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What fighter would you like to see a movie based on?
Posted: 26 Apr 2004, 16:41
by tonyevs
Russell Crowe has made a film based on James Braddock –The Cinderella Man.
What fighter would you like to see a movie based on? And why?
My choice would be Harry Greb.
The twenties are almost always regarded as the golden age of the sport and there was such a rich selection of characters about then it would just grab the imagination.
The book on Greb was very good and also quite funny in parts.
So there would be humour, a great story, how he ran away from home to be a worlds champion, heartache, with the loss of his wife and Greb`s notoriety with the women would bring in the glamour and with over 300 fights against the top men of the time the boxing enthusiast would be spoilt.
Posted: 26 Apr 2004, 19:40
by perrycarter
I hear there is a Sonny Liston movie coming out. That sounds interesting.
Posted: 27 Apr 2004, 01:03
by crooked nose
Tony Zale. They made a movie about Graziano even though Zale beat the snot out of him two out of three. Maybe Mark Wahlberg in the title role?
Posted: 27 Apr 2004, 06:34
by Alister
If any, I wouldn't mind seeing a film based on the life of Matthew Saad Muhammad. His story is rather amazing imo.
Alister
Posted: 27 Apr 2004, 07:53
by J
tapia

Posted: 27 Apr 2004, 10:13
by silkov
Fighters whose lives would make great movies are...
Mathew Saad Muhammad
Bobby Chacon
Frankie Durate
Henry Armstrong
Joe Louis...
8)
Posted: 27 Apr 2004, 10:49
by wsbuf
George Forman
Posted: 27 Apr 2004, 15:02
by tonyevs
There is a film on Sonny Liston due to be released, or may even be released by now, it is based on the book called Night Train. Ving Rhames plays the leading role.
And I read recently Johnny Tapia is having a book and film made about his life, I think it has the working title of ` La Vida Loca` which I understand translates to-This crazy life of mine- or something like that ( I don’t speak Spanish).
Wasn’t there a very old film made on Joe Louis? He is one of my favourites.
Henry Armstrong would be a great choice also and Tony Zale hasn’t had a book written on him so I do not know very much about him..a shame.
Posted: 27 Apr 2004, 15:57
by crooked nose
How about Archie Moore? An interesting man in and out of the ring, plus his life is well documented (if sometimes embellished by Archie himself). Maybe Danny Glover in the role?
Or how about a film bio of Charley Burley? I'm sure a fine screenplay could be written by August Wilson, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playright who grew up across the street from Charley. The character Troy Maxson in Wilson's "Fences" is said to be based on Burley.
Posted: 27 Apr 2004, 16:09
by tonyevs
I think the old time boxers, pre-1960, are more interesting.
They seem to have done more than just boxed, If you read about the old fighters, like I would imagine most of us do, you will know there is more of a story to tell about Henry Armstrong for example,and how he came to box than say if you was to read one about Marvin Hagler or even Roy Jones Jr.
Charley Burley gets more recognition now than when he was active, but what do we know other than he was avoided by Robinson, beat Archie Moore and lost to Charles? Or was it the other way around?
Posted: 28 Apr 2004, 08:45
by glittermonkey
I'd love to see a movie based on the life of my favourite fighter, Carlos Monzon.
Made a less than spectacular start to his career, but went on to win the middleweight title and defend it 14 times, before retiring as champion. He went thirteen years without losing (80 or 81 fights, depending on the source).
Out of the ring he was married twice, but had a history of domestic violence. One of his wives shot him in the leg, but more often than not he was the one dishing it out. He had a string of mistresses (who he also beat), including film stars and models. He also liked to fight with the photographers who followed him round. He was eventually tried and convicted for the death of his wife when she fell (or more likely was pushed) from a balcony. Monzon was sent down for 11 years, but in 1995 while let out for a weekend he crashed his car and died at the scene.
If that isn't a good enough story for a movie i don't know what is.
