Art Garfunkel made a surprise appearance at Madison Square Garden on May 29, joining Charlie Puth on stage for a duet of “The Boxer.” Garfunkel told the audience that Puth was “my student,” crediting the younger singer with a debt to the catalog he created with Paul Simon, as reported by Billboard.
The moment was a reminder that boxing has long held a place in popular songwriting, far beyond the entrance music that plays before a title fight. Folk, reggae, soul, rock and hip-hop songwriters have used the ring as a backdrop for stories about ambition, violence, race and survival. The following ten songs focus on boxing or a specific fighter.
1. “The Boxer”, Simon and Garfunkel (1969)
Paul Simon wrote “The Boxer” and released it as a Simon and Garfunkel single in March 1969, before it appeared on the 1970 album. The lyrics move between a first-person description of poverty in Modern York and a third-person portrait of a warrior who bears the marks of every blow. Simon said the song was largely autobiographical and written when he felt he was being unfairly criticized. It reached the top ten of the Billboard Heated 100 and remains one of the duo’s signature recordings.
2. “Black Superman (Muhammad Ali)”, Johnny Wakelin and the Kinshasa Band (1974)
English songwriter Johnny Wakelin built this reggae-style tribute around Muhammad Ali’s victory over George Foreman in Kinshasa in 1974, a fight known as the Rumble in the Jungle. The single reached number 7 on the UK Singles Chart and number 21 on the Billboard Heated 100. Wakelin returned to Ali two years later with “In Zaire”, another tale of the same struggle, which became a top five UK hit.
3. “Hurricane”, Bob Dylan (1976)
Co-written by Bob Dylan and Jacques Levy and released on the 1976 album, “Hurricane” is about the case of middleweight contender Rubén Carter, who was convicted of murdering three people in a Modern Jersey bar in 1966. Dylan’s lyrics argue that Carter was framed and denied a fair trial. Carter’s conviction was overturned by a federal judge in 1985.
4. “Gonna Fly Now” (Theme from “Rocky”), Bill Conti (1976)
Composed for the original by Bill Conti, “Gonna Fly Now” became a hit in its own right, reaching number one on the Billboard Heated 100 in 1977. The brass instrumental, associated with the image of Sylvester Stallone training to run up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, is one of the most recognizable pieces of music associated with sports.
5. “The Greatest Love of All”, George Benson (1977)
Written by Michael Masser and Linda Creed, “The Greatest Love of All” was the subject of a 1977 biopic in which Muhammad Ali played himself. George Benson’s original reached No. 2 on the R&B chart and No. 24 on the Billboard Heated 100. Whitney Houston’s 1986 version later made it a standard.
6. “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” by Pat Benatar (1980)
Written by Eddie Schwartz and recorded by Pat Benatar in 1980, “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” is a song about relationships built entirely around boxing imagery, from fighting to exchanging punches. It reached number 9 on the Billboard Heated 100, her first top ten single in the United States, and remains a staple of her catalog. It’s more about the boxing metaphor than the sport itself.
7. “Eye of the Tiger”, Survivor (1982)
Sylvester Stallone ordered “Eye of the Tiger” after he was unable to license Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust.” The 1982 recording of Survivor topped the Billboard Heated 100 charts for six weeks and won a Grammy Award. It remains shorthand for training montages and underdog comebacks far beyond boxing.
8. “Boom Boom Mancini”, Warren Zevon (1987)
Warren Zevon, whose father worked as a boxer, wrote “Boom Boom Mancini” for his 1987 album. The song traces the career of lightweight champion Ray Mancini, including his first-round knockout of Arturo Frias and his 1982 title defense against Duk Koo Kim, who died from injuries sustained in the fight. Zevon’s text sharply criticizes those who blamed Mancini for the tragedy.
9. “Mama Said She’d Knock You Out”, LL Frigid J (1990)
LL Frigid J said the title came from his grandmother, who urged him to respond to criticism. The title track from his 1990 album marks a return to his career in the language of the ring, and the music video, shot in stark black and white, takes place in a boxing gym. He won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance.
10. “Killer”, Bruce Springsteen (2005)
One of the darkest entries in Bruce Springsteen’s catalog, “The Hitter” appears on his 2005 acoustic album and dates back to the mid-1990s Ghost of Tom Joad period. Sung in the first person, it tells the story of an aging warrior who returns to his mother’s house delayed at night and recounts a brutal life spent hurting other men. There is no redemption in the story, only exhaustion.
Moses It will hurt suffered a surprising defeat to Filip Hrgovic on Saturday, and the 21-year-old has now revealed who he wants to face upon his return.
Itauma looked to be fulfilling his destiny and dominating his Croatian opponent during the opening rounds at the O2 Arena over the weekend, but his success soon turned to desperation when Hrgovic’s chin held up and his own stamina did not.
