Rocky Balboa

This article is about the fictional boxer. For the sixth film in the Rocky series, see Rocky Balboa (film).

Rocky Balboa Sr.
Rocky character
Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa
First appearance	Rocky
Last appearance	Rocky Balboa
Created by	Sylvester Stallone
Portrayed by	Sylvester Stallone
Information
Nickname(s)	The Italian Stallion The Iron Horse The Son of Philadelphia Philadelphia's Favorite Son The Itallian Bulldozer The Philadelphia Slugger
Gender	Male
Occupation	Professional boxer (retired)
Spouse(s)	Adrianna "Adrian" Balboa (née Pennino)
Children	Robert "Rocky" Balboa Jr. (son)
Relatives	Paulie Pennino (brother-in-law) Mickey Goldmill (former trainer) Apollo Creed (friend) Tony "Duke" Evers (current trainer) Little Marie (friend) Tommy Gunn (protégé turned enemy) Steps (friend) Father Carmine (friend) Spider Rico (friend) Tony Gazzo (loan-shark boss) Butkus (his dog)
Religion	Roman Catholic
Nationality	Italian-American

Rocky Balboa
Statistics
Rated at	Heavyweight
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Nationality	American
Born	July 7, 1946 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Stance	Southpaw
Boxing record
Total fights	82
Wins	57
Wins by KO	54
Losses	24
Draws	1

Robert "Rocky" Balboa, Sr. is a title character and the protagonist of the Rocky series from 1975 to 2006. The character was created and portrayed by Sylvester Stallone. Throughout the films, he is depicted as an everyman who started out by going the distance and overcoming obstacles that had occurred in his life and career as a professional boxer. This character is among one of Stallone's best known characters and is often considered the role that started his film career.

Biography

Robert "Rocky" Balboa (born July 6, 1946, one day after Sylvester Stallone's actual birth date.) was the only child to a Roman Catholic Italian-American family. It was revealed in Rocky II that Rocky's black trunks with gold trim were the colors of his high school from which he never graduated. During the scene in which Rocky takes Adrianna "Adrian" Pennino skating on Thanksgiving, he tells her, "Yeah – My ol' man who was never the sharpest told me – I weren't born with much brain so I better use my body." This encouraged him to take up boxing. He trained very hard so he could grow up to be like his idol Rocky Marciano. Unable to live on the small 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. Although Rocky spent many years training to be a successful fighter, he attributes most of his success to his ability to multiply and divide mixed numbers. "I don't think I would have been nearly as successful today as I am if I hadn't given it my all in my middle school math class," Rocky said. By late 1975, Rocky had fought in 64 fights, winning 44 (38 KO'S) and losing 20. Rocky was proud that he never had his nose broken in a professional fight (but eventually broke his nose in his first fight against Apollo Creed). His nickname is "The Italian Stallion", spawning from his Italian-American heritage.

Rocky (Setting 1975–1976)

The film begins in 1975, in the slums of the Kensington section of Philadelphia on the night before Thanksgiving. Rocky Balboa is fighting Spider Rico in a local boxing ring called the Cambria Fight Club (nicknamed "The Bucket of Blood") inside a chapel. In the second round, Rico hits Balboa with a headbutt, leaving a gash on his forehead. Enraged, Rocky delivers a vicious barrage of punches, knocking Rico out. The next day, Rocky stops by the local pet store and tries to talk to the shy pet-shop worker Adrian Pennino, younger sister of his friend Paulie. Adrian was very shy though and was scared of Rocky's tough appearance. Afterwards, Rocky goes to collect a loan for his boss Tony Gazzo. Even though the client didn't have all the money, Rocky didn't break his thumb, even though Gazzo ordered him to do so. Later, Rocky stops by the local boxing gym and finds that he lost his locker to a contender. Unknown to him, the gym's owner and grizzled former boxer, Mickey Goldmill, doesn't hate him, but instead always considered Rocky's potential to be better than his effort. When Rocky leaves for home that night, he sees a young girl named Marie, hanging around a bad crowd and walks her home. On the way, Rocky lectures her about staying away from the wrong people. However, once they get to her house she tells Rocky "Screw you, creep'o." Rocky walks home, frustrated how nothing is going right in his life.

