A fight is a fight, even when there's a script.
That's the mentality Ann Najjar enlist when training actors to box.
Najjar has risen through the boxing ranks over the past decade and earned herself the nickname “Mitt Queen.” She’s now taking her talents to the big screen in the upcoming movie Creed III.
Born and raised in San Diego, Najjar took up boxing when she was 18 years old and gained a following after losing over 70 pounds, largely a result of the sport. The daughter of parents born in Iraq, Najjar describes herself as a “Middle Eastern woman in a male-dominated field” who's here to “change the game” and serve as an inspiration to other women.
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Najjar isn’t listed in the initial cast release, but she shared the movie trailer on TikTok with the caption “Happy to announce I will be In the movie Creed 3!!!!!!” and is seen briefly in training scenes alongside Michael B. Jordan who is reprising his role as the titular character, Adonis Creed.
Despite the scripted nature of Creed III, Najjar takes her role holding mitts and helping boxers train equally as seriously.
“For me, it’s no different than working with someone who is actually fighting, ’cause I go in there like it is a fight,” she said.
Jordan described the opportunity to train and learn from professional boxers like Najjar as “priceless.”
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Jordan is no rookie in the ring, having developed boxing skills since being cast for the role nearly a decade ago.
“I have my style of learning and burning choreo into my head, but I was eager to learn from the best,” he said.
That ambition is propelling Jordan into the director’s chair.
After two movies that followed Creed and his mentor Rocky Balboa as they develop a close friendship and navigate life’s milestones, Creed III will be the franchise’s first to not feature Sylvester Stalone as the eponymous Rocky from the original series. It also marks Jordan’s directorial debut, taking the reins from the two-time Oscar nominated director Ryan Coogler, who -- along with Stalone -- is staying on as a producer.
This leaves Jordan, who much like his character, is facing some of the highest stakes in his career. The 36-year-old, however, welcomes the challenge and in a new feature promoting the upcoming movies said he and his team “raise the bar and take some big swings.”
Those big creative swings start in the ring, with realistic and well-executed fight scenes that have continued to capture movie-goers for nearly the past 50 years. With Najjar in the mix, Jordan’s goal of taking the franchise to another level is certainly within reach.
Creed III will hit theaters on March 3.
