Grudge Match, an under-the-radar sports-comedy film featuring Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro, weirdly pays off a 33-year-old movie dream for viewers. Directed by Peter Segal (Tommy Boy), Grudge Match centers on two aging boxers, Henry “Razor” Sharp (Stallone) and Billy “The Kid” McDonnen (De Niro), who step into the ring for a final match-up. Back in their glory days, the Pittsburgh-based boxers became storied rivals after a couple of fights. Kid and Razor each lost one fight during their long careers — to each other.
With their rivalry tied one-to-one, Kid wants nothing more than a final rematch, while Razor is keen to retire. Years later, Grudge Match’s Razor is in dire financial straits — and Kid’s ego is as big as ever. Through a series of somewhat-ridiculous events, Kid and Razor wind up providing motion-capture performances for a video game. While recording for the game, Kid and Razor get into a brawl. When footage of the old rivals’ fight goes viral, Kevin Hart’s character, promoter Dante Slate Jr., organizes a final grudge match between Razor and Kid.
Grudge Match Finally Had Stallone Fight De Niro Decades After Rocky & Raging Bull
The Two Movie Stars Both Made Iconic Boxing Movies
The conceit of Grudge Match is a bit silly, but the real-world circumstances make it much more fun. Stallone, who starred in the Rocky films, and De Niro, who starred in Raging Bull, are responsible for perhaps the two greatest portrayals of boxers in movie history. Written by Stallone, the three-time Oscar-winning Rocky hit theaters in 1976 and went on to gross $225 million against a production budget of less than $1 million. In addition to launching Stallone’s career, Rocky spawned a six-movie franchise as well as the Creed spin-off trilogy starr ing Michael B. Jordan.
Rocky became a pop-cultural phenomenon in the ’70s, but, by 1980, a new boxing film entered the fray.
Responsible for popularizing the rags-to-riches sports drama narrative, Rocky became a pop-cultural phenomenon in the ’70s, but, by 1980, a new boxing film entered the fray. Directed by Martin Scorsese, Raging Bull chronicles the epic rise and turbulent fall of middleweight boxing champion Jake LaMotta (De Niro). Despite an incredibly underwhelming box office gross, Raging Bull went on to win two Oscars. Now considered one of the greatest sports movies ever made, Raging Bull may tell a very different story than the Rocky movies, but both spotlight the inherent drama of boxing.
Grudge Match Is Still Worth Watching, Despite Bad Reviews
It’s Fun To See De Niro & Stallone Share The Screen After All These Years
Although Grudge Match’s reviews are poor — and although it only has a 31% aggregate score on Rotten Tomatoes — it’s still worth a watch for fans of Stallone, De Niro, and boxing movies at large. Despite its cliché-riddled plot, the best part of Grudge Match is the way it’s in conversation with the Rocky movies and Raging Bull. For example, Stallone’s Razor is an underdog who’s in it for the money, while De Niro’s Kid is undone by his own arrogance and ambition. Ultimately, the formulaic fun of Grudge Match milks its acting heavyweights for all they’re worth.
Grudge Match Isn’t As Good As Stallone & De Niro’s First Movie Together
Cop Land Remains The Duo’s Better Team-Up
Although Grudge Match is the acting duo’s more recent team-up, Stallone and De Niro’s best outing is by far 1997’s Cop Land. Fifteen years before Grudge Match, the actors appeared in James Mangold’s (Logan) neo-noir crime drama, which sees Stallone playing Freddy Heflin, the sheriff of a small New Jersey town. Stallone’s Heflin winds up confronting corrupt NYPD officers, including characters played by Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, and, of course, De Niro. Full of powerhouse performances and intense moments of suspense, Cop Land is Sylvester Stallone’s most underrated movie — even now.