Ving Rhames has appeared in some really interesting casting news today. He's going to be playing the famous heavyweight boxer Sonny Liston in a biographical film of his life entitled Phantom Punch.

This is a great lead for Rhames who has so often been cast in the supporting shadow of bigger actors, now he's going to lead the way in a film that will look at the controversial career of Sonny Liston.

According to The Hollywood Reporter through Coming Soon, Robert Townsend will direct Phantom Punch from Ryan Combs' script.

The film will look at the life and career of Sonny Liston leading to that famous fight against Cassius Clay, or Muhammad Ali as he was to become known, where the alleged phantom punch knocked him flat and pretty much ended his career.

It's a fascinating moment that would make a great story, the question is how much is going to be of the boxer's life and how much is going to concentrate on that fight and what could have been behind that phantom punch. Ving Rhames will be perfect for this role, and it will certainly give him a dramtic role to get his fists into.