coach and ex-drill sergeant Sal Bartolo Jr., son of a renowned 1940s East Boston boxing champ; Naomi Yang herself, learning boxing from trainer Bartolo and reexamining some of her own family’s disturbing history; and schoolteacher Mary Ellen Welch, who in the 1960s mobilized a group of neighborhood women against encroachment from Logan airport, fighting back against an indifferent city government. None of these protagonists are destined to win the Big Fight, but all offer inspiration to anyone determined to stand up for themselves and hold their ground.
Directors
Release Date
Apr 26, 2023
Runtime
01h 05m
Genre
Available in streaming on

The film weaves together three stories: colorful boxing coach and ex-drill sergeant Sal Bartolo Jr., son of a renowned 1940s East Boston boxing champ; Naomi Yang herself, learning boxing from trainer Bartolo and reexamining some of her own family’s disturbing history; and schoolteacher Mary Ellen Welch, who in the 1960s mobilized a group of neighborhood women against encroachment from Logan airport, fighting back against an indifferent city government. None of these protagonists are destined to win the Big Fight, but all offer inspiration to anyone determined to stand up for themselves and hold their ground.

Movies like Never Be A Punching Bag For Nobody

When We Were Kings

It's 1974. Muhammad Ali is 32 and thought by many to be past his prime. George Foreman is ten years younger and the heavyweight champion of the world. Promoter Don King wants to make a name for himself and offers both fighters five million dollars apiece to fight one another, and when they accept, King has only to come up with the money. He finds a willing backer in Mobutu Sese Suko, the dictator of Zaire, and the "Rumble in the Jungle" is set, including a musical festival featuring some of America's top black performers, like James Brown and B.B. King.
Search similar movies
7.7
When+We+Were+Kings
When We Were Kings

1996

Search similar movies
Bruno v Tyson

The full story of an epic in-ring rivalry and the fascinating personal relationship that went along with it.
Search similar movies
7.0
Bruno+v+Tyson
Bruno v Tyson

2021

Search similar movies
Hatton

A definitive portrait of a unique, working-class hero, one of the world’s most beloved boxers - Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton. This documentary, with incredible access to Ricky and unseen archive footage, charts his journey from the Hattersley estate near Manchester to headlining on the strip in Las Vegas is an emotional insight into a brilliant but flawed sporting hero. Raw and compelling, the documentary showcases this cautionary tale and inspirational story of a man forced to navigate a path through fragile relationships and broken dreams as he attempts to make sense of a life that appeared destined for a happy ending.
Search similar movies
8.0
Hatton
64 Day Hero

Documentary about the life and career of the 1940s and 1950s boxer Randy Turpin.
Search similar movies
64+Day+Hero
64 Day Hero

1986

Search similar movies
Kick Like Tayla

Kick Like Tayla shares a raw and unfiltered look into the life of AFLW player and boxing champion, Tayla Harris, as she confronts public and personal challenges, and channels her platform for good.
Search similar movies
5.0
Kick+Like+Tayla
Kick Like Tayla

2022

Search similar movies
Muhammad and Larry

In October of 1980 Muhammad Ali was preparing to fight for an unprecedented fourth heavyweight title against his friend and former sparring partner Larry Holmes. To say that the great Ali was in the twilight of his career would be generous; most of his admiring fans, friends and fight scribes considered his bravado delusional. What was left for him to prove? In the weeks of training before the fight, documentarians Albert and David Maysles took an intimate look at Ali trying to convince the world and perhaps himself, that he was still “The Greatest.” At the same time, they documented the mild-mannered and undervalued champion Holmes as he confidently prepared to put an end to the career of a man for whom he had an abiding and deep affection
Search similar movies
6.5
Muhammad+and+Larry
Muhammad and Larry

