Champions of Cinema

"Every champion was once a contender who refused to give up." In this special roundup episode, we lace up the gloves one last time for The Final Bell —an all-out celebration of the Rocky Cinematic Universe. From the gritty streets of Philadelphia to the bright lights of modern-day L.A., this is our definitive awards ceremony honouring the legends, rivals, mentors, and moments that made the saga ic...

"You can't run from your past." In this episode, we step into uncharted territory with Creed III (2023)—the first Rocky universe film without Rocky himself, and a bold, emotional chapter that tests Adonis Creed like never before. Now retired and thriving outside the ring, Adonis has built a life of success, family, and legacy. But when Damian Anderson—an old friend turned forgotten rival—shows up...

"Your daddy died in the ring. You think that makes you a hero?" In this episode, we step back between the ropes for Creed II (2018), a sequel that hits just as hard emotionally as it does physically—where legacies collide, and the past comes back swinging. Adonis Creed is now the heavyweight champion, but glory comes with a price. When Viktor Drago—son of the man who killed Apollo Creed—challenges...

"You're born with a name, but you earn your legacy." In this episode, we lace up the gloves for Creed (2016), the powerful rebirth of the Rocky franchise that introduces a new fighter with a familiar name—and an even bigger shadow to step out from under. Adonis Johnson, the son of boxing legend Apollo Creed, is fighting more than just opponents in the ring—he’s fighting for identity, for respect,...

"this Podcast's gonna be the best podcast in the world. This podcast's gonna be something better than anything I ever knew." In this episode, we step back into the ring for Rocky Balboa (2006), where the Italian Stallion is now facing his biggest opponent yet: time. After a decade of living with the ghosts of his past, Rocky returns to the ring, but this time it’s not about fame or glory—it’s abou...

Little by little we lose our friends, we lose everything. We keep losin' and losin' till we say you know, 'Oh what the hell am I making this podcast here for? In this episode, we dive into the punch-drunk world of Rocky V , where the Italian Stallion hangs up his gloves, takes a swing at fatherhood, and somehow ends up managing a street-fighting prodigy. It’s a tale of redemption, but with a whole...

We always have to be in the middle of the action 'cause we're the Podcasters. And without some challenge, without some damn war to fight then the Podcasters might as well be dead, Stallion. Now I'm asking you - as a friend - stand by my side this one last time. Revenge is a dish best served cold, real cold, Siberia cold and this time, with Rocky 4 Joe and James are going toe to toe with no easy wa...

Now, when we made podcasts, you had that eye of the tiger, man; the edge! And now you gotta get it back, and the way to get it back is to go back to the beginning. You know what I mean? When do you know that you have had an incredible success?! Well when you start being massively better looking, wearing suits every day and driving a Maserati of course! Sadly that means that Joe and James are curre...

Its's all wrong for us, baby. I saw you beat that podcast like I never saw no podcast get beat before, and the podcast kept coming after you. Now we don't need no podcast like that in our lives. How do you come back from a simple defeat to the world champ? You buy too much shit and then get in a financial situation where your only option is to fight again! But this might just be one of the biggest...

Yo listeners all we want to know is if we can go the distance? How does one man single-handedly define a film genre? Before Rocky its hard to say sports movies existed, because without Stallone and the titular Italian Stallion maybe sports movies wouldn't exist like they do today. Now with over £2bn in earnings and 9 movies in its universe, it has become THE sports movie franchise that serves as t...

On any given Tuesday you're gonna make a podcast or you're gonna fail. The point is - can you make a podcast like a man? If you want a hyper-realistic movie about all of the things the NFL wants you to forget about pro football, then look no further than Any Given Sunday! Oliver Stone makes the conspiracy theorists dream football movie which pulls no punches in the locker room shower, from dodgy d...

Who said you had to be good to make podcasts? Little Giants tells the story of misfit children who just want to be allowed to compete in an aggressive and competitive arena with the bigger boys (and girls) who are just cooler and more suited to it than them....I dont feel seen, you feel seen! Its time for another American Football Movie and this time Joe and James are breaking the first rule of sh...

I'm da boss, I'm da boss, I'm da boss, I'm da boss, I'm da boss.. . Scorsese dodges a bullet in life after surviving a drug overdose and doubles down on dodging a career suicide by making the greatest sports biography ever put on film. When you know how much James loves Rocky, Joe putting him though watching Raging Bull, a movie that in many ways is a complete contrast to Rocky is just cruel and u...