Posted: 28 Apr 2004, 10:07
by knockout artist
Stanley Ketchel or Tony Ayala
Posted: 28 Apr 2004, 11:47
by KOJOE90
Jimmy Wilde.
Mainly bacause he is one of my favourites.
And one of the true greats
Posted: 29 Apr 2004, 06:19
by {amateur}
Paz he has a really weird career, and they could cast cuba gooding jr as Roy Jones!
Also Tapia would make a good movie!
And spadafora they can have a scene where he jumps out of a Hummer and shoots his girlfriend!
Posted: 29 Apr 2004, 06:37
by silkov
Benny Lynch's life would make a great but heartbreaking film... triumph and tragedy... rags to riches and back again!....
benny and bert
Posted: 29 Apr 2004, 10:56
by jimglen
Bert Gilroy's life would be the best of all,
Bert and Benny were friends and as Scotland and Bert were "cheering" Benny as Scotland's BEST wee-man, the same Benny and Scotland were "cheering" on Bert as Scotland's BEST big-man...
Benny had his chances, Bert's were stolen from him, his story is full of excellence, frustration and CONTROVERSY. His book comes out in June it is a good account of the most superior and most feared fighter in Britain during the greatest overall period in Boxing the 30's and 40's
it would make a great film, the Americans would eat up such an account of a British great from this period.
Posted: 29 Apr 2004, 12:18
by enrique
SAM LANGFORD.
Posted: 29 Apr 2004, 16:28
by tonyevs
Yes Sam Langford would be good, and also Kid Norfolk from the same era.
Posted: 29 Apr 2004, 18:52
by surefire72
My picks for movies are George Foreman.
Sugar Ray Leonard.
Vinne Pazienza.
Meldrick Taylor.
Roy Jones.
Salvidor Sanchez.
Jack Johnson.
Evander Holyfield.
Roberto Duran.
Aaron Pryor.
Mike Tyson.
These fighters all have very interesting careers & life stories that could fill a movie.
Everyone of these names all kept us glued to the tv either about their personal life or the fight s they had & the reprocussions it left on the world & boxing
re
Posted: 01 May 2004, 11:06
by barry
"Tiger" Jack Fox, Joe Grim, Aurelio Herrera, Ruben Olivares, Sam Langford, Barbados Joe Walcott, Harry Greb, George Dixon, Joe Gans, Ad Wolgast, Terry McGovern, Jack Dillon, Knockout Brown, Bob Fitzsimmons, John L. Sullivan, Abe Attell, Stanley Ketchel, Max Baer, Tex Cobb, Jack Blackburn, Fritzie Zivic, Kid McCoy, Bobby Dobbs, George Lavigne, Mickey Walker, Leach Cross, Bob Satterfield, Chuck Wiggins, Young Stribling, Al "Bummy" Davis, Kayo Morgan, Edwin Rosario, Tommy Gomez, Wilfredo Gomez, Beau Jack, Alabama Kid, Peter Maher and Battling Nelson.
Posted: 01 May 2004, 11:26
by tonyevs
Chuck Wiggins is a name not that well known, but he was a character certainly..also from the same era and just as interesting would be Fat Willie Meehan.
re
Posted: 01 May 2004, 11:39
by barry
Yep, Wiggins isn't well known, but certainly one of the eccentric characters of ring history. I think it was Dempsey who called Wiggins, "The King of the Back-Alley Brawlers," or it may have been a boxing writer, I don't recall, but Wiggins loved to fight both in and out of the ring and his death was suspicious to say the least!
Posted: 01 May 2004, 15:31
by surefire72
Willie Pep with his comeback (plane crash) & superfights .
Bobby Chacon & his turbelent like in & out of the ring would be a sad movie , deffentely a tear jerker.
Even Ray Leonard would be a good HBO movie.
Posted: 01 May 2004, 23:06
by crooked nose
In the Ray Leonard movie, Sugar could portray himself and Shamu the Whale could co-star as Ray's ego!