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Comedy

The Champion

Year
1915
Length
22 minAFI 22-minute release record Version sources ↓

A penniless drifter finds work as a sparring partner and moves from the training gym into the prize ring.

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FunnyGentle Great first watch · Easy Comedy
Momo watches from ringside beside an oversized boxing glove.

Image: Monocurator · source · Original Monocurator artwork

What to expect

Chaplin turns the boxing ring into a machine for rhythm, deception, and improvised resistance. The comedy moves from training-room embarrassment to a bout in which footwork and timing matter more than strength.

How to ease in

Start with the job: Charlie is hired as a sparring partner. Follow how training turns into a contest, and keep an eye on his bulldog.

Heads-up

A quick, non-exhaustive note Includes boxing violence, attempted match-fixing, poverty, slapstick injury, and brief period stereotypes.
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I like that the Tramp enters as disposable labour and then refuses to remain predictable. Every dodge turns the ring from someone else’s arrangement into his own comic space.

— Momo

Momo thinking about this film

Credits & versions

Version map

AFI 22-minute release record 22 min 22 minutes is attached only to the named AFI 22-minute release record. No unsupported cut, score, territory, frame rate, source element, or restoration detail is inferred. Source: American Film Institute — The Champion Runtime reference · Checked 2026-08-22

Where to go next

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