Sylvester Stallone starred in five Rocky films from 1976 to 1990, which were Rocky 1-5. Rocky helps Adrian to become more self-confident and stand up for herself. As Rocky is training Tommy, he becomes so distracted that he ends up neglecting Robert. Millard Sylas. Later, Rocky stops by the local boxing gym and finds out that his locker has been replaced by another local contender. 1:45. For Rocky, true manliness isn’t about getting bashed in the cranium and keeping going for 15 rounds. Despite Donnie's pleas, Rocky declines to train him out of fear and guilt from Apollo's fateful match years prior. Shortly after the bout with Ivan Drago, Rocky realizes that while he is showering, he may have sustained some type of injury during the fight. The now-pregnant Adrian goes into preterm labor on the job due to stress and slips into a coma after giving birth to her first child, Robert Jr. I have always seen him as a 20th Century gladiator in a pair of sneakers. The brain damage Rocky is diagnosed within Rocky V is not addressed in this film, but in interviews, Stallone has said that the storyline explanation would have been that Rocky's brain damage was within the normal range for boxers. He eventually competed in the New York Golden Gloves tournament, where he won the heavyweight championship. On Christmas Eve, Tommy visits the Balboa residence and tells Rocky he wants to team up with Duke, but Rocky explains that dealing with Duke would be a dirty business. Unknown to him, the gym's owner and grizzled former boxer, Mickey Goldmill, does not dislike him, but considers Rocky's potential to be better than his effort. However, Donnie wants to prove that he is "not a mistake", which emotionally impacts Rocky. Rocky (1976) Only seconds into the first, and best, movie of the franchise we get a glimpse of a real fighter. In the ninth round, Wepner scored a knockdown, which Ali claimed happened because Wepner had been stepping on his foot. Movie Classic. Additionally, Stallone was awarded the Boxing Writers Association of America award for “Lifetime Cinematic Achievement in Boxing.”[9], A poll of former heavyweight champions and boxing writers ranked Balboa as the best boxer in the film series. TéléStar. In Real Life: Sylvester Stallone was inspired by Chuck Wepner, a 35-year-old club fighter who also happened to be the No. Robert Balboa, Jr. is the son of Rocky Balboa and Adrian Pennino. His hands tremble relentlessly, and he tells Adrian that he is tired and wants to go home, but accidentally addresses her as Mickey. Visiting the statue, running up the steps and taking a picture at the top is a must on any first visit to Philly. As in Rocky, the fight went 15 rounds. It is undetermined how well he actually speak… He learned to handle himself while working as a bouncer in the late ’50s. It is undetermined how well he actually speaks the language, as his responses are always in English. “I went on a nine-bat winning streak,” he says. Before the match, pandemonium erupts backstage, with Lang shoving Mickey out of the way during a trash-talk exchange of words with Rocky, causing Mickey to suffer from cardiac arrest. After a bitter argument with the former heavyweight champion, Donnie, greatly impacted by his coach's diagnosis, makes a pact with Rocky that they would fight their battles together, as Donnie prepares for his bout with Conlan and as Rocky undergoes treatment. They challenge him to a title fight called "Lettin' it Go in Tokyo." He won a slew of boxing titles, including All American Champion, National Golden Gloves Champion, North American and National American Champion. To all this, I injected doses of my own personal life, of my frustration at not getting anywhere. But I had so many ideas in my head, I couldn't focus on any one. Though Rocky passes the required physical with flying colors, the licensing committee denies his application, citing his advanced age and their moral duty to protect him from himself. The two have a son, Robert Balboa Jr., who unlike his father goes by Robert. Now, 41 years later, the full story of the real Wepner is coming to the big screen. A former New Jersey State Heavyweight Boxing Champion, he took abuse from Sonny Liston, got his nose broken by Muhammad Ali, and inspired Sylvester Stallone to write "Rocky". Wepner was knocked out in the 15th and final round, almost lasting the distance. After deep thought, Rocky finally agrees to take Donnie as his new protégé. The Rocky franchise consists of multi-media releases including American boxing sports-dramas, based on characters created by Sylvester Stallone.The first film, Rocky (1976), and its five sequels centered on the boxing career of the eponymous fictional character, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone). Rocky refuses to support Donnie, noting that Viktor was raised in hate and has nothing to lose, and that makes him dangerous. Rocky was (not) a G.I. Tommy gains the upper hand and tackles Rocky through a steel door into the street. On the way, Rocky lectures her about staying away from the wrong people. Now long-retired, Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) runs a Philadelphia eatery and mourns the loss of his beloved wife, Adrian. As news of the bout spreads, Robert begins to feel more pressure from being Rocky's son and makes an effort to discourage Rocky from fighting, blaming his own personal failings on his father's celebrity shadow, but Rocky rebukes him with some profound advice: to succeed in life, "it ain't about how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward" and that blaming others won't help him. With the exception of