I looked at well over 100 movie stars from this past year. The stars aligned, and all signs pointed to Butler.
In Elvis, Butler proved his capability as a character actor, so imagine what he could bring into a boxing ring. Plus, I feel like he isn't as recognizable as some of the people on this list, so some facial hair and non-Elvis hair will help him dive into a new character.
He is on the leaner side, so he is the perfect fit for my "MMA fighter" character. Plus, it'd be unique to see less of a "brawler" and a character that can actually out-box anyone. I don't want to see another "big menacing" opponent for Creed to beat. I hope Creed IV tries to move the needle on what a boxing film can be.
Possible character name: "Hollywood" Johnny King.