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Robert "Rocky" Balboa, Sr. is the main character in Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Rocky V and Rocky Balboa (film). He's an Italian-American retired legendary boxer, famous for his indomitable spirit, his extreme tenacity, ferocious body attack, and above all, for fighting with his heart.
Biography
Rocky I: An Opportunity
On November 25, 1975, Rocky Balboa is introduced as a small-time boxer and "leg-breaker," or debt collector, for an apparently "connected" loan shark named Anthony Gazzo and is living in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. The World Heavyweight Championship bout, with undefeated heavyweight champion Apollo Creed defending against Mac Lee Green, is scheduled to take place at the Philadelphia Spectrum on New Year's Day 1976, the year of the United States Bicentennial. When Green drops out because of an injured hand, Creed and his entourage are stymied on what to do. Other contenders say there is not enough time to get into shape.
Creed comes up with the idea of giving a local underdog a shot at the title and, because he likes Rocky's nickname "The Italian Stallion," he selects the relatively unknown fighter. He puts it in lights by proclaiming "Apollo Creed Meets The Italian Stallion." The fight promoter Miles Jergens says the decision is "very American"; but Creed says, rather, that it is "very smart."
To prepare for the fight Rocky trains with a 1920s-era ex-bantamweight fighter and gym owner, Mickey Goldmill. Mickey always considered Rocky's potential to be better than his effort—telling him he had heart but also calling him a "tomato" and "leg breaker for some cheap second-rate loan shark" among other endearments, and putting Rocky out of his gym locker preceding the "freak luck" opportunity that comes Rocky's way, and Rocky is initially skeptical of Mickey's motives and timing for wanting to train Rocky for the big fight. Rocky's good friend Paulie, a meat-packing-plant worker, lets him practice his punches on the carcasses hanging in the freezers.
Rocky courts and eventually dates Paulie's shy, quiet sister, Adrian, who works as a clerk in a local pet store. He draws Adrian out of her shell and, as Rocky's girlfriend, she begins to gain in confidence. Paulie, however, is jealous of the relationship. The night before the fight, Rocky privately tours the Spectrum and notices the photograph of him wearing the wrong colored shorts. Mr. Jergens tells Rocky the incorrect photograph doesn't really matter. Dejected, Rocky confides to Adrian that he does not expect to beat Creed and that all he wants is to go the distance because no one had ever gone the distance with Creed.
Rocky and Apollo during the fight.
On New Year's Day, the climactic boxing match begins. Apollo Creed has never taken the fight seriously, and Rocky unexpectedly knocks him down in the first round (the first time Creed has been knocked down in his professional career), embarrassing Creed, and the match turns intense. Creed's prediction that he would knockout Rocky in three rounds is quickly erased as the two fighters engage in a brutal match. Creed realizes that he has underestimated his opponent and desperately defends his title. The fight indeed lasts 15 rounds, with both fighters sustaining many injuries; Rocky suffers his first broken nose and debilitating trauma around the eye, and Creed sustains brutal blows to his ribs with substantial internal bleeding. As the match progresses, Creed's superior skill is countered by Rocky's apparently unlimited ability to absorb punishment, and his dogged refusal to be knocked out. As the final round bell sounds, with both fighters locked in each other's arms, an exhausted Creed vows "Ain't gonna be no re-match," to which an equally spent Rocky replies, "Don't want one."
After the fight, multiple layers of drama are played out: sportscasters and audience are going wild; the promoter/ring announcer Miles Jergens announces over the loudspeaker that the match was "the greatest exhibition of guts and stamina in the history of the ring"; Rocky calls out repeatedly for Adrian, who runs down and comes into the ring as Paulie distracts the security personnel. As Jergens declares Apollo Creed the winner by virtue of a split decision (8:7, 7:8, 9:6), Adrian and Rocky embrace while they profess their love to one another, not caring about the result of the fight.
