ESPN Classic Ringside: Mike Tyson(2006)

Tough Guys(en)

10 years before the debut of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. In 1979, Bill Viola and Frank Caliguri dreamed up a contest pitting barroom bigmouths against wrestlers, martial artists, boxers, bouncers and brawlers, billed as no-holds-barred new type of competitive fighting. When the fights succeeded beyond their wildest expectations, they were swept up in a chain of events that ended in the first mixed-martial arts ban in the nation. “Tough Guys” chronicles the inception of Caliguri and Viola’s first bouts and the colorful, crazy cast of fighters who made them a hit as well as the politicians who brought it all crashing down. The film brings to life a moment when the national martial arts craze was building to a crescendo as the economies of Pennsylvania steel towns were plummeting to levels of unemployment never seen, breeding desperate men looking for a chance to prove their worth and make some money in the ring.

Cassius X: Becoming Ali(en)

Cassius X puts a period of often-overlooked history into the spotlight – the period when Cassius Clay fought his way to achieving his lifelong dream of becoming World Heavyweight Champion while embarking on a secret spiritual journey.

Counterpunch(en)

As boxing's popularity wanes, three fighters at different stages of their career make sacrifices to pursue their dreams of becoming champions.

Es geht um Alles(de)

Untold: Deal with the Devil(en)

Christy Martin broke boundaries and noses as she rose in the boxing world, but her public persona belied personal demons, abuse and a threat on her life.

Battle of the Baddest(en)

The fight that turned sport on its head. In a historic match up, we present an unprecedented look behind the scenes to explore how the match between Boxing's World Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury and the former UFC-Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou was made, fought and ultimately won. A real David and Goliath story with drama only sport can write. From learning about how a small boy from Cameroon escaped life in the sand mines to become UFC Heavyweight Champion of the world, to how a small boy from Morecambe Bay became one of the most inspirational faces on the planet - this is a story of two very different icons who put it all on the line in front of the world in an event that changed the game forever.

The Panther(en)

El Pantera is a documentary film that chronicles the rise of Mexican UFC star Yair Rodriguez as he strives to become the first ever Mexican born UFC champion.

In the Company of Kings(en)

In the Company of Kings follows a fight fan's unforgettable journey into the dark heart of American boxing to talk to eight former World Champs and those closest to his hero, Muhammad Ali, about race, struggle, victory, defeat and picking yourself up off the canvas. Features Larry Holmes, Bernard Hopkins, Tim Witherspoon, Earnie Shavers, the Spinks brothers, Bob Arum and more.

Henry ohne Maske(de)

RTL documentary about the career of Henry Maske.

Fallen Champ: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson(en)

Fallen Champ: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson is a 1993 film made by acclaimed American documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple. Though Tyson was in jail serving a sentence for rape, Kopple used existing interviews with the boxer, as well as her own extensive interviews with those closest to Tyson, to explore the man's history. The film traces Tyson's story from his troubled and tumultuous upbringing, through his rapid ascendancy in the ranks of the boxing world and his subsequent struggle with the trappings of fame. Fallen Champ earned Barbara Kopple a Directors Guild of America award as Best Documentary Director of 1993.

When We Were Kings(en)

It's 1974. Muhammad Ali is 32 and thought by many to be past his prime. George Foreman is ten years younger and the heavyweight champion of the world. Promoter Don King wants to make a name for himself and offers both fighters five million dollars apiece to fight one another, and when they accept, King has only to come up with the money. He finds a willing backer in Mobutu Sese Suko, the dictator of Zaire, and the "Rumble in the Jungle" is set, including a musical festival featuring some of America's top black performers, like James Brown and B.B. King.

I Am Ali(en)

Unprecedented access to Muhammad Ali's personal archive of "audio journals" as well as interviews and testimonials from his inner circle of family and friends are used to tell the legend's life story.

Rocky Ros Muc(ga)

The story of boxer Sean Mannion, born in the 1950s in Ros Muc in county Galway, Ireland, his boxing career, his emigration to America and the effect it had on him, his brush with organized crime in Boston.

The Boxer from Somewhere Else: The Ken Buchanan Story(en)

Charts the life and career of Scottish boxer Ken Buchanan, the 1970-71 undisputed lightweight world champion.

Celebrity Boxing The 16th Minute(en)

Celebrity Boxing: The 16th Minute takes you in the ring and behind the scenes of the fastest-growing Sports Entertainment concept in America as Teen Pop Icon Aaron Carter faces Two Time NBA Champion Lamar Odom

Tommy(en)

Co-directed by Gentry Kirby and Erin Leyden, “Tommy” examines Morrison’s remarkable rise to the spotlight, followed by a stunning, confounding, and ultimately tragic fall. He was one of the best heavyweights of his time; a handsome, charming, yet unsettled young star. Born into a troubled family in America’s heartland, Morrison’s initial emergence as a fighter was bolstered by a starring role in “Rocky V.” A few years later he beat George Foreman for the WBO heavyweight title, and seemed primed for more stardom, even in the face of blown opportunities and upset losses. But everything changed in early 1996 when he tested positive for HIV, abruptly forcing him into retirement at age 27. From there, Morrison’s life spiraled further and further downward, plagued by drug problems, jail time, and an eventual denial that he had the virus at all.

By Rook Or By Left Hook(en)

In 2003, Dutch artist Iepe Rubingh became the first World Champion of Chessboxing. This brain-busting combination of alternating rounds of chess and boxing was in fact an art performance calling for more balance in a world of extremes, and the audience reaction was so electric that it inspired Rubingh to push it as a real sport. Rubingh’s methodical ability to achieve balance in the ring is put to the test outside of it when impulsive British TV Producer Tim Woolgar takes up the sport and his opposing vision for success creates a rift between them, endangering chessboxing’s future.

Lionhearted(de)

Together with their coach, the young members of a Munich boxing club are travelling to Ghana to hold training camp.

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson(en)

The story of Jack Johnson, the first African American Heavyweight boxing champion.

Kid Gloves(en)

Documentary on gymnasiums in Philadelphia, Pa. specializing in training kids to box. By learning boxing and competing in tournaments, kids are helped in staying out of trouble