An exhausted Itauma eventually collapsed in round nine of the contestwith Hrgovic pulling off a remarkable upset to throw the heavyweight scene a huge curveball, hand Itauma a first career loss and get his hands on the IBF heavyweight world title.
In an interview with talkSPORT Boxingpromoter Frank Warren revealed that Itauma has already asked for a rematch with ‘El Animal’.
“In that last round, he was still firing back. He has got a firing heart, he is a very brave young man, very brave. It’s now about what he does, how he prepares, he is saying to me, ‘can we get the rematch on?’, which is a natural reaction.”
Despite the 21-year-old’s desire to take on Hrgovic for a second time, it seems as though the latter will be made to face Cuba’s Frank Sanchez, who agreed to a step-aside deal to allow Itauma and Hrgovic to fight for the IBF title under the condition that he would face the winner.
Continuing, Warren seemed to confirm that a scrap between Hrgovic and Sanchez will be next, advising Itauma to take some time off before rushing into a second shot at the heavyweight throne.
“I told him, ‘you have got to just switch off from boxing, go and chill out, go and spend some time with your family and then come back, recharge your batteries and then we will get to work again,’
“The landscape is what it is, he is a a part of it, he has shown that he belongs at that level and provided that we learn and he learns some lessons from the fight, I think that he can go on and do some great things.”
In his post-fight interview, newly-crowned IBF champion Hrgovic spoke of his desire for a bout on home soil in Croatia; where he has not fought since 2019.
As a result, Warren may next target Zagreb for a clash between Hrgovic and Sanchez, which should take place within the next six months.
Canelo Alvarez is hoping to regain one of his former super-middleweight titles at the first time of asking when he makes his comeback this October against WBC champion Christian Mbilli. Two-time welterweight ruler Shawn Porter has revealed his prediction for the fight.
Alvarez lost all four of his belts at 168lbs to Terence Crawford last September and has since been sidelined due to an elbow injuryas Crawford’s retirement saw the coronation of four new world champions.
One of those beneficiaries was Mbilli, who had been in possession of the WBC Interim crown when ‘Bud’ decided to hang up the glovesallowing him to be elevated to full champion and then lined up for a showdown with Canelo.
Canelo’s remaining quality at the age of 36 is an ongoing debate amongst fans and analysts, leading many to predict an intriguing and potentially even fight. Yet, speaking on The PorterWay Podcast‘Showtime’ said that Alvarez will look like an ‘A++ fighter’ come fight night.
“Canelo truly does have that fast twitch; he is explosive, but he is explosive with speed and quickness and that fast twitch is going to get Canelo to that mark a little bit quicker.
“Yeah, I think [he can still do it] at 36. If you think about it, even though Canelo is not that ‘A++’ fighter that he used to be, he is still a solid ‘A’ and that solid ‘A’ will beat a solid ‘B’ [in Mbilli].
“That solid ‘B’ will make a solid ‘A’ look like an ‘A++’, so I think that he is going to look ‘A++’.”
Canelo-Mbilli takes place on Saturday, October 31, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The super-middleweight duo will top a ‘Mexico vs. The World’ themed bill, which could feature a bantamweight title unification between WBA champion and pound-for-pound sensation Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez and WBO titleholder Christian Medina.
Canelo Alvarez could be ordered to enter an immediate title defence if he emerges victorious against Christian Mbilli on October 31.
The Mexican has not fought since September 2025, when he was relieved of his undisputed super-middleweight crown after losing a unanimous decision to Terence Crawford.
On that same card, Mbilli retained his WBC ‘interim’ strap following a 10-round draw against Lester Martinezmaintaining his position as one of the top contenders at 168lbs.
The Frenchman was then upgraded to full world champion in December, with Crawford having relinquished his four major titles and announced his retirement as a three-division undisputed king.
Canelo will therefore have the opportunity to reclaim one of his old belts in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with Mbilli making a first defence of his WBC title.
The winner of their showdown may then be ordered to face Martinez, as the unbeaten mandatory challenger comes off two successful defences of his WBC ‘interim’ strap.
Most recently, the 30-year-old scored a 10th-round stoppage of Luka Plantic last weekend, which followed his unanimous decision victory over Immanuwel Aleem in March.
Speaking at the post-fight presser following his win against Plantic, Martinez said through a translator that he expects to eventually face both Canelo and Mbilli.
“No, look, at the end of the day, I’ve said it before: the second fight [with Mbilli] will happen, possibly next year or the year after. But either one of those fights makes sense for us.
“We know the eyes of the world are going to be on [Mbilli-Canelo]and because we’re going to be there, we’re going to take advantage of all of that. But both fights are going to happen.”
Having already created the “blueprint” to defeat Canelo, Crawford trainer Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre said afterwards that he is supremely confident in guiding Martinez to victory against either Alvarez or Mbilli.
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