Rocky II: The rematch
After that first fight, Rocky intended to retire from boxing and settle into a normal life with his wife Adrian, whom he married in March 1976. Apollo, however, was bitter over the fight's subsequent fallout. He may have won by decision, but he felt he didn't take the fight as seriously as he should have, and that Rocky just got lucky. He was heavily criticized in the media and by boxing fans, being accused of having the fight fixed and being called a "disgrace to the sport." Apollo felt that the only way to redeem himself was by challenging Rocky to a rematch. Meanwhile, Rocky was having difficulty finding work. [1]
Eventually, he got a job at the meat-packing plant where Paulie worked, but this job was short-lived. Rocky came to realize that fighting was what he's supposed to be doing. With Adrian's blessing, Rocky once again trained with Mickey. The big rematch, dubbed Superfight II, was again held at the Spectrum on Thanksgiving Day 1976. The fight was a particularly brutal one, with both fighters falling to the ground exhausted toward the end of the final round. Racing against the referee's ten-count and each other, Rocky and Apollo wearily climbed the ropes to be the first on his feet. Rocky was the first to get up, and was declared the new heavyweight champion of the world.[1]
Rocky III: The New Challenge
Clubber Lang and Rocky before the match.
In the three years since winning the world heavyweight title, Rocky has had a string of ten successful title defenses and has seen his fame, wealth and celebrity increase. Meanwhile, Rocky's trainer Mickey worriedly eyes a young and hungry fighter named James "Clubber" Lang. Lang rapidly climbs the ranks with six consecutive knockouts and is now the number one contender for Rocky's heavyweight championship. While unveiling a statue of himself at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Rocky is publicly challenged by Lang. Lang accuses Rocky of selective matchmaking by intentionally accepting challenges from lesser opponents. Lang also questions Rocky's manhood to his wife Adrian enraging Rocky, who accepts his challenge.
Rocky's trainer Mickey initially wants no part of the match and refuses to train Rocky. After Rocky demands to know why, Mickey tells him that Lang was correct and all of his title defenses were fought against handpicked opponents in order to keep him successful, as well as to avoid more devastating injuries, such as the ones he suffered in the fight against Apollo Creed in their two matches. Mickey also tells Rocky that if he fights Lang, he would "kill (him) to death inside of three rounds" because Lang is younger, stronger, and hungrier than Rocky. Knowing this, Rocky questions his whole title reign and Mickey agrees to train Rocky for the fight, which Rocky declares will be his last.
Both fighters go in different directions in regards to their training for the fight. Lang works out alone in a spartan setting with very little equipment. Rocky, on the other hand, rents out a hotel ballroom and opens his training camp to the public with dozens of distractions that frustrate Mickey, who fears they will lead to disaster in the fight.
Rocky get's knocked out and loses his title.
Lang and Rocky meet at Philadelphia's Spectrum. During a melee before the fight, Lang shoves Mickey, who suffers a heart attack. Rocky decides to call off the fight, but Mickey refuses and implores him to fight and win. As the fight begins, Rocky comes out aggressively and tries to knock out the challenger early. Lang, however, is unfazed by the early assault and quickly takes control of the fight. By the end of the first round Rocky is battered and bloody, and calls for Mickey. The condition of his trainer continues to distract him into the second round, where Lang knocks Rocky out to win the title.
Rocky heads back to his dressing room, where Mickey has taken a turn for the worse. Rocky tells Mickey that the fight ended by knockout in the second round but does not say he lost. He tries to convince Mickey there is more to do, but Mickey simply says, "I love ya, kid," and dies in Rocky's arms.
Rocky goes into a deep depression fueled by Mickey's death. One night, as Rocky stops at Mickey's now-shuttered gym, he is confronted by Apollo Creed, who tells him that Rocky has lost his edge and needs to get it back. To do this, Apollo offers to train Rocky for a rematch with Lang. Rocky agrees and he, with Adrian and Paulie, follows Apollo to Los Angeles. Apollo's plan is to take Rocky back to the basics, from putting him and his family up in an old, unkempt hotel in Creed's old neighborhood, as well as returning to his old gym, where he hooks Rocky up with Duke, Apollo's former trainer.
Despite Apollo's best efforts at getting Rocky back into fighting shape, Rocky is still distraught and disillusioned. However, Adrian finally decides to talk to Rocky who, in his frustration, admits to being afraid and feeling responsible for Mickey's death. Through heated compassionate criticism Adrian is finally able to talk him out of his funk and convince him to get back on track, and with Apollo and Duke's expertise, Rocky develops into a completely different fighter by trading his power game for a quick hitting counter-attacking style, which confuses everyone including Lang.
Rocky punching Lang during the fight.
