Trailer for the Holocaust Boxing Drama THE CHAMPION
A new trailer has dropped for The Champion, and it’s shining a spotlight on a powerful true story that blends sports drama with one of history’s darkest chapters. This Polish film, now getting a fresh VOD push from Well Go USA, tells the story of a boxer who refused to be broken, even inside Auschwitz.
Originally released internationally after premiering in 2020, the film is getting another shot at reaching audiences in the U.S. and it looks like a story worth discovering.
The Champion follows Piotr Witkowski as Tadeusz “Teddy” Pietrzykowski, a pre-war Polish boxing champion who ends up among the first prisoners transported to Auschwitz during World War II. What unfolds isn’t just survival, it’s resistance in its rawest form.
Inside the camp, Teddy is forced to fight in boxing matches staged for Nazi officers. These aren’t just fights for entertainment, they’re life-or-death spectacles. But as he keeps winning, something unexpected happens. His victories begin to ripple through the лагер, lifting spirits and reminding fellow prisoners that their captors aren’t untouchable.
“The incredible true story of the Polish pre-war boxing champion Tadeusz ‘Teddy’ Pietrzykowski, who, early in the Second World War, arrived with the very first transport of prisoners to the newly created Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, where he became known as "The Champion of Auschwitz".
“He became famous for his nearly undefeated strings of victories, igniting hope among fellow prisoners & proving their captors are not invincible.”
The cast also includes Rafał Zawierucha, Marcin Czarnik, and Jan Szydłowski, all helping bring this intense story to life. The film was written and directed by Maciej Barczewski, marking his feature directorial debut before he went on to make Supersiostry.
One thing worth noting, this new trailer is for the English dubbed version. Personally, that version doesn’t quite land as well. The performances feel more authentic in the original Polish with subtitles, which is usually the better way to go for a film like this.
The Champion hits VOD in the U.S. on May 26th, 2026.