Giant

A true story boxing docudrama about one of the UK’s most prodigious pugilists Prince Naseem Hamed (Amir El-Masry) and his rise to becoming world boxing champion and then his eventual decline and fallout with his manager Brendan Ingles (Pierce Brosnan). In UK and Ireland cinemas 9 January 2026.

The story begins in the terraced streets of Sheffield with a scrawny asian school kid being bullied and racially harassed in the playground as he tries to nimbly outrun the perpetrators. His parents have concerns for their three young boys and so welcome the intervention of local boxing gym trainer, Irishman Brendan Ingles, who invites them to train at his gym.

The boys fully onboard with his training regime which offers more than physical education but also promotes a smart inclusive side to training life especially considering the racial backdrop of the neighbourhood, which is no less so in the boxing fraternity and is something the promising young “Naz”, gifted with coordination and speed, will have to navigate if he wants to make it as a professional boxer.

The business partnership between the young “Naz” and Ingles is sealed with a handshake and the rest is history as they say. “Naz’s” natural talent and unorthodox style is nurtured and allowed to develop under the protective guidance of Ingles which pays huge dividends with the boxer’s meteoric rise through the ranks as “Naz” backs up his incredible showboating showmanship, that is very uniquely his own, in the ring. When he finally reaches the top of the boxing game the two’s boxing egos and principles go head to head and with neither side wanting to back down it causes an inevitable split.

It’s a big ask for any actor to play a well-known sporting figure, especially someone of the mercurial talents of Prince Naseem. Expectations are high for comparable looks, speech and mannerisms and whilst Amir El-Masry is no “Naz” double, he does get across a sense of the cocky self-assured champ (in particular his famous ring entry although he may have needed some assistance with this) and combined with a well crafted story based on the relationship with his boxing trainer, supplied here by the support undercard of Pierce Brosnan, who swings the contest here back in favour of the mild mannered Irish trainer, both actors manage to do enough to get the job done.

This one is not just for sports fans and boxing aficionados as it brings a mix of emotions and tensions in the pursuit of success and money in a story about one of GB’s finest boxing exports that makes a strong case for the unsung trainers whose slaveless dedication to their sports gets far less recognition or reward. Here the points score comes out just about even.