The rematch is held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. At the start of the fight, Rocky sprints from his corner, fighting with a level of skill and spirit that no one expected. As a result, Rocky dominates the first round. After the bell, Lang is in a fit of rage and has to be restrained by his trainers. In the second round, Rocky starts as he did in the first. However, Lang gains the upper hand; from here he dominates Rocky, knocking him down twice. Getting up from the second KD, Rocky adopts a strategy that bewilders Apollo (and Lang) by intentionally taking a beating from Lang while taunting him for being unable to knock him out. The round ends with a verbal altercation between Lang and Rocky.
Rocky knocks out Clubber Lang and regains his world title.
In the third round, Lang (who is used to winning fights swiftly with knockouts in the early rounds) becomes increasingly angry and quickly exhausts his energy trying to finish Rocky off with repeated knockout blows, most of which miss the newly-agile Rocky. Rocky taunts the champion in order to psych him out, and the aggressive Lang is infuriated. He attacks even harder, walking into Rocky's trap. The tide turns, and Rocky overpowers the winded and outboxed Lang, knocking him out and re-gaining the heavyweight championship of the world.
Afterwards, Rocky fulfills Apollo's vague "big favor": a private rematch with him at Mick's old gym. The film concludes with the fighters throwing their first punch simultaneously, but this time, after the two massive bouts between them previously, this fight is purely for pride and they fight in the spirit of friendly competition rather than as fierce rivals.
Rocky IV: East Vs. West
Rocky vs. Drago in the Red Stadium.
In 1985, Ivan Drago, an immensely muscular 6-foot 5, 261-pound Soviet boxer, arrives in the United States with his wife Ludmilla, and a team of trainers from the USSR and Cuba. His manager, Nicolai Koloff, takes every opportunity to promote Drago's athleticism as a hallmark of Soviet superiority. Motivated by patriotism and an innate desire to prove himself, Apollo Creed challenges Drago to an exhibition bout. Rocky has reservations, but agrees to train Apollo despite his misgivings about the fight. He asks Apollo whether the fight is against the Russian, or "you against you".
During a press conference regarding the match, hostility is created between Apollo and Drago's respective camps. The exhibition takes place at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. Apollo enters the ring, wearing his old Uncle Sam outfit, in an over-the-top patriotic entrance with James Brown performing "Living in America" complete with showgirls. The bout starts tamely with Apollo landing several punches that have no effect on the Russian. It soon turns serious though, as Drago starts clobbering hard. Apollo is worn by the end of the first round. Rocky and Apollo's trainer Duke plead with him to give up, but Apollo refuses to do so, and tells Rocky not to stop the fight. The second round doesn't go any better, and despite Duke begging Rocky to throw in the towel, he reluctantly honors Apollo's wish. This turns out to have fatal consequences as Drago lands a final punch on
Rocky holds a dieing Apollo Creed.
Apollo that knocks him to the ground, killing him. In the immediate aftermath, Drago displays no sense of remorse commenting to the assembled media: "If he dies... he dies."
Incensed by Drago's cold indifference and feeling a deep sense of guilt, Rocky decides to avenge Apollo's death by agreeing to fight Drago in Russia on Christmas Day in an unsanctioned 15-round bout. He flies to the USSR without Adrian, setting up his training base in Krasnogourbinsk with only Duke and brother-in-law Paulie to accompany him. To prepare for the fight, Drago uses very high-tech equipment, steroid enhancement, and a team of trainers and doctors monitoring his every movement. Rocky, on the other hand, throws heavy logs, chops down trees, pulls an overloaded snow sleigh, jogs in heavy snow and treacherous icy conditions and climbs a mountain. Adrian shows up unexpectedly to give Rocky her support after initially refusing to travel to Russia because of her doubts on his fighting chances. Her arrival increases Rocky's focus and enhances his training.
Drago is introduced with an elaborate, patriotic ceremony that puts the Russian crowd squarely on Drago's side. Rocky turns up more muscular and confident than ever, but is booed by all in attendance. In contrast to his fight with Apollo, Drago immediately goes on the offensive and Rocky takes a fierce pounding. Rocky comes back toward the end of the second and silences the Russian crowd by landing a strong right hook that cuts Drago just below his left eye. While Drago is visibly shaken, Rocky is fired up and assaults Drago, which continues even after the bell rings. While Duke and Paulie cheer Rocky for his heroism, they remind him that Drago is not a machine, but a man. Ironically, Drago comments that Rocky "is not human, he is like a piece of iron" with his own corner reprimanding him for being "weak" in comparison to the "small American."