his rematch against Clubber Lang (where he fights as an outside fighter), he often advances quickly upon his opponents, driving them into the ropes in order to attack the body. To cheer myself up, I took the last of my entertainment money and went to see the Ali-Wepner fight on closed circuit TV. Visibly proud of Tommy, Rocky is surprised that Tommy credited his success to Duke instead of Rocky. (Video)", "Sylvester Stallone Feels Robbed of an Ownership Stake in 'Rocky': 'I Was Furious, "Sylvester Stallone Reveals 'Rocky' Sequel and Prequel Are in Development", "Rocky: Behind the Scenes Rocky (1976) | Making Of Rocky", "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains", "The Definitive Ranking of Rocky Fighters", "Comic Book Legends Revealed #233 - Comics Should Be Good! Rocky decides to watch Donnie and Viktor's match, where he watches Viktor pummel Donnie repeatedly. Paulie insults Tommy back and is sucker-punched by Tommy. “Everybody in the audience stood up and gave me a standing ovation when the movie was over,” he recalls. You'll get the latest updates on this topic in your browser notifications. Mickey reveals that his career never got anywhere because he did not have a manager and he does not want the same thing to happen to Rocky. Stu Nahan appears/is heard in all of the films as well, but he is a real life sports personality, not … The Rocky franchise consists of multi-media releases including American boxing sports-dramas, based on characters created by Sylvester Stallone.The first film, Rocky (1976), and its five sequels centered on the boxing career of the eponymous fictional character, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone). I had 71 stitches, a broken nose and broken cheekbone. Born in 1939, Wepner learned to fight on the streets of his hometown in Bayonne, New Jersey. Instead, a CD called "Rocky Balboa - The Best of Rocky" was released, featuring a collection of the best songs from the entire franchise. Chuck Wepner is a liquor salesman from Bayonne, NJ who drives a Cadillac with "Champ" vanity plates. 1:45. When the match finally begins, it appears to be as lopsided as everyone predicted, with Dixon's speed allowing him to dominate Rocky at will, knocking him down twice early on. Because he takes more punches than he throws, it is easy to overlook his incredible punching power. Marvel ran a retraction in the third issue of the limited-run series indicating that the character was not, and never had been, a part of G.I. In the second round, Creed continues to be brutally beaten by Drago, falling limp in the ring and dying. In the final round, it starts out slow for both combatants. Ali gets himself tied up in the corners and on the ropes, and anybody who does that against me is going to get beat.”. After doing a string of test ordered by the doctors at the emergency room, Rocky is diagnosed with an early case of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, making him confront his own mortality. Some time later, Rocky and his son run up the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where Rocky gives him a valuable possession of Mickey Goldmill's that had been passed on to him by Rocky Marciano. Since Rocky and his family have been declared bankrupt, Rocky clenches his fist and uppercuts Duke to the gut which lifts him off the ground, sending him to the hood of his own limousine, telling him "Sue me for what?". Rocky, clearly shaken, politely tells Drago to leave. 1:29. The rematch is set for Thanksgiving. And anybody who comes to see me fight doesn’t get gypped. Wepner joined the U.S. Marines, where he learned to put his love for fighting to use by joining the boxing team. Seeing the opportunity, Rocky goes to Tommy's body, then lands perfect headshots and finishes with a right uppercut sending Tommy to the grill of a bus, defeating his former protégé. It is the first time an opponent had lasted the full 15 rounds against him and as a result, it ends up with a split decision, Creed wins the fight and holds on to his title. After the match, Rocky gives a passionate 'thank you' speech to the crowd while receiving a standing ovation both from the crowd and the politicians in attendance. In a fit of rage, Rocky throws his motorcycle helmet at the statue and takes off until he visits Mickey's now-abandoned gym. Rocky Stallone Tells Chirs Algieri He IS The Real Rocky! Rocky Balboa was named the 7th greatest movie hero by the American Film Institute on their 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains list. With Sylvester Stallone, Antonio Tarver, Milo Ventimiglia, Burt Young. He is minor character in Rocky II, Rocky III and Rocky IV, the deuteragonist in Rocky V, the tritagonist in Rocky Balboa and a cameo character in Creed II. Directed by Jeff Feuerzeig. “That fight has done a lot for me.”