The Perfect Punch

"The ultimate in boxing highlights! Over 100 of the best knock-out punches ever!" promises the video jacket…omitting a couple of qualifiers: a) these are all U.K. fighters, seen in clips ranging from b) the last 10 years only. The main attraction here is, unquestionably, Lennox Lewis, the current World Heavyweight Champion (37-1-1, as of late September, 2000), followed by the Featherweight Champion Prince Naseem Hamed (34-0-0). With the exception of puffed up commentary from host Barry Hearn and a handful of boxers, The Perfect Punch is an unrelenting series of knockout blows from U.K. fighters--with the exception of Lennox and Hamed--who have dropped off the international radar. In my opinion, over 100 of anything (end zone catches, slam dunks, hand recounted ballots, etc.) seen out of context makes for rather boring and pointless viewing. Make sure you have the 1997 Oscar winning documentary When We Were Kings (VL-7/97) and the more recent Oscar nominated On the Ropes (VL-5/00) in your sports collection, but pass on this one. Not recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)