| Knockout | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Anne Wheeler |
| Written by | Joseph Nasser |
| Produced by | Jack Nasser |
| Starring | Steve Austin Daniel Magder |
| Edited by | James Ilecic |
| Music by | Daniel Seguin |
| Distributed by | Phase 4 Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 91 mins. |
| Countries | Canada United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1 million |
Knockout (also called Born to Fight) is a 2011 Canadian-American sports drama film directed by Anne Wheeler. The film stars Steve Austin, and Daniel Magder.
Dan Barnes (Steve Austin) is a former pro boxer who retired after growing weary of his violent existence. While Matthew learns how to box and stand up to his tormentors, one of whom is the school boxing champ Hector Torres (Jaren Brandt Bartlett), Dan's new found role as a teacher helps him come to terms with his tumultuous past. Throughout the film Matthew (Daniel Magder), is constantly being bullied by Hector, on various occasions Hector and his friends target Matthew and constantly do anything to get under his skin. Matthew has a passion for boxing, due to the fact that his grandfather was one of the top boxers at an early age. After a small fight with Hector, Matthew is sent to Principal Lee's office for a week in detention. Matthew has troubles with his mom and step father accepting him joining the boxing club at school. Matthew has to argue back and forth with his family in order for his parents to allow him to join the boxing club. Once he gets accepted into the school boxing club, the first day he has to spar with his tormentor bully Hector. As they spar in the boxing ring, Hector becomes aggressive towards Matthew. Once the referee blew the whistle and said stop fighting, Matthew takes a cheap shot at Hector which leads to him being kicked out of the boxing club on the first day. Dan the janitor sees the whole thing, and talks to Matthew, noticing Matthew is really upset about the entire situation. Dan then takes the responsibility of helping Matthew achieve his boxing dreams. Matthew trains, and does whatever it takes to become the best he can be. With the help of his coach Dan, Matthew is able to train and become a better boxer. Throughout his training with Dan, Dan trains him both mentally and physically, and gives Matthew an opportunity to box his all time bully Hector and gives him another opportunity to join back into the boxing club.
Knockout was set and filmed onsite in Aldergrove, and White Rock, British Columbia, Canada, and Tacoma, Washington in April and May 2010.
Héctor Luís Camacho Matías, commonly known by his nickname "Macho" Camacho, was a Puerto Rican professional boxer and entertainer. Known for his quickness in the ring and flamboyant style, Camacho competed professionally from 1980 to 2010, and was a world champion in three weight classes. He held the WBC super featherweight title from 1983 to 1984, the WBC lightweight title from 1985 to 1987, and the WBO junior welterweight title twice between 1989 and 1992.
Carlos Roque Monzón, nicknamed Escopeta, was an Argentine professional boxer who held the undisputed world middleweight championship for 7 years. He successfully defended his title 14 times against 11 different fighters and is widely regarded as not only one of the best middleweights in history but also one of the greatest boxers of all time pound-for-pound. Known for his speed, punching power and relentless work rate, Monzon ended his career with a record of 87-3-9-1 with 59 knockouts, each one of his losses were early in his career and were avenged. Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990, he was chosen by The Ring magazine in 2002 as the 11th greatest fighter of the last 80 years and voted him as the best middleweight title holder of the last 50 years in 2011. As of January 2018, Monzón holds the 2nd longest unified championship reign in middleweight history at 9 consecutive defenses. Monzón spent five and a half years in prison for killing his wife Alicia by throwing her off a balcony, and admitted that he had hit every single woman that he had dated.
Floyd Patterson was an American professional boxer who competed from 1952 to 1972, and twice reigned as the world heavyweight champion between 1956 and 1962. At the age of 21, he became the youngest boxer in history to win the title, and was also the first heavyweight to regain the title after losing it. As an amateur, he won a gold medal in the middleweight division at the 1952 Summer Olympics.
Ronald David Lyle was an American professional boxer who competed from 1971 to 1980, and in 1995. He challenged unsuccessfully for the world heavyweight championship, losing to Muhammad Ali in 1975. Known for his punching power, crowd-pleasing fighting style, and his courage and determination in the ring, Lyle defeated Buster Mathis, Oscar Bonavena, Jimmy Ellis, Vicente Rondón, Earnie Shavers, Joe Bugner, and Scott LeDoux, but is best known for his fight against George Foreman in 1976, which was voted Fight of the Year by The Ring magazine.
Primo Carnera, nicknamed the Ambling Alp, was an Italian professional boxer and wrestler who reigned as the boxing World Heavyweight Champion from 29 June 1933 to 14 June 1934. He won more fights by knockout than any other heavyweight champion in boxing history.
