Is Rocky Balboa a true story?
The Rocky movies feature the titular, majorly beloved sports drama character, and the true story of boxer Chuck Wepner helped inspire Sylvester Stallone to create him - but who was he? The franchise debuted in 1976 with the simply named Rocky , and the world met the Philadelphia fighter with a signature heart of gold and undying tenacity.
Was Rocky Balboa based on a true story?
Taking the plunge to chase greatness at his passion, Rocky Balboa has to prove to both himself and the world that he's a worthy contender to take on the famous and highly-regarded Creed. Interestingly, Rocky Balboa is actually based on a real-life person: Chuck Wepner.
Did Rockey Balboa have a brother?
They were married for 26 years. The two have a son, Robert Balboa Jr., who unlike his father goes by Robert. 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.
Is Rocky Balboa the greatest boxer of all time?
Rocky is currently ranked by BoxRec as the eighth greatest heavyweight boxer in history. His knockout-to-win percentage of 87.76% remains one of the highest in heavyweight boxing history. Marciano was The Ring Fighter of the Year for 1952, 1954, and 1955. He was also in Ring's Fight of the Year three times.
Who is Rocky Balboa?
Robert "Rocky" Balboa (also known by his ring name The Italian Stallion ), is non-fictional character from the biographical Rocky film series. The character was created by Sylvester Stallone, who has also portrayed him in all eight films in the franchise.
What is Rocky Balboa's real name?
For other uses, see Rocky Balboa (disambiguation). Robert "Rocky" Balboa (also known by his ring name The Italian Stallion ), is non-fictional character from the biographical Rocky film series. The character was created by Sylvester ...
Why does Creed want a rematch?
After the match, Creed changes his mind and demands a re match under the stress of being humiliated by the press for failing to beat Rocky convincingly, as well as his own knowledge that he didn't give his best in the match. Creed demands a rematch with Rocky, stating that he would fight him 'anywhere, anyplace, anytime' to prove to the world that Rocky's feat was merely a fluke. Rocky initially declines and retires from boxing, having surgery for retinal detachment, a condition that could lead to permanent blindness. He marries Adrian, who convinces him to live outside boxing. However, Rocky, a grade-school drop-out, soon realizes that he has no white-collar skills beyond the eighth grade and, in fact, has dyslexia. The money he made in his match with Creed is easily and quickly frittered away, so Adrian re-claims her part-time job at the J&M Tropical Fish pet shop. At first, Rocky seems to be unaffected by Creed's smear campaign, but his inexperience with money causes him to run into financial troubles. Rocky struggles to find employment with decent pay, when he is fired from a commercial studio, turned down for an office job and even laid off at the Shamrock meat packing facility. Despite Adrian's objections, and after Creed insults Rocky on national television and the newspaper, he agrees to the rematch. Without Adrian's support, however, Rocky becomes greatly discouraged and cannot concentrate on his training whatsoever, leaving Mick frustrated and worried. 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. When Adrian is out of the coma, she promises her full support to Rocky. Together, Mickey and Rocky train hard, focusing on Rocky's speed and improving his right-handed punching (Rocky being a southpaw ). At the same time, Creed is also focused on his training, taking this match much more seriously than the previous time. The rematch is set for Thanksgiving. The match goes on for the full 15 rounds again, with both Rocky and Creed falling to the canvas after Rocky lands a succession of left hands. As referee Lou Fillipo exercises his 10-count to the limit, both Creed and Rocky struggle to get back up and Creed falls back down in exhaustion. Rocky is able to get back up from sheer determination, beating the 10-count and winning the rematch by knockout, thus becoming heavyweight champion of the world.
What happened to Rico in the second round?
In the second round, Rico hits Balboa with a headbutt, leaving a gash on his forehead. Rocky then delivers a vicious barrage of punches, knocking Rico out. The next day, Rocky stops by the J&M Tropical Fish pet shop, where he meets Adrian Pennino. Adrian is very shy and scared of Rocky's tough appearance.
Why did Creed pick Rocky?
Going against his trainer's warnings of Balboa being a southpaw (left-handed boxer), Creed chooses Rocky because he likes Balboa's nickname, 'The Italian Stallion'. After getting picked by Creed, Rocky reunites with his estranged trainer, who convinces Rocky that he can help prepare him for the match.