What? Friends listen to ‘Endless Love’ in the dark. If you want to build a successful comedic sports movie career, its always best to start with Golf! Sandler says that Happy Gilmore is is favourite movie he made. But we now know him as a talented film maker with a whole bunch of sports movies under his belt Joe and James are not golfers, even if they have tried a bit before, This episode however...

I drive truck, break arms, and make mediocre podcasts about sports movies . It's what I love to do, it's what I do best. Being number one is everything. There is no second place. Second sucks. When all your money from Rocky has started to dry up and Brigette Nielsen wants a divorce, you better know how to make £12 Million Dollars for a movies about trucks and arm wrestling damnit! James has never...

There's a point at 15 podcasts deep... where everything fades. The podcast becomes weightless. Just disappears. And all that's left is Joe and James talking about if a movie is any good or not. Neither James nor Joe drive a Ford, but that is simply because they are degenerates! They do however at this point know their big end from their transmission when it comes to sports movies and this one, wel...

It all comes down to this roll. Roy Munson, a man-child, with a dream to topple bowling giant Ernie McCracken. If he strikes, he's the 1979 Odor-Eaters Champion. He's got one foot in the frying pan and one in the pressure cooker. Believe me, as a bowler, I know that right about now, your bladder feels like an overstuffed vacuum cleaner bag and your butt is kinda like an about-to-explode bratwurst....

Hey there its Joe, Just a little bonus episode cut from Kingpin which comes out tomorrow. We had a discussion about the items we like from each episode up until now that we would like to have, rather than cutting it, I thought we would give it to you as a separate bonus! Enjoy

Well its come that time to gain some young listeners, and mostly at the behest of James, our dynamic duo are covering a Disney Pixar Movie! 2006's Cars follows impetuous and self centred race car Lightning McQueen as he tries to win his first Piston Cup whilst learning a few lessons along the way about friendship and teamwork. Joe and James know by now what makes a champion, but is this up there o...

Oh this episode is depressing....What do you get when you cross a megalomaniacal multi-billionaire with an obsession for freestyle wrestling? A recipe for disaster and depression. Foxcatcher tells the story of the Schultz Brothers (Mark and Dave) and their interaction with Du Pont billionaire John Du Pont and his making of the Foxcatcher Wrestling team in the late 90s until its demise in 1996. Joe...

Its Season 2 Baby!! and James and Joe are back, a new spooky episode with sports ghosts and James Earl Jones! What else can we say about this wonderful pitch of night terrors....well that its 1989s Field of Dreams!! This might be the first episode which has really set the guys at odds, because whilst there wasn't much blood or sweat that went into this episode there was definitely tears.... Join u...

Its the final episode of season 1 and the end of our Tom Cruise series! James has been eagerly waiting for this one and boy oh boy does it disappoint him. When is a sports rom-com not good? Well when its more rom-com than necessary and its so 90s that its painful. But how do you make a podcast about a movie that really isn't very good? You laugh at it and provide a stellar sequel pitch to boot! Jo...

Have you ever felt the deep desire to see 40 men in cars just turn left for 3 Hours? Or maybe watch a man explain complex aerodynamic tactics in sports by using two packs of beverage sweetener? Well look no further than this weeks movie....Days of Thunder. Tom Cruise stars as Cole Trickle a young, impetuous and talented racing driver keen to try his hand at NASCAR a sport where the advertising is...

How do you keep warm and entertained in the winters in the Midwest, well usually either in a Bowling Alley, Bar or a Pool Hall. Fast Eddie Felson (Paul Newman) takes Vincent Lauria (Tom Cruise) under his wing and schools him in the art of hustling in this Martin Scorsese directed movie. How can we keep this up? Movie after movie of epic proportion, 80's nostalgia and James realising that he need t...

1983 and a cold, bleak and struggling town of Ampipe plays home to Stefan Djordjevic (Tom Cruise) he has a plan to get a football scholarship and get out of town before he is swallowed up by a life in the steel mills. But can he make all the right moves in his quest for freedom, or will he fall foul of coaches, criminals and teenage pregnancy? At Champions of Cinema we love nothing less than a mov...