Balboa gets his big break when the undisputed World Heavyweight Champion Apollo Creed decides that he wants to give an unknown fighter a chance to fight for the title after his intended challenger Mac Lee Green broke his hand while training. (Creed was told no other contender was available for a fight on Jan. 1, which was only weeks away. The First of January had to be the day due to Philadelphia celebrating the Bicentennial on that day in 1976,it was inferred by Creed, with the accompanying worldwide audience. Creed chooses Rocky because he likes Balboa's nickname, 'The Italian Stallion'.

After getting picked by Apollo, Balboa reunites with his estranged trainer, Mickey Goldmill, who convinces Balboa that he can help get him prepared for this fight. Mickey reveals that his career never got anywhere either because he didn't have a manager and he didn't want the same thing to happen to Rocky. At the same time, Balboa begins dating Adrian. Rocky helped Adrian to become more self-confident and stand up for herself. Rocky confides in Adrian before the fight that though he figured he wouldn't win, he wanted to at least "go the distance."

On January 1, 1976 at the Philadelphia Spectrum, Balboa fights Creed, who didn't take the fight seriously during training. In the first round, Rocky knocks Creed down, the first time he had ever been knocked down in his career and Creed breaks Rocky's nose, also for the first time in his career. Creed soon realizes that although Balboa doesn't have his skill, he could deliver crippling, sledge-hammer like punches and was stubbornly determined to keep fighting. The fight becomes a long and grueling battle for both men. Rocky was almost knocked out in the 14th round, but managed to get up. The 15th round finally began and Rocky managed to pummel Creed until the bell rang. Although Creed wins the fight by a split decision, it was the first time an opponent has lasted the full 15 rounds against him. Both men, battered beyond belief, agree that there would be no rematch. Rocky was fine with this as he only wanted to go the distance with Creed. After the match, Adrian climbed into the ring and embraced Rocky saying,"I love you!"

Rocky II (Setting 1976)

After the match, Creed changed his mind and wanted a re-match under the stress of being humiliated by the press for failing to beat Balboa convincingly, as well as his own knowledge that he didn't give his best in the fight. Creed demanded a rematch with Balboa, stating that he would fight him 'anywhere, any place, anytime' to prove to the world that Balboa's feat was merely a fluke. Rocky initially refuses and marries Adrian who convinces him to live outside boxing. However, Rocky, a grade-school drop-out, soon realized he had no skills beyond fighting, and in fact could barely read. The money he made in the first fight was soon frittered away so Adrian took up her part time job in the pet store. Despite her objections, after Apollo insulted Rocky on national television and the newspaper, he agreed to the rematch. Without Adrian's support, however, Rocky was greatly discouraged and could not draw any concentration into his training whatsoever leaving Mick frustrated and worried. The now pregnant Adrian went into premature labor due to over stress and slipped into a coma after giving birth to Robert. When Adrian came out of the coma, she promised her full support to Rocky. Together, Mickey and Rocky trained hard, focusing on Rocky's speed and improving his right-handed punching (Rocky being a southpaw). At the same time, the angry Apollo also focused on his training, taking this match much more seriously than the first fight. The re-match was set for Thanksgiving '76. The grueling battle was another 15-round war with both Balboa and Creed falling to the canvas after Balboa landed a succession of left hands. Referee Lou Fillipo exercised his 10-count to the limit and as both Creed and Balboa struggled to make it to their feet, Creed crumbled back down in exhaustion. Rocky was able to get up, from sheer determination and beat the 10-count, winning the rematch by knockout, thus becoming heavyweight champion of the world.

