Uppercut Stars Talk Forming an Unconventional Connection for the Boxing Film

Over the years, there have been several great boxing films to grace the screen. And while these movies feature hard-hitting fight sequences depicting the action in the ring, the best boxing films aren’t about boxing, per se. The likes of Rocky, Raging Bull, The Fighter, and others are able to tap deeper into the story’s emotional core and craft a compelling narrative about the people at their center. One doesn’t have to be a die-hard boxing fan to engage with a tale about a scrappy underdog trying to prove himself or a man forever plagued by his destructive tendencies. Uppercut aims to join the ranks of the boxing movie greats by exploring the teacher/student dynamic between Elliott Duffond (Ving Rhames) and Toni Williams (Luise Großmann). In some ways, the film mirrored the actors’ real-life relationship.

“What I experienced when I first met Ving … I was so excited and a bit nervous, to be honest, because he’s such a legend and has worked in the industry for so long,” Großmann said in an interview with ComicBook. “I was just this German chick … but from the first moment, he was so open arms and really curious about me, about our characters, about our story … I think what was also really cool was that we had this natural mirroring … in the movie, I’m a German girl who gets trained by a legend, and in real life, I also was a young German girl who wanted to be eye to eye with a legend like Ving Rhames.”

Uppercut is described as, “Golden Globe winner Ving Rhames and Luise Großmann star in an electrifying film about Toni, a determined female boxer, trying to break down barriers as she redefines what it means to be a woman in today’s world. When Elliott (Rhames), a tough ex-boxing champion, accepts the challenge to train Toni (Großmann), the two mismatched characters form an unlikely alliance. Their sparring and Elliott’s keen insights show the resilient young fighter that real strength comes from the challenges you overcome when life throws its biggest punches your way.”

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Rhames shared his insights about the characters’ relationship and how it examines the larger human experience.

“I think it’s kind of the natural progression of the human experience,” he said. “You meet someone, you get to know them a little, you get to know your differences, and then you see if you can come together and help each other. So I think that’s what we did in the film.”

While making the film, Großmann was able to lean into her background as an athlete to help inform her performance as Toni.

“She’s really persistent,” she said when describing her character. “What we learn in sports is to keep going and go beyond your barriers or go beyond your limits. And I think that’s what she does … [She also] wants to get so much knowledge from Elliott, and that’s why it works out in the end. Not because she is so annoying and persistent, but she’s also open for him and his energy and his knowledge. And I think that’s why these two characters … would help each other and really connect.”

Uppercut is in theaters, on demand and on digital now.

Are you excited to see Uppercut? What are some of your favorite boxing films? Let us know in the comments!