. The Real Rocky Balboa. It's very, very timely." Drago tells him how his loss to Rocky 33 years earlier shattered his reputation, evicted him from Russia into Ukraine, and led to his divorce from his wife, Ludmilla. Rocky travels to the cold mountains of Russia and undergoes rigorous training, even after being berated by Adrian, who said that Rocky couldn't win against such a vile man like Drago. Joe personal combat instructor in the A Real American Hero series. During the scene in which Rocky takes Adrianna "Adrian" Pennino skating on Thanksgiving, he tells her, "Yeah – My old man, who was never the sharpest, told me I weren't born with much brain, so I better use my body." If you travel to 3822 Ridge Avenue, East Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, you can find the real life resting place of Rocky's loving wife Adrian Balboa near the front entrance of Laurel Hill Cemetery. Then, while in the Marine Corps, he took up boxing. ", "Rocky Balboa Alternate Ending - He Wins! Following his discharge, Wepner continued to fight in a local amateur boxing league while working as a security guard and nightclub bouncer. Rocky later travels to Vancouver where he reunites with Robert and meets his grandson Logan for the first time. A profile of Chuck Wepner, the original inspiration for Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa character, and how the glory of Rocky eluded Wepner as he took several strange turns in an effort to stay in the spotlight. He was the only child in a Roman Catholic Italian-American family. The Rocky character is immortalised with a bronze statue erected near the Rocky Steps in Philadelphia recalling the famous scene from the original Rocky movie. A profile of Chuck Wepner, the original inspiration for Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa character, and how the glory of Rocky eluded Wepner as he took several strange turns in an effort to stay in the spotlight. The epitome of the American Dream through a rags-to-riches story (in a documentary on the making of Rocky, Stallone describes the writing and making of the film as its own real-life American Dream as well). Chuck Wepner was a tough man. Creed soon realizes that, although Rocky does not have his level of skills, he has crippling, sledgehammer-like power and is determined to keep fighting. And he has a good nature, although nature has not been particularly good to him. "Rocky meets a young, angry person who got stuck in this country when he comes to see his sister. The name, iconography, and fighting style of Rocky Balboa was inspired by the legendary heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano from Brockton, Massachusetts and from the 5 times world champion Roberto 'Manos de Piedra (Hands of Stone)' Durán, from Panama, where the Balboa is the official currency. Up into the 14th round, Rocky is nearly knocked down but manages to get back up and delivers some hard body shots, breaking Creed's ribs just before the bell. Much like Rocky, Diego’s perseverance triumphs all his disabilities. Robert "Rocky" Balboa was the only child of a Roman Catholic Italian-American family. Will Nicky go the distance in this real life "ROCKY BALBOA" story? Unable to live on the low pay of club fights, and being unable to find work anywhere else, Rocky got a job as a collector for Tony Gazzo, the local loan shark, just to make ends meet. The story of Chuck Wepner, an underdog boxer who went the distance against Muhammad Ali and inspired the creation of Rocky. Before the fight, Pete pulls Rocky aside to address the rumors of Donnie being Apollo's son, which Rocky confirms, and tells him that he should not speak of it to anyone else. He's a … And though Rocky outwardly embodies everything valued by traditional notions of masculinity – strength, physicality, double-hard fighting skills – the character’s real battle is a spiritual and emotional one. “I see myself winning,” he said. As Adrian and Robert tend to him, Rocky tells Adrian that she was right. Liev Schrieber stars as Chuck Wepner, the real-life boxer who inspired Sylvester Stallone to write Rocky, in the new biopic Chuck. “I wanted this movie to be truthful,” he tells PEOPLE. I like nice clothes and big cars and I like to live well. After the funeral, a depressed Rocky wanders the streets of Philadelphia until seeing the statue at the steps. Coyote Ugly Turns 20: Where Is the Cast Now? Apollo Creed agrees to have an exhibition match against Soviet World Amateur Champion and Olympic gold medalist-turned-professional fighter Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) in Las Vegas, with Rocky Balboa and Tony "Duke" Evers in his corner. After the match, Rocky visits Mickey, who then dies of a heart attack, devastating Rocky. Rocky and Tony "Little Duke" Evers (Wood Harris) take Donnie to a decrepit location in the California desert to retrain, describing it as a place where fighters are "reborn". Joe line. Upon returning to the United States (in a Soviet airplane), his press conference is interrupted by promoter George Washington Duke and Union Cane (Michael Williams). Rocky Balboa is fighting Spider Rico in a local boxing ring called the Cambria Fight Club (nicknamed "The Bucket of Blood") inside a chapel. During the subsequent rounds, Dixon's injury numbs up, which enables him to throw much harder punches and pose a threat to Rocky. The Real-Life Inspiration for Rocky Balboa. ―Tagline for Rocky V. Rocky V is an American film released as the fifth film in the Rocky series in 1990. They were married for 26 years. Adrian attempts to comfort Rocky, but Rocky's frustration boils over. Turtles Have Long Lives. Wepner had an original style. Hasbro, who was working on a toy prototype[12] at the time, decided to end negotiations at that point. Rocky clearly doesn't mind about the outcome, as he only wanted to go the distance with Creed. ESNEWS. And though Rocky outwardly embodies everything valued by traditional notions of masculinity – strength, physicality, double-hard fighting skills – the character’s real battle is a spiritual and emotional one. The film concludes with Donnie taking a frail, but rather improving, Rocky back to the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which Rocky says is his "most favorite place." There were no calls for ‘Adrian!’ A bloodied Rocky called out for his beloved Adrian (Talia Shire) at … He trained very hard so he could grow up to be like his idol Rocky Marciano.