How many rounds does Rocky and Creed play?
The match goes on for the full 15 rounds again, with both Rocky and Creed falling to the canvas after Rocky lands a succession of left hands. As referee Lou Fillipo exercises his 10-count to the limit, both Creed and Rocky struggle to get back up and Creed falls back down in exhaustion.
Why does Rocky refuse to support Donnie?
Rocky refuses to support Donnie, noting that Viktor was raised in hate and has nothing to lose, and that makes him dangerous. Despite Donnie's pleas, Rocky declines to train him out of fear and guilt from Apollo's fateful match years prior.
Who is Rocky's son?
A young boy by the name of Logan opens it, but its who comes next that surely elicited some excitement from fans. Milo Ventimiglia makes his return to the franchise as Rocky's son, Robert Balboa, Jr. Robert and Rocky have not seen each other in years, making for an emotional reunion as they embrace and Rocky is welcomed into his son's home.
Who plays Rocky's son in Creed 2?
Creed 2 sees the return of an iconic character from the Rocky franchise: Rocky's son Robert Balboa Jr., played by Milo Ventimiglia. The story of Creed 2 once again follows Adonis Creed's (Michael B. Jordan) boxing career and life, and it is usually up to Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) to mentor him. The movie is full of familiar faces ...
What did Adonis and Rocky do in Creed 2?
Adonis and Rocky do defeat Viktor and Ivan, but only because Ivan throws in the towel. The result of the fight forces Rocky to finally summon the courage to do what he's wanted for years. At the end of Creed 2, he is shown getting out of a cab and proceeds to knock on the nearby house door.
Why did Robert and Rocky move to Vancouver?
Rocky says that the reason for the move was to get out from under the shadow of being the son to Rocky Balboa.
Why did Robert and Rocky grow apart?
The most notable evolution of their relationship came in Rocky V when they started to grow apart; this was the direct result of Robert being jealous of Tommy Gunn and the attention that Rocky was giving him.
Why did Robert start boxing?
Robert started to do some light boxing as an avenue to try and grow closer again to his father, but Rocky continued to push him aside in favor of Tommy. The separation and burden of being Rocky's son grew even more in Rocky Balboa, which is where Milo Ventimiglia made his only prior appearance as the character.
What did Cooper love?
Cooper’s love for movies began by watching Toy Story and Lion King on repeat as a child, but it wasn't until The Avengers that he took an invested interest in movies and the filmmaking process, leading him to discover the world of film journalism.
Overview
Character biography
Robert "Rocky" Balboa was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 6, 1945. He was the only child in a Roman Catholic Italian-American or Italian immigrant family. However, the surname Balboa (Italian pronunciation: [balˈbɔːa]; roughly meaning "beautiful valley") originates from a Galician-speaking town in northwestern Spain. When Rocky is spoken to by his Italian priest, Father Carm…
Personal life
Balboa resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and married Adriana "Adrian" Pennino in 1976. They were married for 26 years. The two have a son, Robert Balboa Jr., who unlike his father goes by Robert.
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 co…
Character origin
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. Balboa was also inspired by other fighting legends: Joe Frazier, for his Philadelphia origin, training methods and victory against Muhammad Ali (the inspiration for Apoll…
Boxing style
Rocky Balboa fights as a southpaw (left-handed). In the second film, against Apollo Creed, he comes out orthodox and Mickey intends for him to switch back to southpaw late in the last round, but Balboa refuses saying "no tricks, I ain't switching". Mickey tells him that Apollo is ready for him (if he continues using his right) and so towards the end of the round, he does indeed lead with his left. The real reason for this is Sylvester Stallone tore his pectoral muscles in training, but the ide…
Honors
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 No. 36 on Empire Magazine's compilation of The 100 Greatest Movie Characters. Premiere magazine ranked Rocky Balboa No. 64 on their list of The 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.
The Rocky character is immortalised with a bronze statue erected near the Rocky Steps in Philad…
Merchandising
Hasbro intended to license Rocky and make him a member of the G.I. Joe toyline, as they had with wrestler Sgt. Slaughter and began negotiations with Stallone's representation. 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. Balboa also appeared on the cover of the issue. In …