Etched In Pavement (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

Etched In Pavement is a documentary set in Detroit that follows Dwane Taylor and Michael Futrell through youth combat sports, professional boxing and the Guns Down, Gloves Up movement. Filmed over four years, it connects fighting, fatherhood, loss and legacy across generations shaped by violence and resilience.

Etched In Pavement is a 2026 documentary about two young men in Detroit who use fighting as a way to pursue survival, purpose and community. Dwane Taylor and Michael Futrell are followed through different stages of their lives, from youth combat sports to professional boxing and grassroots activism.

Filmed over four years, the documentary places their stories alongside questions of fatherhood, loss and inheritance. Its focus is not only on boxing, but also on the people and circumstances surrounding a movement built around putting guns down and picking gloves up.

Etched In Pavement movie details

Story without spoilers

Set in a remote corner of Detroit, Etched In Pavement follows Dwane Taylor and Michael Futrell as their paths develop through combat sports and the Guns Down, Gloves Up street-fighting movement. The film presents fighting as both a practical form of survival and a possible source of discipline, direction and community.

Their experiences also extend beyond sport. Fatherhood, loss and the influence of earlier generations shape the documentary’s portrait of lives caught between violence and purpose. The story includes connections to the legacy of Joe Louis and the people associated with him, while remaining centered on contemporary Detroit and the choices facing its young men.

What to expect

Viewers can expect a sports and social documentary grounded in Detroit, boxing and street-fighting culture. The four-year filming period gives the story a longitudinal structure, following its central figures across youth combat sports, professional boxing and community work.

The documentary also addresses gun violence, fatherhood, grief and legacy through the experiences of the people featured. Its subject matter suggests a focus on resilience and the tension between inherited hardship and the search for constructive purpose, without separating sport from the wider community around it.

Cast and creative team

Etched In Pavement is directed and written by John Sippel. Dwane Taylor and Michael Futrell appear as themselves, as do Joe Louis, Joe Louis Barrow Jr., Joyce Barrow-Henderson, John Louis Barrow, Ozvaldo Rivera and Julio Hernandez.

• Dwane Taylor as Self
• Michael Futrell as Self
• Joe Louis as Self
• Joe Louis Barrow Jr. as Self
• Joyce Barrow-Henderson as Self
• John Louis Barrow as Self
• Ozvaldo Rivera as Self
• Julio Hernandez as Self

Release and production context

Etched In Pavement is a United States documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 31 minutes. It is listed for release on October 29, 2026, and is marked as released in the supplied information. The film is spoken in English and Spanish. Production companies include FLYOFF, WTP Pictures, Giant Pictures and Working Class Film Co.

Production companies: FLYOFF, WTP Pictures, Giant Pictures, Working Class Film Co.

Etched In Pavement official trailer

Watch the official trailer on YouTube

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Etched In Pavement brings together boxing, Detroit community life and a multigenerational examination of violence, responsibility and legacy. With Dwane Taylor and Michael Futrell at its center, the documentary offers a focused account of how combat sports and grassroots organizing can become part of a broader search for direction.

Film data:
TMDB · IMDb