Whether it’s because of those timeless motivational training montages or banging gym playlists, fans of the “Rocky” movie franchise have always had a great deal to be thankful for. But when the film’s writer, director, and star, Sylvester Stallone, announced a re-cut of “Rocky IV” in widescreen, and in 4K, complete with never-before released scenes from the ‘80s fight classic, those fans were punching the air once again.
The tale of a boxing underdog given a million-to-one shot at the world heavyweight championship has always resonated with those that feel anything is truly possible if we just work hard enough to achieve it. And, while the “Rocky” movies served us all with incredible escapism and adrenaline fueled excitement, there were a number of times when the in-ring action became all too real on set.
As we look forward to Rocky IV: The Ultimate Director’s Cut premiering in selected theaters on Nov, 11, before it is then released via Amazon Prime Video a day later (some 35 years after its original outing) M&F goes back in time to remember those wild punches and gigantic egos that may have clashed just a little too hard.
After defeating Apollo Creed in Rocky II, Sly went on the lookout for a credible opponent who could present himself as a fearless challenger for Balboa’s world title in the third instalment of the series. Before he finally settled on the man-mountain that was Mr. T, Stallone had first set his sights on the former undisputed champ, Smokin’ Joe Frazier for the role of the viscous “Clubber Lang.” However, thanks to his experience with real-life boxing wars, Smokin’ Joe didn’t pull any punches once the cameras began to roll.
“After about 30 seconds in the ring, I had five stitches,” recalls Sly in a candid Instagram post. “So, I decided on Mr. T, who was perfect for the part and didn’t punch quite as hard!!!”
No shrinking violet himself, Mr. T was a high school wrestling champion, all-state running back, studied martial arts, and won two consecutive tough-man competitions by beating the other finalists in boxing matches. T’s eccentric look (don’t mess with those gold chains), brute strength, and sheer “eye of the tiger” caught Stallone’s attention, and so he was eventually cast as the first person to fight Balboa twice in the same movie for “Rocky III.” Initially, Stallone thought he would get an easier ride than he’d experienced with Joe Frazier, but it may have been a case of “out of the frying pan and into the fire”, as he revealed on Instagram.
“Actually he threw so hard that he was damaging his fist when he caught me on the hip bone or on the elbows,” recalls Stallone. “Real fighters don’t talk about (it) that much, but hitting the joint areas can cause severe swelling of the knuckles which can be incredibly painful and require surgery. Anyway, on a more cheerful note I remember this scene very well because I wanted this Battle to be as realistic and personal as possible without getting killed, so I told him to throw these clubbing hooks and overhand right at my head and I would make every effort to block it but even doing that didn’t cost me from getting stunned and losing my balance as he sent me sliding down the ropes.… he was a beast! Especially when he didn’t get his MINT CHIP ice cream on time !!!”
“Rocky III” turned Mr. T into a global icon, but the movie also introduced many of us to wrestling icon Hulk Hogan for the first time, when his character Thunderlips took on Balboa in a boxer-vs-wrestler confrontation. To emphasize the size difference between the pair, Hogan would stand on an out-of-shot platform, but while the (genuinely) 6’6” giant may have appeared taller for a little bit of movie magic, the physicality between this pair was very real. In one sequence, Stallone lifts and slams the 305-pound WWE legend in an act of unaided pure strength. And what about those thumping shots to the back?
“Some stunts are up close and personal and hurt!” shared Stallone on an Instagram post. “Here is a perfect example of working with a great and immensely powerful athlete.”
After turning in some of the most convincing boxing combinations of all time in “Rocky,” and again “Rocky II,” Carl Weathers’ character, Apollo Creed acted as Balboa’s trainer for “Rocky III,” only to return to the professional ring in a fatal one-sided battle with his superior foe, Ivan Drago in “Rocky IV.” With emotions running high during the filming of this beatdown by Lundgren’s character, things got so heated during filming that Weathers threatened to leave.
“I saw Dolph Lundgren pick up Carl [Weathers] and heave him three feet into the corner when I was directing the scene between them; rather than retaliate, Carl got out of the ring and said something ferocious like, ‘I’m calling my agent… I quit!’” said Stallone in a 2006 interview with Ain’t It Cool News.
Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed, and Weathers returned to complete the fight, and help set up Balboa’s fight for redemption against the Soviet superpower.
“Rocky IV” was the highest grossing movie in the franchise, taking more than $300 million at the box office in 1985, and breaking the record to become the biggest sports movie of all-time. Incredibly, that record was held for a whopping 24 years, thanks to the bitter rivalry between American hero, Rocky Balboa and the Russian invader, Ivan Drago. While their epic cinematic boxing showdown looked awesome on-screen, it was certainly no walk in the park to shoot. Stallone had scripted every round, every sequence, and every punch of the classic fight, but during some segments, he would also encourage Lundgren to throw unexpected punches in order to heighten the realism. This was an instruction that a young Dolph Lundgren was all too happy to fulfil for his boss, but it resulted in a 2-week break from filming when Sly was rushed to hospital mid-shoot, with a catalogue of injuries to the body.
In a past interview to promote “Creed 2,” Lundgren shared his side of the story with ESPN. “I did what he told me,” he said. “’Hit me harder. C’mon, hit me.’ It was early in our fight scene; we were hitting each other in the body, and if you don’t hit with some force, it looks fake, so I was really beating him up. Then the producer calls and goes, ‘Hey, Dolph, you got a couple of weeks off.’ I’m like, Wow, great! Then he’s like, ‘No, Sly’s in the hospital.’ [Laughs]
In “The Making of Rocky vs. Drago by Sylvester Stallone,” the Italian Stallion weighs in: “Well, he pulverized me. And I didn’t feel it in the moment, but later that night my heart started to swell. My blood pressure went up to 260 and I was going to be talking to angels, next thing I know I’m on this emergency, low-altitude flight.” Following a stint in ICU, our champ returned to complete the fight, but left those brutal punches in the movie for added authenticity.
