Of all the sports that have been the subject of motion pictures, boxing seems to have a particular resonance among filmmakers and movie audiences alike.
Boxing films allow movie directors to explore the soul and motivation of the fighter, and often the struggle to emerge from desperate economic and living conditions. The action takes place in the so-called squared circle, putting the viewer in the ring with the pugilists in an experience that can’t be easily replicated by movies about other sports.
To determine the best boxing movies of all time, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of March 2023, weighting all ratings equally. Cast credits are from IMDb.
Rotten Tomatoes critics have applauded movies about the sweet science over the years, awarding four movies on our list a perfect 100% Tomatometer score. Another 12 have scores of more than 90%. (Here’s a list of the highest-grossing sports movies of all time.)
Many of the movies on this list don’t pull punches in depicting the corrupting influence of organized crime on the sport, undermining the determination and preparation of the fighter.
Some of the best boxing movies have been biopics, among them “Hurricane,” “Somebody Up There Likes Me,” “Raging Bull,” and “Cinderella Man.” All the actors who played the lead roles in these films – Denzel Washington, Paul Newman, Robert De Niro, and Russell Crowe, respectively – have won Academy Awards though not for their roles in the fight films. (These are the best movies based on real events or people.)
Speaking of Oscars, 11 boxing films have won the golden statue in various categories. Among the notable ones on our list are “Million Dollar Baby” and of course “Rocky.” Sylvester Stallone has appeared in three of the best boxing films ranked here.
25. Girlfight (2000)
> IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (10,896 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (11,868 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (129 reviews)
> Starring: Michelle Rodriguez, Santiago Douglas, Jamie Tirelli
24. City for Conquest (1940)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (2,317 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (583 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (5 reviews)
> Starring: James Cagney, Ann Sheridan, Arthur Kennedy
23. Creed II (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (114,186 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (5,818 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (309 reviews)
> Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson
22. A Prayer Before Dawn (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (24,259 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (1,843 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (63 reviews)
> Starring: Joe Cole, Vithaya Pansringarm, Cherry Miko
21. Champion (1949)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (3,986 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (736 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (15 reviews)
> Starring: Kirk Douglas, Arthur Kennedy, Marilyn Maxwell
20. The Hammer (2007)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (5,983 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (4,951 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (40 reviews)
> Starring: Adam Carolla, Oswaldo Castillo, Heather Juergensen
19. The Champ (1931)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (3,014 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (620 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (22 reviews)
> Starring: Wallace Beery, Jackie Cooper, Irene Rich
18. The Happiest Day In The Life Of Olli Mäki (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (4,811 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (50 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (57 reviews)
> Starring: Jarkko Lahti, Oona Airola, Eero Milonoff
17. Rocky (1976)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (539,768 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (33,403,994 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (67 reviews)
> Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young
16. Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (8,418 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (2,418 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (12 reviews)
> Starring: Paul Newman, Pier Angeli, Everett Sloane
15. Hard Times (1975)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (10,085 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (4,123 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (13 reviews)
> Starring: Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Jill Ireland
14. The Hurricane (1999)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (98,363 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (55,668 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (114 reviews)
> Starring: Denzel Washington, Vicellous Shannon, Deborah Kara Unger
13. The Set-Up (1949)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (8,455 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (1,770 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (10 reviews)
> Starring: Robert Ryan, Audrey Totter, George Tobias
12. Cinderella Man (2005)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (189,703 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (282,263 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (215 reviews)
> Starring: Russell Crowe, Renée Zellweger, Craig Bierko
11. The Harder They Fall (1956)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (8,440 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (2,134 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (12 reviews)
> Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Rod Steiger, Jan Sterling
10. Creed III (2023)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (10,088 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (2,500 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (237 reviews)
> Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors
9. Body and Soul (1947)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (4,692 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (717 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (12 reviews)
> Starring: John Garfield, Lilli Palmer, Hazel Brooks
8. Fat City (1972)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (8,448 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (2,341 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (24 reviews)
> Starring: Stacy Keach, Jeff Bridges, Susan Tyrrell
7. Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (6,180 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (1,122 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (20 reviews)
> Starring: Robert Montgomery, Claude Rains, Evelyn Keyes
6. Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (4,120 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (1,244 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (12 reviews)
> Starring: Anthony Quinn, Jackie Gleason, Mickey Rooney
5. The Fighter (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (371,534 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (121,585 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (254 reviews)
> Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams
4. Creed (2015)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (258,408 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (76,266 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (311 reviews)
> Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson
3. Gentleman Jim (1942)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (3,387 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (570 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (25 reviews)
> Starring: Errol Flynn, Alexis Smith, Jack Carson
2. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (657,818 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (405,182 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (271 reviews)
> Starring: Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman
1. Raging Bull (1980)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (356,943 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (131,523 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (76 reviews)
> Starring: Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci