6. Snatch
In case any of the boys in blue are reading this, Ive never been to a bare-knuckle boxing fight, but this must still go down as one of the most unremittingly brutal fights put to celluloid. Not so much a beat-down, but more of a protracted scam, the punishment Brad Pitts pikey champion receives on his way to rigging this fight is nonetheless ridiculously graphic. Again, Ive never been to one of these events, but to my mind director Guy Ritchie captures the grime of the whole thing perfectly. This isnt supposed to be nice its an unsanctioned fight taking place in the London underworld where the winner is the guy who can take the most punishment while remaining standing. The fact the film adds an extra dimension to this already brutal premise by making it clear Mickey has to survive a certain number of rounds means were treated to one of the most visceral-looking fights in recent memory. Mickeys opponent Goodnight Anderson is played by former world title contender Scott Welch, whose real-life ring-knowhow and ability to throw a real punch grants proceedings a realistic dimension. Its a masterstroke of casting by the film, and though Brad Pitt obviously never actually gets punched, by making Mickeys punishment look as authentic as possible the audience are always wincing along to something which was meant to be nigh-on barbaric anyway. Unlike most other fights in this list, this one at least ends with a glorious one-punch knockout, and the good guys come out of it relatively unscathed, physically or morally. After all, Mickey is harder than a coffin nail, so it doesnt at all surprise that hes able to leave the arena under his own steam.