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Ving Rhames takes "Punch" for Liston movie
Tuesday October 30 5:45 AM ET
Ving Rhames is stepping into the ring as heavyweight fighter Sonny Liston in the biopic "Phantom Punch," which began production Monday in Toronto.
The independently-financed film chronicles Liston's rise to fame and the single "phantom punch" he took from Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay), which many believe led to the demise of his career.
"The thing is that certain people are born to play certain roles and Ving has always gravitated toward Sonny Liston's story," said the film's director, Robert Townsend. "This is his baby and he's giving birth to it. He's already playing the character at so many levels."
Liston was the 24th of 25 children born to an Arkansas sharecropper. Prone to violence, he served prison time for robbing a gas station and later for beating up a police officer. He turned to fighting as a way to gain respect and became world heavyweight champion in 1962.
While he was known to have ties to the mob -- and one of the most potent punches in heavyweight division history -- the boxer is best remembered for the incident that took place just two minutes into the 1965 bout with Ali. The fighter -- who had seldom been knocked to his feet -- went down from what was long debated as a felonious punch.
The photograph from the fight's conclusion was immortalized on the cover of "Sports Illustrated."
Rhames' recent credits include "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry" and "Mission: Impossible 3."
Tuesday October 30 5:45 AM ET
Ving Rhames is stepping into the ring as heavyweight fighter Sonny Liston in the biopic "Phantom Punch," which began production Monday in Toronto.
The independently-financed film chronicles Liston's rise to fame and the single "phantom punch" he took from Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay), which many believe led to the demise of his career.
"The thing is that certain people are born to play certain roles and Ving has always gravitated toward Sonny Liston's story," said the film's director, Robert Townsend. "This is his baby and he's giving birth to it. He's already playing the character at so many levels."
Liston was the 24th of 25 children born to an Arkansas sharecropper. Prone to violence, he served prison time for robbing a gas station and later for beating up a police officer. He turned to fighting as a way to gain respect and became world heavyweight champion in 1962.
While he was known to have ties to the mob -- and one of the most potent punches in heavyweight division history -- the boxer is best remembered for the incident that took place just two minutes into the 1965 bout with Ali. The fighter -- who had seldom been knocked to his feet -- went down from what was long debated as a felonious punch.
The photograph from the fight's conclusion was immortalized on the cover of "Sports Illustrated."
Rhames' recent credits include "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry" and "Mission: Impossible 3."
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