Rocky III (Setting 1976–1982)

Over the next five years, Rocky successfully defended his title in 10 consecutive defenses against various contenders, amassing fortune and worldwide fame in the process. In addition, Rocky also fought an exhibition bout against the World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion "Thunderlips" (Hulk Hogan) to a draw. However, in 1981, Rocky was challenged by intense and hungry newcomer James "Clubber" Lang. Rocky had some issues with his trainer Mickey Goldmill due to his revelation of having faced "hand-picked" challengers that were "good fighters, but not 'killers'" which Lang was; Mickey insisted that he would quit as Balboa's manager if he chose to fight Lang, but Rocky convinced him to train him for one last match. However, just like Apollo in the first film, Rocky didn't put his heart into the training, reinforcing Mickey's belief that Rocky had become too comfortable (or "civilized") as champion. Lang shoves Mickey out of the way during a violent exchange of words with Balboa before the match, sending the elderly trainer into cardiac arrest, which threw Rocky, outmatched and undertrained, completely off his game. As a result Rocky was brutalized by Lang and knocked out in the second round, losing his title; and adding to his defeat, Mick dies of a heart attack after the match, devastating Rocky. Despairing and lost, Rocky was met by Apollo Creed, who told Balboa that when they fought, he won because he was hungry. He had the 'fire' Apollo no longer had, and the former champion convinced Rocky that he needed to get his fire ("the eye of the tiger") back. Along with his old trainer Tony "Duke" Evers, Apollo offered to train Rocky for a rematch against Lang, taking Balboa to L.A where he first trained to get Rocky "back to basics." After a while Rocky manages to purge his doubts and get his fire back. Fighting a style very reminiscent of Creed's own boxing technique mixed with his own style, Rocky won the second match with Lang by KO, dodging Lang's best blows and still standing, regaining his world heavyweight title. After the fight, Rocky and Apollo were last seen alone in Mickey's Gym, Creed taking his "payment" for his training services: one last rematch, just the two of them, no spectators. But this fight was only a sparring session between two new friends.

Rocky IV (Setting 1985)

In 1985, Apollo Creed comes out of retirement and agrees to fight Soviet World Amateur Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist-turned-professional fighter Ivan Drago in Las Vegas with Rocky Balboa and Tony "Duke" Evers in his corner. Creed, past his prime but in the best shape of his retirement, again not taking his opponent seriously, was brutally beaten by massive Drago in the first round but begged Rocky not to stop the fight. In the second round, Creed continued to be beaten by Drago, falling limp in the ring and succumbing to his injuries. Feeling responsible for Apollo's death, Balboa sets up a match with Drago, which was held on Christmas Day in Moscow. Rocky had to surrender his World Heavyweight Championship title to accept this bout. With Evers assuming the role as his new trainer, Balboa trained hard using old-school methods within the mountainous terrain of Krasnoyarsk Siberia, while Drago was shown being trained with state-of-the-art equipment and steroid enhancement.

During the fight, Drago dominated the early moments of the match, but in the second round, Balboa caught Drago with a haymaker to the eye and cut him. The fight continued in a bloody back-and-forth battle, with the Soviet crowd who had originally rooted for Drago began cheering for Balboa while Drago's handler became increasingly upset over his inability to finish the smaller American. In the end, Rocky's superior stamina and determination to win persevered and he defeated the colossal Russian in the fifteenth round. After the fight, Rocky gave an impassioned thank you speech to the crowd which received a standing ovation both from the crowd and the politicians in attendance, effectively ending the Cold War by catalyzing the thaw in relations that would occur between the United States and USSR. Rocky then retires due to damage suffered from the fight.

Rocky V (Setting 1985–1988)

After the fight with Drago, Rocky realizes he has sustained some type of injury from the fight whilst showering. His hands tremble relentlessly and he tells Adrian he is tired and just wants to go home but accidentally misaddresses her as Mickey. Upon return to the United States (in a Soviet airplane), his press conference is interrupted by promoter George Washington Duke and Union Cane. They challenged him to a title fight called "Lettin' it Go in Tokyo." Balboa hints at retirement and leaves without accepting the challenge. Balboa’s doctor, Presley Jensen, discovered that he had apparently suffered brain damage, caused by extremely heavy blows to the head, and so he decides to retire. He then loses his fortune after his brother-in-law Paulie mistakenly granted power of attorney to their accountant, who subsequently embezzled Rocky's money in a housing deal gone bad. (It is also never explained how Paulie had power of attorney to sign away anything before they left for Russia, because Adrian followed later.)