Wilfred Raleigh Pastrano was an American former professional boxer who competed from 1951 to 1965. He held the undisputed WBA, WBC, and The Ring light heavyweight titles between 1963 and 1965.
Freddie Steele was a boxer and film actor born Frederick Earle Burgett in Seattle, Washington. He was recognized as the National Boxing Association (NBA) Middleweight Champion of the World between 1936 and 1938. Steele was nicknamed "The Tacoma Assassin" and was trained by Jack Connor, Johnny Babnick; and Ray Arcel while in New York. His managers included George McAllister, Dave Miller, Eddie Miller, and Pete Reilly. He appeared as an actor in a number of Hollywood films in the 1940s, including Preston Sturges's Hail the Conquering Hero.
Girlfight is a 2000 American sports drama film written and directed by Karyn Kusama and starring Michelle Rodriguez in both of their film debuts. It follows Diana Guzman, a troubled teenager from Brooklyn who decides to channel her aggression by training to become a boxer, despite the disapproval of both her father and her prospective trainers and competitors in the male-dominated sport.
Stephen Collins is an Irish former professional boxer who competed from 1986 to 1997. Known as the Celtic Warrior, Collins is the most successful male Irish boxer in recent professional boxing history, having held the WBO middleweight and super-middleweight titles simultaneously and never losing a fight as champion.
The Champion is a 1915 American silent comedy film released by Essanay Studios, starring Charles Chaplin alongside Edna Purviance and Leo White. Essanay co-owner and star, Broncho Billy Anderson can be seen as an enthusiastic audience member in the boxing match scene.
Edwin Valero was a Venezuelan professional boxer who competed from 2002 to 2010. He was an undefeated former world champion in two weight classes, having held the WBA super featherweight title from 2006 to 2008 and the WBC lightweight title from 2009 to 2010. A southpaw known for his highly aggressive fighting style and exceptional punching power, Valero remains the only champion in WBC history to win every fight in his career by knockout. In 2010, Valero committed suicide in jail after being arrested on suspicion of killing his wife.
Ricardo "Rocky" Juárez is an American former professional boxer. He is a former WBC Silver featherweight champion and a multiple-time world title challenger. Juarez was known over his career for his aggressive fighting style and incredible durability; in 11 defeats he was never stopped.
Carl Williams, nicknamed "The Truth", was an American boxer who competed as a professional from 1982 to 1997. He challenged twice for heavyweight world titles; the IBF title against Larry Holmes in 1985; and the undisputed title against Mike Tyson in 1989. At regional level he held the USBA heavyweight title from 1987 to 1991.
Mario Santiago Figueroa is a Puerto Rican professional boxer. Santiago debuted as a professional in 2000, and is the current World Boxing Council Caribbean Featherweight Champion.
Victor Ortiz is an American professional boxer and film actor. He held the WBC welterweight title in 2011, and was formerly rated as one of the world's top three active welterweights by most sporting news and boxing websites, including The Ring magazine, BoxRec, and ESPN. His crowd-pleasing and aggressive fighting style also made him the 2008 ESPN Prospect of the Year.
Darren Barker is a British former professional boxer who competed from 2004 to 2013. He held multiple titles at middleweight, including the IBF title in 2013; the Commonwealth title from 2007 to 2009; the British title in 2009; and the European title from 2010 to 2011. As an amateur, Barker represented England at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and won a gold medal in the light-welterweight division.
Daniel Victor "Boone" Kirkman is a former amateur and professional heavyweight boxer. He compiled a 36-6 career record, with 26 knockouts, having limited success against the top fighters of the era he met in the ring - beating only an over-the-hill former ununified heavyweight champion Jimmy Ellis while losing to top contenders Kenny Norton and Ron Lyle, and a still green future heavyweight champion George Foreman. He also beat contender Eddie Machen, and went 1-1 against Doug Jones.
Dmitry Yurievich Pirog is a Russian politician and former professional boxer. In boxing he competed from 2005 to 2012, and held the WBO middleweight title from 2010 to 2012. Although his career was cut short due to a debilitating back injury, he is one of the few professional boxers to win a world championship and retire undefeated.
Cletus Seldin is an American professional boxer.
Nathan Gorman is a British professional boxer. He held the WBC International Silver heavyweight title from 2017 to 2019 and challenged twice for the British heavyweight title in 2019 and 2022.
"Born to Fight (2011)." IMDb, IMDb.com, 26 Apr. 2011, www.imdb.com/title/tt1691453/.
Nasser, Jack, and Evan Jacobs. "Born to Fight (Knockout)." Born to Fight (Knockout) (2011) - Rotten Tomatoes, 6 Nov. 2017, www.rottentomatoes.com/m/born_to_fight_2011/.
 | This article related to a Canadian film of the 2010s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article about a sports-related film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |