The 100 Best Boxing Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer
The latest: Cinco de Mayo weekend heats up on Saturday, May 2, as undefeated David Benavidez takes on Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez for the WBA and WBO cruiserweight world titles in a high-stakes Mexico vs. Mexico showdown.
The tradition of Cinco de Mayo fight nights have long delivered some of boxing’s most iconic moments, and this matchup is poised to carry that tradition forward. For fans of the sport, and anyone who loves the drama of a great boxing story, this is one of 2026’s defining events.
Benavidez vs. Zurdo streams live on PPV.COM this Saturday at 8p ET/5p PT. Order now. No subscription required.
Pugilists have been popular camera subjects since the start — boxing, at the time, being arguably the most interesting thing you do to another person in public. In the odd century-plus that’s passed since, boxing cinema has evolved past mere punching for spectacle. It’s about personal toil. Training. Strength. Sacrifice. Undying commitment to the physical vision. And then it’s about hitting somebody for money. Or respect, sure.
Tonight’s title bout: The best-reviewed boxing movies ever! In one corner, we have heavyweight classics like Rocky and Raging Bull. In the other, hungry newcomers like Creed and Million Dollar Baby. And in another corner (we have a lot of corners): hard-hitting documentaries, repped by When We Were Kings and Unforgivable Blackness. And, yes, we’re going international in this corner: see Knuckle all the way from Ireland, and China Heavyweight, all the way from, er, China.
To rank the list, we listed Certified Fresh films first, followed by Fresh and then the Rotten movies.
Think you got what it takes to take on the champs? Hit ’em where it counts! Right in the Best Boxing Movies of All Time! —Alex Vo
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