His only remaining asset was the now closed Mickey's Gym, which had been willed by Mickey to Robert, Rocky's son. Rocky and the family were forced to return to the old neighbourhood, moving back into Adrian and Paulie's old house in South Philadelphia. He reopens Mickey's Gym as a means of income while Adrian returns to work at the pet store, where she was employed when she first met Rocky. Rocky asks Adrian "Did we ever leave this place?" Though retired from boxing himself, Balboa starts training an up-and-coming fighter, Tommy Gunn. Tommy slowly becomes an excellent fighter, but suffers some from being constantly put in Rocky's shadow; he is nicknamed "Rocky's Robot" by the media. Tommy is wooed by seedy promoter George Washington Duke and leaves Rocky after an argument about whether Balboa is holding him back. At the same time, Robert also has problems adjusting to the new, less-than-lavish lifestyle his family was now leading, and by his father's distance. After a while, Rocky realizes the damage he is doing to his relationship with his son and makes amends.

Tommy wins the World Heavyweight title from Union Cane in 1988. However, he is ridiculed in the press—since he had never fought a "real contender", he is not regarded as a real champion or heir to the belt. This motivates Tommy, with prodding from Duke, to publicly challenge Rocky to a fight. Balboa initially declines, but when the hot-tempered Tommy punches Paulie, Rocky accepts, telling Tommy his ring is in the alley right outside. The two engage in a street brawl which quickly gets the attention of the locals, the police (who allow the fight to continue) and the media. In the end, Rocky defeats his protege, then punches Duke (who had obnoxiously threatened to sue if Rocky touches him), telling him "Sue me for what?". Rocky and his son run up the stairs Philadelphia museum stairs the next day where Rocky gives him a valuable possession of Mickey Goldmill which was passed on to him by Rocky Marciano himself, the two make up for tensions in the past few years and head on to the museum together.

Rocky Balboa (Setting 2005–2006)

Rocky Balboa statue

After the events of Rocky V, Rocky eventually opens up a restaurant called 'Adrian's' in 1995, named after his wife. On January 11, 2002, Adrian dies of ovarian cancer. Rocky visits her graveside every day with his dog Butkis IV. Each year on the anniversary of her death, he takes a tour of the old places where their relationship began and blossomed, including the closed pet shop where Adrian worked, the site of the former ice skating rink where they had their first date, and Rocky's old apartment where they fell in love.

Robert Balboa, Jr. (now 30 years old), who unlike his father goes by Robert, with whom Rocky has an eroding relationship, has since moved out to become a struggling corporate employee. 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 profound 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, which is when Robert announces he has quit his job to be at Rocky's side.

In 2006, ESPN’s program Then And Now featured a computer animation about a simulated fight between Rocky (in his prime), and the current champion, Mason "The Line" Dixon. The fight simulated Rocky winning by knockout in the 10th round, which stirred up a great deal of discussion about the result if such a fight ever occurred.

Inspired by the simulation and feeling he still has some issues to deal with ("stuff in the basement"), Rocky (who is now 59 years old) decides to return to the ring. Rocky applies for a boxing license and though passing the physical with flying colors the Licensing Committee denies his license, however they change their minds and give him his license after Rocky makes an impassioned speech to them. The brain damage suffered in Rocky V is not addressed; Stallone has said that the storyline explanation would've been that Rocky's brain damage was within the normal range for boxers, and that he was suffering the effects of a severe concussion as a result of the Drago fight but he never sought a second opinion because he intended to retire anyway. He had said (via the TV commentators that no matter what it would be his last fight) Rocky's intentions were originally just to compete in small, local fights for fun and charity. However with the publicity of Rocky's return Mason Dixon's promoters convince Rocky to face The Champ in an exhibition bout in Las Vegas. Despite being champion, Dixon is haunted by criticism, claiming that he has never had a truly great opponent or memorable match. Originally against fighting an aged Balboa, Dixon recognized the opportunity to fight a legend and hoping to end all prognosticating about who would win and agreed to the fight.

In the press, commentators dismiss Rocky's chances, assuming that the fight will be one-sided due to his age. Robert is also against the fight, believing himself held down due to his father's shadow, though after a confrontation with Rocky he realizes that the only one holding him back is himself. Reunited with his old trainer Duke, Rocky and Duke quickly realize that age and arthritis have sapped Rocky of any speed he once possessed, so they decide to focus on his one major remaining weapon: power. The fight initially seems lop-sided with Dixon's speed allowing him to punish Rocky at will. However, the champion soon realizes Rocky will not go down and that the old man "has bricks in his gloves." The tide turns when Dixon injures his hand while punching Rocky. This evens the playing field and allows Rocky to mount an offense. In the end, the two fighters go the distance with Dixon winning by split decision. Dixon is finally recognized as being a warrior for fighting through and Rocky proves to the world that he is no joke, mirroring the ending of the first Rocky.