The two boxers continue to hit each other over the next dozen rounds, with Rocky holding his ground despite Drago's powerful punches. His resilience rallies the previously hostile Soviet crowd to his side, which unsettles Drago to the point that he shoves Koloff off the ring for berating his performance. Rocky finally takes out Drago in the 15th and last round, winning by knockout to the shock of the Soviet Politburo members watching the fight.
Rocky defeats Ivan Drago.
A bloody and battered Rocky gives a victory speech, acknowledging the mutual disdain at first between himself and the crowd. He says it is like the wider disdain between Russians and Americans, but that he and the crowd have come to respect and admire each other during the course of the fight. Rocky adds that the crowd has seen "two guys killin' each other, but I guess that's better than 20 million". Rocky finally declares, "If I can change, and you can change, then everybody can change!" The Soviet General Secretary stands and passionately applauds Rocky, and his aides follow suit. Rocky ends his speech by wishing his son a Merry Christmas, and throws his arms into the air in victory as the crowd applauds on Christmas Day.
Rocky V: Retirement and the return to South Philadelphia
At the press conference held at the airport upon returning home, a flamboyant promoter named George Washington Duke showed up and challenged Rocky to fight Duke's protege, Union Cane. Rocky, however, easily blew off the challenge and headed back home with his family.[2]
That evening, Rocky overheard an argument between Adrian and Paulie. It turned out that during their stay in Russia, Paulie had inadvertently given power of attorney to the Balboas' shady accountant, who then disappeared with their fortune. The family's lawyer also revealed that their mortgage was not entirely paid off, and that Rocky still owed six years of back taxes. There was no choice but to auction off their home and possessions. To add insult to injury, a visit to the doctor's office confirmed that Rocky was suffering from Cavum septum pellucidum, a condition common to boxers who take too many hard hits to the head. This effectively ended his fighting career. The announcement of Rocky's official retirement made headlines.[2]
Luckily, Paulie had kept his old home in South Philadelphia, and in 1986, the family packed up and moved back into the modest home. Rocky assured Adrian that the move would only be temporary. [2]
Some time later, Rocky reopened Mickey's old gym, Mighty Mick's Gym, and was approached by a young fighter named Tommy Gunn. Tommy came from Oklahoma, and was eager to meet Rocky, with the intent of showing him how good of a fighter he was and hoped Rocky would become his manager after seeing him in action. At first, Rocky was unsure about the idea, not considering himself manager material, but he eventually began to see his younger self in Tommy, and feeling he could pass on some of Mickey's teachings to Tommy, he not only accepted to become his manager, but also offered him to stay with his family. Starting then, Rocky began to relive the older days; he was Mick, and Tommy was Rocky, and since he had to retire, he felt that through Tommy, he would feel like he would win again, feel in his prime again.[2] This unfortunately had a bad side effect, as Rocky became so focused on his role as Tommy's manager, and Tommy himself, that he began to neglect his son, rapidly severing the bond between the two. That bond would be rekindled later.
Rocky passing on his famous boxing shorts to Gunn.
The more Tommy fought, the more he became famous, but all for the wrong reasons. If the media referred to Tommy, it was indirectly through Rocky (i.e. "Rocky's Gunn aims at the title!"), and Tommy became frustrated for being trapped in Rocky's shadow. George Washington Duke tempted him with promises of fame and riches, and Tommy alligned himself with him instead of Rocky. He was also given a chance at the title, something he wanted very eagerly. During the match between Union Cane and Tommy, Rocky watched the match through television rather excitedly, cheering him on and even punching his punching bag in symetry with Tommy's punches. When
Tommy punching Union Cane.
Tommy won the match, Rocky literally screamed and jumped in joy, and when Tommy was about to thank the man whom he described as the one that got him there, and Rocky smiled as he knew he was talking about him, or so he thought. Hearing Tommy give all the credits to Duke and thank him for everything, followed by the crowd showing great displeasure towards Tommy, and praising Rocky instead, while on his end, Rocky lost all the excitement and his smile from the event, and after his son tried to recomfort him, Paulie asked him to go out with him to take his mind out of all of this.
After being insulted by the media in comparison to Rocky, and his frustration and rage fueled by Duke in his scheme to get Tommy to taunt Rocky into a ring, they both went to look for Rocky in town, and after finding him, began taunting him into fighting him in a ring; Tommy, however, vented off his anger at Rocky, the very man who trained him to become the fighter that he is and the one who genuinely cared for him, who was prepared to ignore him until Paulie began criticizing Tommy. The new champion's response was to punch Paulie down, resulting in an angered Rocky to challenge him into trying to knock him down now. Duke tried to stop the imminent fight by saying that Tommy would only fight in the ring. Rocky followed by saying, "My ring's outside." This triggered a street fight between the two former friends.
Surrounded by a crowd, which was entirely on Rocky's side, Rocky took the initiative by punching Tommy down, then expressed his disappointment in how they should've been friends, like brothers, two fingers of the same hand, and walked off. However, Tommy got back up and attacked Rocky from behind. A few of the crowd attempted to help Rocky out of this back attack, resulting in them being punched out by a wild Tommy. After taking a brief beating from Tommy, Rocky began having flashbacks of his horrifying fight with Ivan Drago, and lost his focus almost completely over what was happening until he began having flashbacks of Mickey instead, with the words, "Get up and fight, you son-of-a-bitch, 'cause Mickey loves ya!" echoing through his head.
Completely rejuvenated, Rocky got back on his feet, and taunted Tommy into fighting "one more round" with him. Cheered on by the crowd, which now included his wife and son, Rocky eventually knocked his former pupil out.[2] He then approached Duke, who threatened to sue him should he lay a finger on him, but Rocky knocked him down with an uppercut and nonchalantly asked him, "Sue me for what?"
Rocky during the street fight with Tommy.
Rocky completely moved on from the boxing world after the Tommy Gunn incident, and in 1995, opened a small Italian restaurant in the neighborhood. He named it Adrian's, after his beloved wife. The walls of the place were adorned with several family photos as well as magazine covers and pictures from throughout Rocky's fighting career. The patrons loved it when Rocky would visit their table and tell them stories about his past fights.[3]
Rocky's world came crashing down in 2002 when Adrian succumbed to ovarian cancer. Every year afterward, on the anniversary of her death, Rocky would visit Adrian's grave and tour all of the places (Rocky's old apartment, the site of the old skating rink and J&M Tropical Fish, the pet store where Adrian worked for years) that held some significance to them.[3]
By early 2005, Rocky was pushing 60 and living out his days mainly focusing on his restaurant, his financial troubles long behind him. No longer the huge celebrity he once was, he was content with the modest life he'd been living for the past fifteen years, although he continued to be recognized on the streets and receive friendly greetings from fellow Philadelphians. He even managed to reconnect with a woman named Marie, who, as a young girl, Rocky had saved from going down the wrong path in life.[3]
Rocky Balboa: The final round
Mason Dixon.
In 2006, Rocky Balboa has been retired from boxing for twenty years and lives a quiet life as a widower. His wife Adrian Pennino Balboa had died from cancer four years earlier. He runs a small but very successful Italian restaurant named after her, where he regales his patrons with stories of his past. He also battles personal demons involving his grief over Adrian's death, the changing times, and his eroding relationship with his son Robert, a struggling corporate employee. Paul "Paulie" Pennino , Rocky's brother-in-law and best friend, continues to support him whenever he can.
Late one night, Rocky reunites with a much older "Little" Marie, a once mischievous neighborhood girl that Rocky met when she was a child, now working as a bartender at the Lucky Seven (a bar Rocky once frequented in the mid-1970s), and a single parent of a teenaged son born out of wedlock: Stephenson, nicknamed "Steps". Rocky's friendship with the two quickly blossoms over the following weeks, and Steps takes to him as a father figure.
Meanwhile on the professional boxing circuit, Mason "The Line" Dixon reigns as the undisputed world heavyweight champion. ESPN broadcasts a computer simulation of a fight between Rocky (in his prime) and Mason — likened to a modern-day version of The Super Fight, a 1970 computer simulation of a 15-round fight between Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali in their prime (that Marciano "won" by a KO in the 13th round) — which ends in a controversial KO victory for Balboa, riling the champ. In contrast, the simulation inspires Rocky to take up boxing again — an intention that goes public when he successfully renews his license. Dixon's promoters pitch the idea of holding a charity exhibition bout at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas to bolster Dixon's falling popularity.
With some hesitation, both men agree to the match, creating a media buzz that stabs at Rocky's has-been status and Dixon's credibility; Dixon having yet to face a challenging opponent. Robert later 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 advice: that 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. The next day, father and son meet over Adrian's grave and reconcile; Robert has quit his job to be at Rocky's side. Rocky sets straight to training with Apollo Creed's old trainer Duke who quickly surmises that the slow and arthritic Rocky can only compete by building his strength and punching power as much as possible.
The fight becomes an HBO Pay-per-View event. Dixon easily dominates the first round only to injure his left hand
Rocky fighting Dixon
against Rocky's hip in the second, after which Rocky makes a dramatic comeback: he manages to knock Dixon down once and then continues to surprise the audience with his prowess and chin against the much younger and faster fighter. Dixon sends Rocky to one knee in the final round, but the elder fighter pulls himself to his feet for one last assault. The two opponents then continue to punish each other severely throughout the remainder of the final round, ending with the two fighters both still standing. Rocky thanks an appreciative Dixon for the fight and leaves the ring to the adulation of the crowd as the result is announced: A win for Mason Dixon by split decision.
In the closing shot, Rocky returns home and visits Adrian's grave again; thanking her for helping him.
Creed: Training Apollo's Grandson Adonis Creed
Adonis Johnson Creed never knew his famous grandfather, world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, who died before he was born. Still, there’s no denying that boxing is in his blood, so Adonis heads to Philadelphia, the site of Apollo Creed’s legendary match with a tough upstart named Rocky Balboa. Once in the City of Brotherly Love, Adonis tracks Rocky down and asks him to be his trainer. Despite his insistence that he is out of the fight game for good, Rocky sees in Adonis the strength and determination he had known in Apollo — the fierce rival who became his closest friend. Agreeing to take him on, Rocky trains the young fighter, even as the former champ is battling an opponent more deadly than any he faced in the ring. With Rocky in his corner, it isn’t long before Adonis gets his own shot at the title… but can he develop not only the drive but also the heart of a true fighter, in time to get into the ring?
Boxing style
Though right-handed,(orthodox) Rocky fights as a southpaw (left-handed). He's a hybrid-fighter, possessing the qualities of an inside-fighter, brawler and swarmer. With the exception of his rematch against Clubber Lang where he fights as an outside-fighter, he advances quickly upon his opponents, driving them into the ropes and setting upon them with a devastating body attack. Rocky is well known for wearing opponents down over the course of a bout.
Balboa's iron jaw allows him to take brutal punishment throughout his fights. With a will of steel, he is known for overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds to triumph over his opponents. It is this trait that inspires fans worldwide, sending the message that nothing is out of reach if one believes in himself. Balboa, as stated by Jim Lampley during the fight against Mason Dixon, is renowned for his "cast iron jaw, ferocious body attack, and will of steel; all of which carried him to victories over the years against physically superior opponents". Rocky has an uncanny ability to sense weakness in his opponents, seizing every opportunity to capitalize on a momentum shift in his fights. No matter how exhausted and battered, Balboa pushes his offensive edge. In the first title fight with Apollo Creed, announcer Stu Nahan refers to Rocky as a "bull in a china shop" after witnessing the offensive onslaught. Rocky retired as a 2 time world heavyweight champion and with a pro record of 57 wins (51 KO), 23 losses and 1 draw.
The fight scenes in the last movie, Rocky Balboa, are considered to be the most realistic in film history, with many boxing experts considering Stallone's in-ring performance to be his best ever.
Notable quotes
- "Ah come on, Adrian, it's true. I was nobody. But that don't matter either, you know? 'Cause I was thinkin', it really don't matter if I lose this fight. It really don't matter if this guy opens my head, either. 'Cause all I wanna do is go the distance. Nobody's ever gone the distance with Creed, and if I can go that distance, you see, and that bell rings and I'm still standin', I'm gonna know for the first time in my life, see, that I weren't just another bum from the neighborhood." Rocky
- "What did you say to the kid? It ain't about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. Get up!" Rocky Balboa
- You ain't gonna believe this, but you used to fit right here, I'd hold you up to say to your mother, "this kid's gonna be the best kid in the world. This kid's gonna be somebody better than anybody I ever knew." And you grew up good and wonderful. It was great just watching you, every day was like a privilige. Then the time come for you to be your own man and take on the world, and you did. But somewhere along the line, you changed. You stopped being you. You let people stick a finger in your face and tell you you're no good. And when things got hard, you started looking for something to blame, like a big shadow. Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now if you know what you're worth then go out and get what you're worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain't you! You're better than that! Rocky Balboa
Skills and Attributes
Iron Jaw : Rocky is known for his Iron which he demonstrates in Rocky I and II
Speed : Rocky gains dominating speed he demonstrates in Rocky III
Power: Rocky brutally attacks his opponents in the ring
indomitable will: Rocky never gives up a fight unless knocked out or dazed to a point where he can't recover before the count.
