Phantom Punch

Ving Rhames stars as Sonny Liston in this 2008 biopic that spans from 1950 to Liston's mysterious and untimely death in 1971. The film follows Liston's rise to heavyweight champion through his interactions with Father Alois (Rick Roberts), who coaches him to hone his boxing skills, and Caesar Novak (Nicholas Turturro), a boxing gym owner who becomes a mentor to Liston. Despite achieving success in the ring, Liston struggles with personal demons, including his troubled past and his relationships with those around him, including Farah (Bridgette Wilson) and Geraldine (Stacey Dash).