Guy Ritchie’s boxing promo trailer lives up to the hype
Guy Ritchie doesn’t hold back his storytelling talent in a recent promo film for the all-British heavyweight title fight between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois.
A very British director has stepped into the ring to provide a teaser for a very British boxing showdown.
The result is an intense, gory, brooding cinematic masterstroke, complete with some fine performances and edgy camera work.
Joshua and Dubois will headline a packed fight card as the Riyadh Season comes to London's Wembley Stadium on 21 September, live on DAZN. This contest is crucial for both fighters: Joshua is aiming to become a three-time world heavyweight champion, and the event could set a new attendance record at Wembley. He will challenge Dubois for the IBF title, the same belt he first won in 2016 by defeating Charles Martin at the O2 Arena.
Dubois, Joshua’s British rival, claimed the interim IBF title by defeating Filip Hrgovic in June during the first-ever Matchroom vs. Queensberry 5v5 event in Saudi Arabia. After Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt to focus on his rematch with Tyson Fury in December, Dubois was elevated to full champion status, making this fight even more significant.
The excitement surrounding Joshua vs. Dubois has been heightened by the release of Guy Ritchie’s short promotional film, "Touching Hands".
Known for his crime classics like ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’ and ‘Snatch’, Ritchie’s signature style is well matched to the boxing world.
The film begins with Joshua, Dubois, and undercard fighters like Josh Warrington, Willy Hutchinson, Joshua Buatsi, Tyler Denny, Anthony Cacace, and Hamzah Sheeraz seemingly meeting grim fates. They reawaken, singing lines from Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’, a song that has become a beloved anthem in British boxing.
As each fighter escapes their perilous scenario, they surprise the gang members who thought they had finished them off, ascending into the air before being transported to Wembley. There, they exact their revenge in the ring, landing powerful punches as the original version of ‘Sweet Caroline’ plays on.
The video ends with Joshua and Dubois facing each other in the ring, building anticipation for their showdown on September 21.
Our take
A guarded return to the 90s ‘Cool Britannia’ era seems to be underway of late, as Oasis return to stadiums, and a spate of modern British drama offerings gain international acclaim (notably ‘Saltburn’, and Ritchie’s series ‘The Gentleman’).
Meanwhile, British sports advertising is undergoing a shift, with teams including Aston Villa and Chelsea teaming up with hip advertising agencies to reposition themselves in an irreverent style.
Ritchie’s piece for Joshua vs. Dubois sits neatly within this new paradigm. It’s made with an attention to detail that surpasses much of Ritchie’s directorial work. It also achieves some convincing performances from a roster of athletes, which is no small feat.
The storytelling here is also of note. The short splices of ultraviolence invite the viewer to paint their backstories onto the characters, while Ritchie’s use of embedded fonts nods to his distinctive back catalogue while mythologising the boxers depicted.
If you enjoyed this article, you can subscribe for free to our weekly email alert and receive a regular curation of the best creative campaigns by creatives themselves.
Published on: