The story of Sylvester Stallone’s quest to get Rocky from script to screen is a perilous one, full of pitfalls that beggar belief. On November 20, 2026, nearly 50 years to the date of the original Rocky film’s release (November 21, 1976), Amazon MGM will bring Stallone’s story to the screen (in wide release) with
First Look at ‘I Play Rocky’: What the New Trailer Reveals Read More »
The ultimate great white hope had to be fictional. For parts of three decades (the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s), Black fighters dominated the heavyweight division. In 1976, in the middle of that stretch of dominance, a near-penniless Sylvester Stallone watched the unheralded Chuck Wepner go nearly fifteen rounds with the great Muhammad Ali, took pen
50 Years of ‘Rocky’: Ranking Every Film In The ‘Rocky’ Franchise Read More »
Former world featherweight champion “Prince” Naseem Hamed flew like a comet over the boxing world from 1992 to 2002. Hamed was a true enigma. His skill set was electrifying. He had speed, power, footwork, and flash. He was also an egomaniac with the kind of bad habits (Hamed hated to train and fought with his
The Biopic ‘Giant’ is Too Small to Capture ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed’s Life & Boxing Career Read More »
Author Jack Hirsch is the kind of journalist one would call a boxing “lifer,” and not be talking out of turn. A former amateur boxer (and sparring partner of middleweight champion Vito Antuofermo) who competed in New York’s Golden Gloves in 1973 and 1976, Hirsch took off his gloves in the ‘70s, picked up a
Exclusive: Jack Hirsch Talks New Book Michael ‘Jinx’ Spinks Read More »
Sometimes the best thing and the worst thing are the same thing. Ask any boxer what the best outcome for a fight they are competing in would be, and they would say, “To win.” A draw or a loss does not typically move a fighter forward. But when is it best not to move forward?
The Problem With Deontay Wilder Beating Derek Chisora: It Might Keep Him Fighting Read More »
It’s a rare feat for a filmmaker to spend ten years on a single feature film, but that’s exactly what director Francesco Saviano did with On the Line. Starting in 2013, Saviano’s film charts the rise of three NYC boxers (Danny Jacobs, Will Rosinsky, and Patrick Day) whose careers go down very different paths. On
15 years ago, a then-48-year-old Holt McCallany scored the bittersweet break of his acting career by winning the lead role of Patrick “Lights” Leary on the FX series Lights Out. I say bittersweet because while the role of a former champion boxer forced out of retirement due to financial constraints changed the course of McCallany’s
Leave a Light On For ‘Lights Out’: The Story of Holt McCallany and His Breakthrough Role Read More »
Netflix’s new sports documentary series, Matchroom: The Greatest Showmen, begins by implying that the founder and patriarch of the Matchroom family business, the 76-year-old Barry Hearn, is not entirely certain that his son and the face of the company, Eddie Hearn, is ready to take over the business. It’s a bit of unnecessary and unbelievable
‘Matchroom: The Greatest Showmen’: Welcome To The Barry & Eddie Hearn Show Read More »
For those in the boxing know, Terence Crawford’s standing is more than solid. Not only is he seen as one of the best fighters in the game now, as his consistent position in the P4P listings would indicate, but he is an unabashed member of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport. However,
Terence Crawford’s Ascent Can Be Compared To A Hollywood Late Bloomer Read More »
After the introductory nature of episode one, episode two of Countdown: Canelo vs. Crawford has the opportunity to delve deeper, and it does so, albeit slightly. A greater discussion of the risk/reward factor for the two fighters is had. For Canelo Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs), beating Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) would further cement his
Countdown: Canelo vs. Crawford Episode 2 Recap Read More »