Customizations
Appearances
- Rocky (First appareance)
- Rocky II
- Rocky III
- Rocky IV
- Rocky V
- Rocky Balboa
- Rocky video game
- Rocky: Legends
- Ivan Drago: Justice Enforcer (Non-canonical appearance)
Trivia
- Rocky was a smoker. He gave up the habit when he began his training regiment for superfight 1.
- Though he fights as a southpaw, Rocky writes with his right hand.
- His car's registration plate reads "S0THPAW."
- Rocky wears black and gold because those were the colors of the high school he never graduated from.
- Though he is responsible for the popularization of the red, white and blue trunks in popular culture, Balboa wore a combination of black and gold for the majority of his career, including the rematch with Apollo Creed. The red, white, and blue trunks were - in fact - a present from Creed for the rematch against Lang, and a tribute following his death.
- Authorities in the Serbian village of Žitište have built a monument to Rocky.
- Rocky had defeated 3 previously undefeated fighters: Apollo Creed, Clubber Lang, and Ivan Drago.
- Rocky was mentioned in Mims' song Like This.
- Although it is common knowledge that the screenplay for the first movie was the Ail/Wepner fight, Rocky the character is probably a combination of Rocky Marciano, Jake LaMotta, and Joe Fraizer.
- Rocky was originally meant to die in Rocky V were he would have lost the street fight and died as a reasult of Tommy Gunn's punches and the brain damage, dying in Adrian's arms.
Fights
Before the movies
- Ernesto Luigi (Winner by KO in Round 3 of 6) 1-0
- Jimmy Payne (Winner by TKO in Round 4 of 6) 2-0
- Elmer Cannes (Winner by KO in Round 1 of 6) 3-0
- Otis Nando (Winner by KO in Round 2 of 6) 4-0
- Channing Garner (Winner by KO in Round 6 of 6) 5-0
- Shane Radcliffe (Winner by KO in Round 2 of 7) 6-0
- Albert Jameson (Winner by KO in Round 5 of 6) 7-0
- Colin Sharps (Loss by TKO in Round 4 of 6) 7-1
- Colin Sharps (Winner by TKO in Round 8 of 8) 8-1
- Tobey Cartis (Winner by TKO in Round 6 of 8) -9-1
- Andrew Cundiff (Winner by DQ in Round 2 for "uncle bad touch) 10-1
- Adam Calloway (Winner by KO in Round 1 of 8) 11-1
- Oscar Santiago Lopez (Winner by KO in Round 3 of 8) 12-1
- Jerry Hannigan (Winner by KO in Round 7 of 8) 13-1
- Alfredo Banks (Loss by Split Decision in 8 Rounds) 13-2
- Alfredo Banks (Loss by Unanimous Decision in 8 Rounds) 13-3
- Alfredo Banks (Winner by TKO in Round 9 of 10) 14-3
- Glen Sanders (Winner by KO in Round 1 of 8) 15-3
- Jack Reid (Winner by KO in Round 8 of 8) 16-3
- Jack Reid (Loss by TKO in Round 1 of 8) 16-4
- Spider Rico (Winner by KO in Round 7 of 8) 17-4
- Randy Tate (Winner by TKO in Round 1 of 8) 18-4
- Gus Hankinson (Winner by KO in Round 2 of 8) 19-4
- Sean Cabana (Winner by TKO in Round 8 of 8) 20-4
- Al Thornton (Winner by KO in Round 8 of 8) 21-4
- Orlando Grogan (Loss by TKO in Round 1 of 8) 21-5
- Javier Moniker (Loss by TKO in Round 7 of 8) 21-6
- Austin Miller (Win by KO in Round 3 of 8) -22-6
- Dave Cole (Loss by KO in Round 1 of 8) 22-7
- Andrew Bolanos (Loss by TKO in Round 4 of 8) 22-8
- Muhammad Abdi Conway (Winner by Unanimous Decision of 8 Rounds) 23-8
