How’s this for honesty? “When I heard Usher was going to be playing me, I thought it was a joke,” boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard told REVOLT at the New York City premiere of the film Hands of Stone. But when Leonard got in the ring to train the singer, who he calls “a perfectionist,” Usher surpassed all his expectations. These sentiments were echoed at the premiere by everyone from Robert De Niro to the producers who put it all together.

Usher shows how he embodied Sugar Ray Leonard in this new “Hands of Stone” clip

Hands of Stone depicts the matchup between world-class Panamanian boxer Roberto Durán (Édgar Ramírez) and the undefeated lightweight champion Sugar Ray Leonard (Usher Raymond). Leonard takes an L the first go-round, but five months later, on November 25, 1980, their infamous rematch made boxing history.

As Ramirez told REVOLT, “This is the story of the greatest lightweight in boxing history who was the master of really messing with your psyche. … You’re gonna learn that your body is only a third of what you need to become a good boxer.”

Check out our exclusive interview with Usher, Leonard, Ramirez, and more:

Insider Access | “Hands of Stone” premiere

Hands of Stone is in theaters now!