BoxRec

we know DE NIRO played JAKE to a tee in "RAGING BULL" and that PAUL NEWMAN did a pretty good job as GRAZIANO in "SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME" - i think TONY CURTIS would have been better - but which film star plays which boxer in the movies of your mind?

for me - and this thread must be colour non specific - i always think the complex, sensitive stranger that was FLOYD PATTERSON in the imaginary movie "THE SHY ONE" is played by ANTHONY PERKINS.
RAY ROBINSON, with his attitude and suave persona (not to mention his lady's man aura) is played by CARY GRANT in the film "SUGAR RAY".
i'd have to cast CHARLES BRONSON to play DURAN in the movie "HANDS OF STONE" just a bit of fun but it might reveal something of how you see a fighter, his attributes and foibles.

James Toney made for a convincing Joe Frazier in the 2002 film, Ali, as did Charles Shufford playing a smaller role as George Foreman. Both could pull that off in their own movies, perhaps?

I liked Jon Favreau's portrayal of Rocky Marciano in the 1999 telemovie of the same name, & feel he would do a similarly competent job as Jake LaMotta. A young Jack Palance would've made a great Jack Dempsey or Gene Fullmer, certainly.

Carl Weathers(Apollo Creed) could have done a good Larry Holmes I think.
Tupac could have done a terrific Zab Judah

Carl Weathers would have been a good George Foreman.

how about cagney? smallish, square, muscular, light on his feet with a mean streak? maybe he'd play tony zale.
i think cagney boxed. he certainly knew alot about the technique of boxing.

burt lancaster makes a great gene tunney

Patterson would KO Perkins with a jab

ben geoghegan wrote:Patterson would KO Perkins with a jab

John Wayne as Jim Jeffries

Ben Affleck as James J. Corbett

Jim Carey as Bob Fitzsimmons

Sean Penn as Stanley Ketchel

Jaywheel wrote:Carl Weathers(Apollo Creed) could have done a good Larry Holmes I think.
Tupac could have done a terrific Zab Judah

Allegedly, his Apollo Creed character was based on Ali, but it always reminded me a lot more of Holmes. More obnoxious than amusing.

Wayne as Jeffries is a good call. How about Sean Bean in the role of Maxxy Baer?

Craig Bierko as Max Baer. He played Max baer in Cinderella Man. Too bad the producers of Cinderella Man chose to portray Max as a pig. I think the guy could have played Max as Max really was, and would have done a good job with it.

Loved him as Jeffrey Coho in Boston Legal. He had an all-too-brief stay

What about Vince Vaughn as Baer? It may turn some off --- the vast majority of his roles have been comedic, & while that would certainly help in playing Baer, it'd still be a serious movie. He has the hairstyle, the laugh, perhaps? He's not a bad serious actor, either. Just hasn't gone in that direction.

Ward Bond played a great John L. Sullivan in "Gentleman Jim."

. . . and I thought Treat Williams did a great job playing Dempsey in "Dempsey" (1983).

Goodnight, Irene wrote:Loved him as Jeffrey Coho in Boston Legal. He had an all-too-brief stay

What about Vince Vaughn as Baer? It may turn some off --- the vast majority of his roles have been comedic, & while that would certainly help in playing Baer, it'd still be a serious movie. He has the hairstyle, the laugh, perhaps? He's not a bad serious actor, either. Just hasn't gone in that direction.

Max Baer was never serious, so no problem there!

But Vince lacks the Adonis phyisque that was a Baer trademark.

raylawpc wrote:. . . and I thought Treat Williams did a great job playing Dempsey in "Dempsey" (1983).

Thank you. I was trying to think who played Dempsey in that one. Williams was a decent actor who seemed to just never quite really make it.

Micheal Jai White did a good job playing Tyson. Ving Rhames could do George Foreman. I'm sure there is a boxer out there that Wesley snipes could do. Maybe Marvin Hagler. Mark Wahlberg could accuratly portray a boxer.

Is Rhames still doing that Liston movie, Phantom Punch?

Goodnight, Irene wrote:

raylawpc wrote:. . . and I thought Treat Williams did a great job playing Dempsey in "Dempsey" (1983).

Thank you. I was trying to think who played Dempsey in that one. Williams was a decent actor who seemed to just never quite really make it.

I think he's better than a decent actor. He has been nominated for an Emmy and three Golden Globe awards. He's been in about 100 movies or TV shows. The problem for me is everytime I see him, I think of "Dempsey." Victoria Tennant played Estelle Taylor, and Sam Waterson was good as Doc Kearns.

Goodnight, Irene wrote:Is Rhames still doing that Liston movie, Phantom Punch?

imdb.com says the film has been completed, but not yet released. I suspect Rhames will do great as Liston; he's a terrific actor with 2 golden globe awards.

My old boxing coach said DeNiro did a terrible job portraying LaMotta, and made him look like a fool.

ringsider wrote:My old boxing coach said DeNiro did a terrible job portraying LaMotta, and made him look like a fool.

Sounds like he would make a lousy film critic.

[quote="raylawpc"]Craig Bierko as Max Baer. He played Max baer in Cinderella Man.

Wow, that was Bierko!?
Rhames as Liston, hope it comes out. He was exceptional in Undisputed.
Treat Williams is a very enjoyable actor.
I would like to see a good film on Patterson. I was too young to know about him when he was boxing, but I really admire the guy. I thought it was cool when he became "Razor" Ruddock's trainer!

wesley snipes could play archie moore brilliantly (there should have been a movie about arch). the lack of comments on will smith's "ALI" speaks volumes. does anyone think he was any good? i like sean penn as ketchel
(to the guy who likes patterson, as i do, please read "the shy one" a long essay on floyd by WC Heinz. its an awesome piece).

if he could put on a bit of weight Jimmy Cagney could give us a fantastic Greb.

i wonder if peter lorre would be any good as mickey walker - a long shot!

i hear EDWARD G ROBINSON has been lined up to play GALENTO in the film "TWO TONS OF FUN"

..well..galento and edward g. robinson do have one thing in common as both have been dead for quite a few years.

Luis Guzmán plays Duran the later years.

Edward G AND TONY GALENTO DEAD? SHEEEEIIIITTT - why didnt someone tell me?