TalkingBoxing Interviews
Binkowski Stars In 'Cinderella Man', to Retire with Win
MON June 7, JULIUS STECKER - Art Binkowski has a magnetic personality and also accomplished plenty as a fighter. Having made the Olympics as an amateur, and currently undefeated as a pro, Binkowski used that charm to win a role on the big screen. Art is currently starring in a small role in the early Oscar favorite, 'Cinderella Man', a movie starring Academy Award winning actor Russell Crowe as James Braddock.
Crowe portrays the life of the late great Jimmy Braddock and for those who don’t know the story, Braddock took boxing and sports worlds by storm. It was 1935, when Braddock outpointed Max Baer in what was then the greatest upset in boxing history to win the Heavyweight Championship of the World.
Binkowski plays the role of prospect Corn Griffin in the movie. Binkowski too has the biggest fight of his career on June 18th when he faces Patrice L’Heureux, 16-1-1, for the Canadian Heavyweight Title, at the Bell Center in Montreal Quebec. Things are looking up for the Polish Contender, and Talkingboxing.com was pleased to catch up with him before his big fight.
“As a boxing expert, I think the movie appeals to me, because it is real. The fight scenes are real because you don’t have movie stars playing a lot of the boxers, myself and other boxers are playing those roles,” explained Binkowski about the movie.
Binkowski built strong relationships with a lot of the people on the set, mainly Ron Howard and Russell Crowe.
“Both guys are cool. Ron Howard is the nicest person you will ever meet, how he interacts with other actors, and extras is great and tells what kind of person he is," Art said. "Russell is an OK guy too; at times he was a joker. What surprised me about him was how well he learned boxing in such a short period of time.”
Binkowski, of Bielewa Poland, is often times compared and contrasted to fellow Polish Heavyweight Andrew Golota. Those comparisons are not fair, because Binkowski’s life is built and character and principles, while Golota’s life story could be based on a train wreck. According to Binkowski, even though he is not a Golota fan per se, Golota won an amount of respect for him in his latest defeat.
“I have criticized Golota in the past, and rightfully so. He has hit people and quit in fights. But in this last fight against Lamon Brewster, even though he was getting knocked down. He continued to get up and try to fight. The press was ripping him, but he showed more heart then he ever did before.”
The former Olympian Binkowski has more then a major motion picture and Andrew Golota on this mind though. He has a tough, young prospect in Patrice L’Heureux to fight, and according to him, if he is victorious this will be his last fight.
“I am looking at this fight as the last fight of my career. I have a four month-old baby now, so I have to think about my family. I don’t need boxing to make money. Boxing is a tough sport, and I have accomplished a lot as a fighter, I made the Olympics and and I am undefeated so far as a professional,” said Binkowski.
For the Binkowski fans, if this is his last performance, he will look to make it a memorable one and if his hand is raised at the final bell, Binkowski will have done what a lot of fighters couldn’t do; retire undefeated.