- Lee Hazzard (Loss by Split Decision of 8 Rounds) 23-9
- Bob Cray (Loss by TKO in Round 8 of 8) 23-10
- Bob Cray (Win by Unanimous Decision of 8 Rounds) 24-10
- Anthony Chapman (Loss by Unanimous Decision of 8 Rounds) 24-11
- Gilberto Ashley (Loss by KO in Round 4 of 8) 24-12
- Kirk Dusty (Winner by KO in Round 8 of 8) 25-12
- Peter Hannuaer (Loss by KO in Round 2 of 8) 25-13
- Milo Gennino (Winner by TKO in Round 7 of 8) 26-13
- Art Molly (Winner by KO in Round 2 of 8) 27-13
- Barry Shriger (Winner by TKO in Round 7 of 8) 28-13
- Bo Christopher (Winner by KO in Round 4 of 8) 29-13
- Jim Stinger (Winner by KO in Round 2 of 8) 30-13
- Mike Wallace (Winner by KO in Round 3 of 8) 31-13
- Ace Bean (Winner by TKO in Round 1 of 8) 32-13
- Mikhail Stepanenko (Winner by Split Decision of 8 Rounds) 33-13
- Joseph Shtore (Winner by KO in Round 1 of 8) 34-13
- Bob Cray (Winner by TKO in Round 8 of 8) 35-13
- Joseph Lazarski (Winner by KO in Round 7 of 8) 36-13
- Emanuel Torez (Winner by KO in Round 5 of 8) 37-13
- Wade Eastwood (Winner by Unanimous Decision of 8 Rounds) 38-13
- Tully Bernard (Loss by KO in Round 7 of 8) 38-14
- Doc Skinner (Loss by TKO in Round 1 of 8) 38-15
- Lateef Atwood (Win by Split Decision of 8 Rounds) 39-15
- Lincoln Stephens (Loss by KO in Round 8 of 8) 39-16
- Jose Rizo (Loss by Split Decision of 8 Rounds) 39-17
- Lorenzo Sebastian (Loss by Split Decision of 8 Rounds) 39-18
- Andrew Santo (Winner by KO in Round 3 of 8) 40-18
- Conrad Li Tang (Winner by KO in Round 3 of 8) 41-18
- Jack Reid (Loss by Majority Decision of 8 Rounds) 41-19
- Tully Bernard (Loss by KO in Round 8 of 8) 41-20
- Tully Bernard (Winner by Split Decision of 8 Rounds) 42-20
- Arturo Reyes (Winner by TKO in Round 12 of 15) 43-20
- Jonny Rangel (Winner by DQ in Round 1, bite to the ear) 44-20
During the movies
Rocky (1976)
- Spider Rico (Winner by KO in Round 2 of 8)45-20
- Apollo Creed (Loss by Split Decision of 15 Rounds)45-21
Rocky II (1976)
- Apollo Creed (Winner by KO in Round 15 of 15)
Rocky III (1976-1981)
- Trevor Faus (Winner by KO in Round 1 of 12)
- Joe Czak (Winner by KO in Round 2 of 15)
- Big Yank Ball (Winner by KO in Round 6 of 10)
- Vito Soto (Winner by KO in Round 10 of 15)
- Bobby Jalali (Winner by KO in Round 3 of 15)
- Dave Fossan (Winner by KO in Round 2 of 12)
- Flip Folsom (Winner by KO in Round 2 of 15)
- Joe Green (Winner by KO in Round 2 of 12)
- Matt DeLarue (Winner by KO in Round 5 of 15)
- Philip Hammerman (Winner by KO in Round 3 of 15)
- "Thunderlips" (Draw by Unanimous Decision of 1 Round)
- James "Clubber" Lang (Loss by KO in Round 2 of 15)
- James "Clubber" Lang (Winner by KO in Round 3 of 15)
Rocky IV (1985)
- Ivan Drago (Winner by KO in Round 15 of 15)
Rocky V (1990)
- Tommy Gunn (Street fight, Rocky won.)
Rocky Balboa (2006)
- Mason Dixon (Loss by Split Decision of 10 Rounds - note that Rocky is in his early sixties and retired from boxing for roughly twenty years before the fight against the current World Heavyweight Champion)
External links
- Report on Rocky 6 and comparison to Rocky Marciano
- AUDIO: Sylvester Stallone on boxing and faith
- Statue Photo of Rocky Balboa statue at Philadelphia Museum.