Hugh Jackman was ‘starstruck’ to work with boxing idol Sugar Ray

London: Hugh Jackman has said that he was blown away when his sporting idol Sugar Ray Leonard trained him for his latest movie ‘Real Steel’.

The former world champion in five weight divisions was hired for the new flick about hi-tech boxing in the future, to teach Jackman to pull no punches. “I remember being asked about it,” the Daily Express quoted the 43-year-old actor as saying. “They said, ‘We’re thinking about hiring Sugar Ray to work with robots with the choreography and to also help you out with the boxing – are you cool with that?’” “I was like, ‘Let’s just get this straight – are you ­asking me if I’m OK to have one of the greatest boxers of all time as my personal trainer? Er, yeah!’” “I was a little intimidated and I was starstruck when I met him.” “I’ve been lucky enough to meet a lot of very big movie stars and famous people but deep down, if I was any better at it, I would be a sportsman.” “So meeting someone like Sugar Ray I kind of turned into a little kid.” “I didn’t bother to contain myself. I said, ‘Man, you are an idol of mine. This is a great honour’,” he said. IANS