Battle of the Baddest (2024)

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.

40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic

Sylvester Stallone and John G. Avildsen narrate behind-the-scenes footage from the making of "Rocky" to mark the film's 40th anniversary.

Manny

From abject poverty to becoming a ten-time boxing world champion, congressman, and international icon, Manny Pacquiao is the true definition of a Cinderella story. In the Philippines, he first entered the ring as a sixteen-year-old weighing ninety-eight pounds with the goal of earning money to feed his family. Now, almost twenty years later, when he fights, the country of 100 million people comes to a complete standstill to watch. Regarded for his ability to bring people together, Pacquiao entered the political arena in 2010. As history’s first boxing congressman, Pacquiao now fights for his people both inside and outside of the ring. Now at the height of his career, he is faced with maneuvering an unscrupulous sport while maintaining his political duties. The question now is, what bridge is too far for Manny Pacquiao to cross?

42 to 1

On February 11, 1990, while the odds were technically 42 to 1, it was the impossible that happened in a boxing ring in Tokyo, Japan, when James "Buster" Douglas defeated Mike Tyson for the heavyweight championship of the world. Fallen from a top-10 heavyweight contender in the mid-1980s to a stepping-stone for the champion, Douglas was lightly regarded. But a series of extraordinary circumstances would lead to an unimaginable result.

Butterfly

Eighteen year old Irma Testa is Italy’s first female boxer to make it to the Olympics. It’s a remarkable outcome for a girl raised in one of the poorest, most crime-ridden neighborhoods of Naples.. The more Irma succeeds though, the more fragile she becomes. After a crushing defeat at the Games in Rio, she questions whether boxing is her future. She wants to chart her own path, but must first take a hard look at her personal life which she has avoided for so long.

Heart of Boxing

Follows the journey of 19-year-old Liam Robinson who after 5 years of learning how to box, reflects on his life and how it has evolved mentally and physically, as well as exploring the way boxing is more than just a sport.

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson

The story of Jack Johnson, the first African American Heavyweight boxing champion.

Fighting Back: The Michael Watson Story

Little did Michael Watson know that when he stepped into the ring on 21 September 1991 to fight Chris Eubank for the World Boxing Organisation Super Middleweight title, it was a fight that would nearly cost him his life. Ten years on, Fighting Back: The Michael Watson Story, tells of his remarkable recovery from the brink of death and features his first public meeting with Eubank.

Tommy "The Duke" Morrison

Documentary on heavyweight champion boxer Tommy Morrison; his life and career. Tommy Morrison was an American heavyweight boxer and a former World Boxing Organization champion. He lost only three out of a total of 52 professional fights.

Lennox Lewis: The Untold Story

Dr. Dre narrates the story of Lennox Lewis' rise from humble beginnings to become the greatest Undisputed Heavyweight Champion in the modern era.

Never Be A Punching Bag For Nobody

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.

In the Company of Kings

In the Company of Kings follows a fight fan's unforgettable journey into the dark heart of American boxing to talk to eight former World Champs and those closest to his hero, Muhammad Ali, about race, struggle, victory, defeat and picking yourself up off the canvas. Features Larry Holmes, Bernard Hopkins, Tim Witherspoon, Earnie Shavers, the Spinks brothers, Bob Arum and more.

Le steak

The documentary is a portrait of former Canadian boxing champion Gaétan Hart, profiling both the ups and downs of his career in the 1970s and 1980s and his attempt to return to the sport in a 1990 fight. The film's title was inspired by "A Piece of Steak", Jack London's 1909 short story about a retired boxer struggling with poverty.

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.

S.O.G.: The Book of Ward

Andre Ward's journey from the streets of Oakland to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Facing an all-too familiar series of obstacles including substance abuse, the loss of a parent, drug dealing and teen pregnancy, how Ward faced that adversity is what separates him from the rest. Fight after fight he defied the odds and silenced his critics. And then, guided by faith and devotion, he walked away - choosing his role as a father and a husband over his boxing career.

Werner We Love You

When Werner Herzog was still a child, his father was beaten to death before his eyes. His mother was overwhelmed with his upbringing and thereupon shipped him off to one of the toughest youth welfare institutions in Freistatt. This was followed by a career as a bouncer in the city's most notorious music club and an attempt to start a family. Today, the 77-year-old from Bielefeld lives with his dog Lucky in a lonely house in the country. Despite adverse living conditions, he has survived in his own unique and inimitable way.

Golden Girl

Golden Girl is a film about the forces at play around Frida Wallberg, WBC world champion. It's about putting it all on the line in a deadly sport. About rosy dreams that crash into a nothing less than brutal reality.

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.

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.

Urtain, King of the Mountains

A humorous visit to the turbulent world of the controversial Spanish boxer José Manuel Urtain.

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

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.

64 Day Hero

Documentary about the life and career of the 1940s and 1950s boxer Randy Turpin.

Counterpunch

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

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.

Evander Holyfield vs Buster Douglas

A professional boxing match contested on October 25, 1990, for the WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight championships. The bout took place at the Mirage in Paradise, Nevada, USA and saw Douglas making the first defense of the titles he won from Mike Tyson in February 1990.

Tough Guys

10 years before the debut of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. In 1979, Bill Viola and Frank Caliguri dreamed up a contest pitting barroom bigmouths against wrestlers, martial artists, boxers, bouncers and brawlers, billed as no-holds-barred new type of competitive fighting. When the fights succeeded beyond their wildest expectations, they were swept up in a chain of events that ended in the first mixed-martial arts ban in the nation. “Tough Guys” chronicles the inception of Caliguri and Viola’s first bouts and the colorful, crazy cast of fighters who made them a hit as well as the politicians who brought it all crashing down. The film brings to life a moment when the national martial arts craze was building to a crescendo as the economies of Pennsylvania steel towns were plummeting to levels of unemployment never seen, breeding desperate men looking for a chance to prove their worth and make some money in the ring.

Hardface

Shot on 16mm film, Hardface explores the enduring bond between fighter and trainer, through the lens of fighter-turned-trainer Richard 'Hardface' Mason. The film follows two promising young fighters who embark on the journey to become the gym's next champions. The past merges with the present through family archive footage and interviews, revealing why John Falcone's fighters 'always come home.'

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.

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.

ESPN Classic Ringside: Mike Tyson

Legendary Mike Tyson was one of the most feared fighters in boxing. By age 19, his superlative record of wins earned him the nickname "Kid Dynamite." Over the next two years, Tyson knocked out 19 opponents in a row, eventually becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in history. His winning streak expanded to a dazzling 37-0 before Buster Douglas, an 11-1 underdog, TKO'd Tyson in the 10th round in one of boxing's biggest upsets. Includes 19 Thrill-Packed Fights! Tyson vs. Mercedes, Tyson vs. Spain, Tyson vs. Alderson, Tyson vs. Johnson, Tyson vs. Long, Tyson vs. Colay, Tyson vs. Benjamin, Tyson vs. Richardson, Tyson vs. Scaff, Tyson vs. Young, Tyson vs. Jameson, Tyson vs. Ferguson, Tyson vs. Zouski, Tyson vs. Tillis, Tyson vs. Berbick, Tyson vs. Holmes, Tyson vs. Spinks, Tyson vs. Bruno, Tyson vs. Douglas

Bruno v Tyson

The full story of an epic in-ring rivalry and the fascinating personal relationship that went along with it.

One Night in Millstreet

A prizefight between underdog Steve 'The Celtic Warrior' Collins and champion Chris 'Simply the Best' Eubank grips and encapsulates an entire nation as it emerges from depression towards previously unimagined prosperity.

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.