Watch ‘The Final Round,’ a Documentary About Power, Perseverance and the Price of Change

During the ’80s, boxing champions like Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler battled for glory under the bright lights of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Standing ringside was Robert W. Lee Sr., founder of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and the subject of the documentary The Final Round. Lee, who passed away last year at age 90, fought just as hard outside the ropes to change the sport itself. For him, the roar of the crowd wasn’t just about titles — it was about proving that a Black man from a segregated New Jersey neighborhood could remake boxing on his own terms.

“Racism was alive and well not only in the United States, it was alive and well in boxing,” Lee recalls in the film. His creation of the IBF in 1983, the documentary argues, gave fighters and officials long denied a fair shot the chance to prove themselves. “I wanted to see that the playing field was level,” he says. “That everyone had an equal opportunity.”

But with power came enemies. The film presents Lee’s clashes with political figures and the U.S. justice system that culminated in a high-profile trial in 2000 in which he was charged with bribery, racketeering and tax evasion. The Final Round puts forward the case that prosecutors, long frustrated by failed attempts to convict promoter Don King — whose empire had been dogged by allegations of fixed fights, shady contracts and financial improprieties — saw Lee as key to bringing King down. According to Lee, federal agents even warned him: “All of this can go away. All we want you to do is testify against Don King.” Lee refused.

Directed by Lisa Maydwell and Joyce Licorish, and based on a book by Maydwell and Robert W. Lee Jr. (who was also charged in the case), The Final Round captures the contradictions of a man who broke barriers, reshaped boxing and paid dearly for defying the system. His resilience, however, never wavered. “There’s a bright side somewhere,” Lee says. “Don’t you stop until you have found it.”

Directors: Lisa Maydwell, Joyce Licorish
Languages: English
Run time: 71 minutes
Release date: 2025
Rating: PG-13