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Crooner Usher Raymond is all set to play boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard in a forthcoming biopic about the life of Panamanian champion fighter Roberto Durán. The film, ‘Hands of Stone,’ will also feature actors Robert DeNiro and Gael Bernal, reports the BBC.

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Usher, who was spotted in London recently, has been putting the finishing touches on an album, as well as training for the film.

If you guys see me running around London that’s what it is.  If you see me in the corners boxing. I’m doing that while working on this album.”

Filming is slated to begin later this year.

Sugar Ray Leonard was a phenomenal fighter who was named “Boxer of the Decade” in the 80’s.  He was the first boxer to earn more than $100 million in purses and managed to win world titles in five weight divisions.

Although Usher claims to have never met Leonard personally, the singer has proven himself to have big screen appeal.  Most recently, he played himself in the tween hit “Justin Bieber:  Never Say Never.” Usher also co-starred in the romantic comedy “Killers” starring Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl which opened in 2010.  He also starred in the 2005 crime-comedy movie “In the Mix.”

Usher plans to release his seventh studio album later this year.

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