Actor Denzel Washington brushed up on his boxing after starring in the biographical film The Hurricane . But while practicing, an uncomfortable incident inspired Washington to put down the gloves for good. What made Denzel Washington stop boxing in ‘The Hurricane’ Washington has been pretty active in the sport of boxing for quite some time.
In The Hurricane , he was able to utilize both his boxing and acting skills in the feature. The film saw the Oscar winner play Rubin Carter, who was a professional boxer wrongfully accused of murder. And although Washington was already well-versed in boxing, Hurricane would see him take his normal routine to another level.
He found himself actually sparring with other trained boxers for the film. The experience, however, actually discouraged him from boxing due to the real-life injuries he risked sustaining. ”I remember I was with Michael Spinks, the ex-light-heavyweight champ,” Washington once said on Letterman (via Contact Music ).
“I was preparing for the film The Hurricane and we were actually sparring, not me and Spinks but me and another guy ...
and I started getting a little slower and headaches and I said to Michael, ‘I’m starting to get headaches,’ and he said, ‘Oh you’ll get used to that.’ And that’s when I stopped. I don’t want to get used to that.
’” How boxing has helped Denzel Washington with other films His experience sparring on the set of Hurricane didn’t discourage Washington away from boxin.
