USHER RAYMOND TO PLAY SUGAR RAY LEONARD IN UPCOMING FILM

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Usher Raymond stars as Sugar Ray Leonard in the upcoming film "Hands of Stone" and their resemblance is undeniable.

Newly released photos from the set of the movie show Raymond with an afro and the rock-hard abs Leonard was known for.

"My commitment to his character demands that I not only physically get ready, but also become him," the 35-year-old singer said in an interview for the November issue of Men's Health magazine.

"Sugar Ray is an incredible man, I have to have his hair, his personality, the manner he conducts himself in, all (of) that," he added.

It's not hard to believe that the superstar honed in on Leonard's lifestyle in order to depict him to the fullest.

But his flawless physique is something Usher works on in his everyday life, it just so happened to work perfectly for the role of the legendary boxer.

"I train like an athlete every day, believe it or not," he confessed.

Another parallel that makes the R&B crooner a match to play Leonard is in his fancy footwork on the dance floor similar to the retired boxer's sly moves in the ring.

SUGER RAY LEONARD

"What he did as a boxer is no different from what I do as a dancer," the "OMG" singer told the mag.

"You couldn't find a more stylized boxer than Sugar Ray Leonard," he told Billboard in May. "He was an incredible motion guy, the way he moved around the ring and I think my dancing will make it easier for me to pick up his moves."

The film, which is set to hit theaters in 2014, also stars the Academy Award-winning actor Robert De Niro, who plays Ray Arcel, the first trainer to be inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame and the man behind world boxing champ Roberto Duran's skills.

"Zero Dark Thirty" star Edgar Ramirez takes on the role of Duran, the Panamanian boxer who was nicknamed the "Hands of Stone" after his arguably brutal punching style and was also Leonard's infamous rival.

In preparation for the character, Usher had the opportunity to speak to the man himself in order to get firsthand advice on portraying him.

"He had such incredible discipline and he was flashy and classy at the same time," he added to Billboard. "I want to be as passionate and dedicated in preparing for this role as he was every time he stepped into the ring."