After the fight Rocky visits Adrian's grave and puts flowers on top telling her "Yo Adrian we did it", which is a play the second Rocky movie line "Yo Adrian, I did it!". Rocky is last seen walking away from the grave and waving goodbye one last time...

Personal life

Balboa married Adriana "Adrian" Pennino in 1976 during Rocky II. They were married for 26 years. The two have a son, Robert "Rocky" Balboa, Jr., who unlike his father goes by Robert. He was born in 1976. As evidenced by conversations with his priest Father Carmine, Rocky understands Italian very well; however, it is unknown whether or not he speaks the language because his responses are in English. Balboa was a humble man with great heart of forgiving others on their mistakes.

After Adrian's death in 2002, Rocky and his brother-in-law Paulie live together for a short time, then Paulie moves in with an unnamed girlfriend. Now living completely alone again, Rocky cannot come to terms with present-day living and constantly thinks about the past. With the help of Paulie and reunited long-time aquantance Marie, Rocky begins to move on with his life and in the process restores his relationship with his only child, his son Robert. A hint of a romantic interest with Marie is also established the night before the last fight of his life, though Rocky is unable to replace Adrian and they decide to stay merely friends.

Boxing record

• Before fighting Apollo Creed: 64 Fights, 59 Wins (47 KO), 21 Losses and 0 draws.

• In the film Rocky Balboa, Rocky's record was shown to be 73–24–1 (59 K.O.) before his fight with Dixon. This has become a point of great debate amongst the fans because it has 3 extra K.O.'s and an extra loss. Stallone admitted himself he made this mistake; he stated that he was never good with calculations.

• Tommy Gunn is not included in the list as the two never had an official boxing match, instead they had an unofficial street fight.

Professional Record (including unsanctioned): 82 Fights, 73 Wins (59 KO), 8 Losses and 1 Draw Professional Record (sanctioned): 80 Fights, 71 Wins (57 KO), 7 Losses and 1 Draws Exhibition record: 2 Fights, 0 Wins, 1 Loss, 1 Draw
Res.	Opponent	Type	Rd	Venue & location	Date	Notes
Loss	Mason "The Line" Dixon	Split decision	10	Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino – Las Vegas, Nevada	February 26, 2006	Charity Exhibition Rocky makes a comeback.
Win	Ivan Drago	KO	15	Luzhniki Palace of Sports – Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union	December 25, 1985	Rocky retired from Boxing in 1986 for medical reasons.
Win	James "Clubber" Lang	KO	3	Madison Square Garden – New York City, New York	January 12, 1982	Wins World Heavyweight Championship (WBC, WBA & The Ring Magazine) (WBC & WBA titles stripped in 1985. In 1983, Balboa was awarded the inaugural IBF championship, but was also stripped due to not being defended)
Loss	James "Clubber" Lang	KO	2	Spectrum—Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	August 15, 1981	Loses World Heavyweight Championship (WBC, WBA & The Ring Magazine)
Draw	"Thunderlips"	None	1	Spectrum—Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	May 15, 1981	Charity Exhibition 12th Annual Boxing vs Wrestling Champion charity match. Rocky and Thunderlips raised $75,000 for a youth club.
Win	Philip Hammerman	KO	3	Palazzetto dello Sport – Rome, Italy	April 29, 1981	Retains World Heavyweight Championship (WBC, WBA & The Ring Magazine)
Win	Matt Delarue	KO	5	MGM Grand Hotel and Casino – Las Vegas, Nevada	November 7, 1980	Retains World Heavyweight Championship (WBC, WBA & The Ring Magazine) Apollo Creed and Ivan Drago would later fight at this same hotel almost five years later.
Win	Joe Green	KO	2	Korakuen Hall – Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan	June 17, 1980	Retains World Heavyweight Championship (WBC, WBA & The Ring Magazine)
Win	Flip Folsom	KO	2	Milwaukee Arena – Milwaukee, Wisconsin	October 24, 1979	Retains World Heavyweight Championship (WBC, WBA & The Ring Magazine)
Win	Dave Fossan	KO	2	Nassau Coliseum – Long Island, New York	February 9, 1979	Retains World Heavyweight Championship (WBC, WBA & The Ring Magazine)
Win	Bobby Jalali	KO	3	Royal Albert Hall – London, England	October 3, 1978	Retains World Heavyweight Championship (WBC, WBA & The Ring Magazine) Jalali is the Champion of Germany.
Win	Vito Soto	KO	10	Monte Carlo Casino – Monte Carlo, Monaco	February 16, 1978	Retains World Heavyweight Championship (WBC, WBA & The Ring Magazine)
Win	Big Yank Ball	KO	6	Caesars Palace – Las Vegas, Nevada	November 13, 1977	Retains World Heavyweight Championship (WBC, WBA & The Ring Magazine)
Win	Joe Czak	KO	2	Radio City Music Hall – New York City, New York	August 1, 1977	Retains World Heavyweight Championship (WBC, WBA & The Ring Magazine) Czak was considered by Creed's promoter for the local challenger.
Win	Trevor Faus	KO	1	Spectrum – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	April 6, 1977	Retains World Heavyweight Championship (WBC, WBA & The Ring Magazine)
Win	Apollo Creed	KO	15	Spectrum – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	November 25, 1976	Wins World Heavyweight Championship (WBC, WBA & The Ring Magazine)
Loss	Apollo Creed	Split Decision	15	Spectrum – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	January 1, 1976	For the World Heavyweight Championship (WBC, WBA & The Ring Magazine) Rocky earned $150,000 for this fight.
Win	Spider Rico	KO	2	Resurrection Athletic Club – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	November 25, 1975	Rocky earned the winner's share of $40.55 for this fight ($65 before deducting the costs for locker and cornerman ($15), shower and towel ($5), and tax (7% of the gross or $4.55)). Spider earned the loser's share of $17.20 ($40 before deducting the same costs including tax (7% or $2.80). (Note that the winner's share should have been calculated to be $40.45; the loser's share was calculated correctly.)

Awards
Sporting positions
Preceded by Apollo Creed	WBC World Heavyweight Champion November 25, 1976 – August 15, 1981	Succeeded by Clubber Lang
Sporting positions
Preceded by Apollo Creed	WBA World Heavyweight Champion November 25, 1976 – August 15, 1981	Succeeded by Clubber Lang
Sporting positions
Preceded by Apollo Creed	Ring Magazine World Heavyweight Champion November 25, 1976 – August 15, 1981	Succeeded by Clubber Lang
Sporting positions
Preceded by Carl Johnson	WBC World Heavyweight Champion January 12, 1982 – April 19, 1983	Succeeded by Vacant (Next held by Tim Witherspoon)
Sporting positions
Preceded by Clubber Lang	WBA World Heavyweight Champion January 12, 1982 – April 19, 1983	Succeeded by Vacant (Next held by Gerrie Coetzee)
Sporting positions
Preceded by Inaugural Champion	IBF World Heavyweight Champion January 12, 1982 – April 19, 1983	Succeeded by Vacant (Next held by Larry Holmes)
Sporting positions
Preceded by Clubber Lang	Ring Magazine World Heavyweight Champion January 12, 1982 – February 2, 1986	Succeeded by Vacant (Next held by Union Cane)

Character origin

The name, iconography, and fighting style of Rocky Balboa were inspired by the legendary heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano. Balboa was also inspired by other fighting legends: Joe Frazier, for his Philadelphia origin, training methods and victory against Muhammad Ali (The inspiration of Apollo Creed), and Jake LaMotta, for his Italian-inner city roots, ability to absorb many blows and his rivalry with Sugar Ray Robinson, which heavily resembled Rocky and Apollo's. In the second film against Apollo he comes out Orthodox and swicthes back to Southpaw late in the last round. The real reason for this is Sylvester Stallone tore his Pectorial muscles in training, but the idea was probably taken from "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler who would sometimes come out Orthodox to confuse opponentes. However, it was the not-so-legendary Chuck Wepner who inspired the movie and Balboa's underdog personality.

“	Early in my acting career I realized the only way I would ever prove myself was to create my own role in my own script. On my 29th birthday, I had $106 in the bank. My best birthday present was a sudden revelation that I had to write the kind of screenplay that I personally enjoyed seeing. I relished stories of heroism, great love, dignity, and courage, dramas of people rising above their stations, taking life by the throat and not letting go until they succeeded. But I had so many ideas in my head, I couldn't focus on any one. To cheer myself up, I took the last of my entertainment money and went to see the Ali-Wepner fight on closed circuit TV. Chuck Wepner, a battling, bruising club fighter who had never made the big time, was having his shot. It wasn't at all regarded as a serious battle. But as the fight progressed, this miracle unfolded. He hung in there. People went absolutely crazy. Wepner was knocked out in the 15th and final round, almost lasting the distance. We had witnessed an incredible triumph of the human spirit and we loved it. That night, Rocky Balboa was born. People looked on him as the all-American tragedy, a man without much mentality and few social graces. But he has deep emotion and spirituality and good patriotism. And he has a good nature, although nature has not been particularly good to him. I have always seen him as a 20th Century gladiator in a pair of sneakers. Like so many of us, he is out of sync with the times. To all this, I injected doses of my own personal life, of my frustration at not getting anywhere.	”
—Sylvester Stallone

Boxing style

Rocky Balboa fights as a southpaw (left-handed). He is 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 often advances quickly upon his opponents, driving them into the ropes in order to attack the body. Balboa's best attribute is without question his near-superhuman ability to absorb a multitude of the hardest hits without falling — an attribute he often employs on purpose to wear down his opponents, sacrificing defensive strategy to land his own punches. Because of this rare talent, Balboa can afford to keep his hands in position to strike rather than up high to block. Because he takes more punches than he throws, it is easy to overlook his incredible punching power. Rocky also has an uncanny ability to sense weakness in his opponents, often capitalizing on every shift in momentum possible. He is acknowledged as having the most devastating body attack in the sport, with his body blows causing internal bleeding in Creed and breaking Drago's ribs. After going two rounds with Balboa, Ivan Drago told his trainer (in Russian), "He's not human, he's like a piece of iron." Mason Dixon once remarked about Balboa, "...that guy's got bricks in his gloves." These qualities, in concert, helped land him a high percentage of KO victories over the course of his career.

Height 5'11

Reach 74 inches

190 pounds for first Apollo Creed fight

202 pounds for Apollo Creed rematch

202 pounds for Thunderlips exhibition charity match

201 pounds for Clubber Lang fight

191 pounds for Clubber Lang rematch

204 pounds for Ivan Drago fight

217 pounds for Mason Dixon fight

Honors

Rocky Statue, situated just northeast of the Rocky Steps.

The Rocky Balboa Statue in the San Diego Hall of Champions

Rocky Balboa was named the 7th greatest movie hero by the American Film Institute on their 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains list. Additionally, he was ranked #34 on Empire Magazine's compilation of The 100 Greatest Movie Characters. Premiere magazine ranked Rocky Balboa #64 on their list of The 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

The Rocky character is immortalised by a bronze statue erected near the Rocky Steps in Philadelphia recalling the famous scene from the original Rocky movie.

In 2011, Sylvester Stallone was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame for his work on the Rocky Balboa character, having "entertained and inspired boxing fans from around the world". Additionally, Stallone was awarded the Boxing Writers Association of America award for “Lifetime Cinematic Achievement in Boxing.”

Merchandising

Hasbro intended to license Rocky and make him a member of the G.I. Joe toyline, as they had with wrestler Sgt. Slaughter. A toy prototype was produced. Marvel Comics' G.I. Joe: Order of Battle profile book came out during the negotiations and included Rocky as a current Joe member, specializing in hand-to-hand combat training and an example of what it means to persevere under seemingly impossible odds. As the negotiations then collapsed, due to Stallone licensing Rambo to another company, Marvel had to run a retraction in the third issue of the limited-run series indicating that the character was never a part of G.I. Joe.

External links

• Rocky Balboa at the Internet Movie Database