In polite society there are certain expectations. We're supposed to like boxing because it brings together two passionate men with two separate histories and doesn't let them out of the ring until one destroys the other. We're supposed to love the sport because there's no where to hide in the ring and because it's a distillation of the human spirit.
But those are lies, just like when NASCAR fans won't admit to watching for the crashes, or Yankee fans won't admit to watching to see their dad's car dealership ads.
Sometimes, you just want to see some blood. And any time you're watching a boxing movie, is one of those times. So, with "The Fighter"'s unsparing account of 90s puncher Mickey Wade Ward set to hit theaters today, we thought it a damn good time to look back at the history of bloody faces in boxing movies. Let's get it on!
Mike Lane in "The Harder They Fall"
It was the last film of Humphrey Bogart's career and Bogie finished with a bang. He plays Eddie Willis, a stand-up sportswriter-turned-promoter who's forced to choose between telling a fighter (Mike Lane) that he's been winning fixed fights and probably shouldn't take on a man who's vowed to rearrange his face or just shutting up and taking the payout. Here, he tells the fighter that he turned down his Facebook friend request.
Robert DeNiro in "Raging Bull"
Black and white movies allowed directors to get a little more creative with blood. So when Martin Scorcese went looking for a substance that acted like blood without being so…bloody, he found it in his cabinet. It was chocolate syrup, which was also used by Hitchcock to make "Psycho" a little more delicious. Just think how "Goodfellas" would've looked if Henry Hill was bleeding Hershey's.
Sylvester Stallone in "Rocky"
This is the famous "cut me, Mick" scene from the original "Rocky." Mr. Balboa, unable to see out of his left eye because of the swelling, asks Mick to take a razor to his eyelid and release the liquid inside. Three movies later, Rocky won the Cold War for America.
Dolph Lundgren in "Rocky IV"
Remember when your mom used to tell you that if you kept making that face, it'd stay that way? After this, Dolph Lundgren's pretty much did. Unfortunately, Brigitte Nielsen's did not.
Jon Voight in "The Champ"
Voigt says that he's often been asked to sign autographs in real life as Billy Flynn, the character he plays in this 1979 movie. On the other hand, despite starring in "Varsity Blues," he's only had a handful requests to wear a whipped cream bikini.
Mickey Rourke in "Homeboy"
This is Mickey Rourke, pre-plastic-surgery but post-fist.
Hillary Swank in "Million Dollar Baby"
Alright, so maybe this isn’t that bloody. But we're including it to remind you that even with a nose like Ben Roethlisberger two Mondays ago, Hilary Swank’s still out of your league.
Elvis in "Kid Galahad"
Even after a fight, Elvis is a dream.