2009

Search similar movies
One Night in Vegas

On the evening of Sept. 7, 1996, Mike Tyson, the WBC heavyweight champion, attempted to take Bruce Seldon’s WBA title at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. At this point in his career, Tyson’s fights had become somewhat of a cultural phenomenon, where the ever present hype of the professional boxing scene would come face to face with the worlds of big business, Hollywood, and hip hop. Sitting ringside was controversial rapper Tupac Shakur. Shakur and Tyson were friends, a feeling of kinship linked them as each rose to stardom from poverty only to be thrown in prison. Following Tyson’s victory, Shakur and “Iron Mike” were to celebrate at an after party, but the rap star never arrived. Shakur was brutally gunned down later that night, and the scene in Las Vegas quickly turned from would-be celebratory revelry to ill fated and inopportune tragedy.
Search similar movies
6.3
One+Night+in+Vegas
One Night in Vegas

2010

Search similar movies
Calzaghe: The Story

Joe Calzaghe is, without question, the greatest British fighter, Ever. And this is his exclusive, all action story of how he fought his way to the top. Now unbeaten in 45 fights Joe has won WBO, WBA, WBC and IBF super middleweight titles during his epic 16 year unblemished career...and beaten absolutely everybody who has been put is his way! This is the Calzaghe Story which brings together his greatest World Title fights along with the exclusive, untold story from two boxing insiders, Frank Warren, and highly respected boxing journalist Colin Hart. These two men, with supreme knowledge of the boxing game, recount their stories about Joe the boxer, the world beater.
Search similar movies
Calzaghe%3A+The+Story
Calzaghe: The Story

2008

Search similar movies
Untold: Deal with the Devil

Christy Martin broke boundaries and noses as she rose in the boxing world, but her public persona belied personal demons, abuse and a threat on her life.
Search similar movies
6.9
Untold%3A+Deal+with+the+Devil
Untold: Deal with the Devil

2021

Search similar movies
Foreman

Cast as America’s Villain in the famed Rumble in the Jungle against Muhammad Ali, George Foreman lost one of the greatest fights in sports history. Immediately after the defeat, "Big George" fell into a spiral that made him abandon boxing and spend 10 years becoming an ordained minister following a near death experience. 20 years later on and into his 40’s, Foreman began an improbable climb back to the summit of world boxing becoming the heroic figure he’d always been destined to be, and writing one of the greatest underdog stories ever told.
Search similar movies
5.9
Foreman
a.k.a. Cassius Clay

The study of crazy brilliance and flamboyant sincerity. a.k.a. Cassius Clay presents a fascinating look at the incredible life and achievements of one of the most courageous, outspoken and charismatic figures of boxing: Muhammad Ali. Born Cassius Clay in 1942, Ali soon rose to become a renowned athlete, an articulate author and a compelling political; leader. Audacious, ambitious and totally fearless, Ali became a symbol of pride, a legend of hope and one of the most extraordinary cultural icons of the 20th century.
Search similar movies
7.5
a.k.a.+Cassius+Clay
a.k.a. Cassius Clay

1970

Search similar movies
Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes

The life and times of Muhammed Ali shown through the lens of his numerous appearances on The Dick Cavett Show. The film features new interviews with Dick Cavett, Rev. Al Sharpton, and Larry Merchant, as well as archival material from the Cavett Show.
Search similar movies
7.2
Ali+%26+Cavett%3A+The+Tale+of+the+Tapes
Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes

2018

Search similar movies
Counterpunch

As boxing's popularity wanes, three fighters at different stages of their career make sacrifices to pursue their dreams of becoming champions.
Search similar movies
6.6
Counterpunch
Counterpunch

2017

Search similar movies
Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer

British documentarian Nick Broomfield creates a follow-up piece to his 1992 documentary of the serial killer Aileen Wuornos, a highway prostitute who was convicted of killing six men in Florida between 1989 and 1990. Interviewing an increasingly mentally unstable Wuornos, Broomfield captures the distorted mind of a murderer whom the state of Florida deems of sound mind -- and therefore fit to execute. Throughout the film, Broomfield includes footage of his testimony at Wuornos' trial.
Search similar movies
6.8
Aileen%3A+Life+and+Death+of+a+Serial+Killer
Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer

2003

Search similar movies
Men Boxing

Experimental film fragment made with the Edison-Dickson-Heise experimental horizontal-feed kinetograph camera and viewer, using 3/4-inch wide film.
Search similar movies
4.1
Men+Boxing
Men Boxing

1970

Search similar movies
Urtain, King of the Mountains

A humorous visit to the turbulent world of the controversial Spanish boxer José Manuel Urtain.
Search similar movies
5.0
Urtain%2C+King+of+the+Mountains
Urtain, King of the Mountains

1969

Search similar movies
Fallen Champ: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson

Fallen Champ: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson is a 1993 film made by acclaimed American documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple. Though Tyson was in jail serving a sentence for rape, Kopple used existing interviews with the boxer, as well as her own extensive interviews with those closest to Tyson, to explore the man's history. The film traces Tyson's story from his troubled and tumultuous upbringing, through his rapid ascendancy in the ranks of the boxing world and his subsequent struggle with the trappings of fame. Fallen Champ earned Barbara Kopple a Directors Guild of America award as Best Documentary Director of 1993.
Search similar movies
8.0
Fallen+Champ%3A+The+Untold+Story+of+Mike+Tyson
Fallen Champ: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson

1993

Search similar movies
One Night: Joshua vs. Ruiz

'One Night: Joshua vs. Ruiz' is a comprehensive look at the night Andy Ruiz pulled off the biggest boxing upset in decades.
Search similar movies
8.5
One+Night%3A+Joshua+vs.+Ruiz
One Night: Joshua vs. Ruiz

2019

Search similar movies
Mike Tyson: The Knockout

Mike Tyson's climb, crash and comeback, from his difficult childhood to becoming undisputed world champion to his 1992 rape conviction and his personal struggles.
Search similar movies
10.0
Mike+Tyson%3A+The+Knockout
Mike Tyson: The Knockout

2021

Search similar movies
Day of the Fight

'Day of the Fight' shows Irish-American middleweight boxer Walter Cartier during the height of his career, on the day of a fight with black middleweight Bobby James, which took place on April 17, 1950.
Search similar movies
5.7
Day+of+the+Fight
Day of the Fight

1951

Search similar movies
The Real Rocky

Chuck Wepner is a liquor salesman from Bayonne, N.J., who drives a Cadillac with “Champ” vanity plates. A former New Jersey State Heavyweight Boxing Champion, he took abuse from Sonny Liston, got his nose broken by Muhammad Ali, and inspired Sylvester Stallone to write “Rocky” which won three Academy Awards. Wepner was left out of the “Rocky” glory, and his career took turn after strange turn as he worked to stay in the spotlight: he went on to fight Andre the Giant as “The Assassin” and boxed a 900 pound bear. Twice.
Search similar movies
5.9
The+Real+Rocky
The Real Rocky

2011

Search similar movies
Team Khan

Fly-on-the-wall documentary about professional boxer Amir Khan. Filmed over two years, it follows Amir and his team in their quest to fight the best boxer on the planet, the unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Search similar movies
9.0
Team+Khan
Boxing Libreville

Libreville, Gabon, Africa, 2016. Christ Olsen Mickala, a young boxer, trains tirelessly during the day and earns his living by night as a bouncer in nightclubs. At the same time, the combat of the presidential elections is taking place. As Christ hopes to succeed, a whole country hopes that a democratic transition finally triumphs.
Search similar movies
7.5
Boxing+Libreville
Boxing Libreville

2018

Search similar movies
Legendary Nights: The Tale of Gatti-Ward

The brutal trilogy of light-welterweight fights between Arturo 'Thunder' Gatti and 'Irish' Mickey Ward is the focus of this documentary.
Search similar movies
8.3
Legendary+Nights%3A+The+Tale+of+Gatti-Ward
Legendary Nights: The Tale of Gatti-Ward

2013

Search similar movies
Undisputed

A behind-the-scenes documentary detailing the biggest night in heavyweight boxing for a generation; Oleksandr Usyk & Tyson Fury’s first meet.
Search similar movies
Undisputed
Undisputed

2024

Search similar movies
Procession at Gangtok

Traditional games, dancing and music among the people of Sikkim - in vivid colour.
Search similar movies
Procession+at+Gangtok
Procession at Gangtok

1940

Search similar movies
Med krut i nävarna

"Powerful Fists" - Depicts Swedish heavy-weight professional boxer Ingemar Johansson's career 1952 to 1963.
Search similar movies
Med+krut+i+n%C3%A4varna
Med krut i nävarna

1969

Search similar movies
Muhammad Ali: The Greatest

Hear from the people who knew him best, from experts of the world of boxing, relive the legendary fights and explore the life of boxing's greatest symbol, Ali.
Search similar movies
10.0
Muhammad+Ali%3A+The+Greatest
Muhammad Ali: The Greatest

2014

Search similar movies
Amir Khan vs. Marcos Maidana

Could this be 'Fight of The Year'? The reputation of Amir Khan was enhanced in a brutal battle for supremacy in a thrilling, successful third defence of his World Boxing Association light-welterweight belt against knockout specialist Marcos Maidana. The plan was to hit and run. Yet not only did Khan stand and trade with Maidana in a ferocious fight, he survived a brutal onslaught and a near-knockout in the 10th round to dispel the myth that he is “chinny” at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Khan's vulnerability, yet desire to fight, make him compelling viewing.
Search similar movies
Amir+Khan+vs.+Marcos+Maidana
Amir Khan vs. Marcos Maidana

2010

Search similar movies
Gervonta Davis vs. Leo Santa Cruz

It’s a monster mash this Halloween as two standout gladiators clash for supremacy in a WBA Super Featherweight/WBA Lightweight World Championship event. The once beaten Leo Santa Cruz (37-1-1) and the undefeated Gervonta Davis (23-0) collide in a fight that serves as a career defining moment for both men. Gervonta Davis (23-0, 22KO) vs Leo Santa Cruz (37-1-1, 19 KO) Mario Barrios vs Ryan Karl Regis Prograis vs Juan Heraldez Isaac Cruz vs Diego Magdaleno
Search similar movies
Gervonta+Davis+vs.+Leo+Santa+Cruz
Gervonta Davis vs. Leo Santa Cruz

2020

Search similar movies
Chasing Tyson

Evander Holyfield knew he could never earn the respect he craved until he defeated Mike Tyson. When the two finally fought, the world witnessed not one, but two of the boxing's most memorable fights.
Search similar movies
6.9
Chasing+Tyson
Chasing Tyson

2015

Search similar movies
Manny Pacquiao: Unstoppable Force

While the sport of boxing requires sacrifice, discipline, concentration, and determination for Manny Pacquiao, it was survival.
Search similar movies
6.0
Manny+Pacquiao%3A+Unstoppable+Force
Manny Pacquiao: Unstoppable Force

2023

Search similar movies
KSI: Can't Lose

Millions tuned in to see KSI beat Joe Weller in the biggest amateur boxing match of all time. But what didn't they see? The blood, sweat and determination underpinning KSI's intense training regime and a revealing look at his world off camera. This is the exclusive and never before seen story of Knowledge, Strength and Integrity, and how JJ, with 18m YouTube subscribers, went from actor to athlete.
Search similar movies
7.0
KSI%3A+Can%27t+Lose
KSI: Can't Lose

2018

Search similar movies
The Boxer from Somewhere Else: The Ken Buchanan Story

Charts the life and career of Scottish boxer Ken Buchanan, the 1970-71 undisputed lightweight world champion.
Search similar movies
The+Boxer+from+Somewhere+Else%3A+The+Ken+Buchanan+Story
The Boxer from Somewhere Else: The Ken Buchanan Story

2025

Search similar movies