Rocky Balboa (character)
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Robert "Rocky" Balboa (1945-) is a fictional boxer created and portrayed by Sylvester Stallone who has appeared in the Rocky series starting in 1976.
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[edit] Biography
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Robert "Rocky" Balboa was born in 1945. A Roman Catholic, he started boxing at the age of fifteen, because, as his father said, he had no "brains", so he might as well use his body. By the age of twenty-eight, he was living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, working as a struggling boxer and an enforcer for local loan-shark Tony Gazzo. He was close friends with Paulie Penina.
In November 1975, Rocky was asked to be the challenger for the “Heavyweight Championship of the World” against reigning champion Apollo Creed after the scheduled challenger Mac Lee Green broke his hand. The fight was scheduled for January 1, 1976. Apollo took the fight as a joke and a novelty. Rocky was given a “million-to-one-shot” at winning the belt and a fifty-to-one shot at lasting more than three rounds with Creed. Rocky “went the distance” and was still standing at the end of the fight. Although Rocky lost the fight in a split decision, it didn't matter to him; all he wanted to do was prove he wasn't just another bum from the neighborhood.
Following the fight and some time in the hospital, Rocky married Paulie’s sister, Adrian. Not long afterwards, Adrian was pregnant. Rocky tried to retire from boxing to do commercials, but lacked the ability to do so, and instead started working in the meat house with his brother-in-law. He was laid off soon after. Adrian gives birth to Robert "Rocky" Balboa, Jr., but falls into a coma due to birth complications. Taking the risk of permanent blindness due to injuries from the first fight with Apollo, Rocky accepts a rematch, which will take place November 1976. By this time, Rocky is 31 years old. Motivated by the birth of his son and Adrian’s recovery, he wins at the very last second, beating the 10-count as both Rocky and Apollo fall in the 15th round. Rocky wins the fight with a knock-out, becoming the “Heavyweight Champion of the World.”
Rocky followed this win with ten successful title defenses and an exhibition match with the world wrestling champion, Thunderlips, whom Rocky fought to a draw after lifting Thunderlips and heaving him into the crowd. He then lost a match against challenger Clubber Lang. This was the same night Rocky’s long-time manager, Mickey Goldmill died. Apollo then came to him and offered his services to train him for a rematch against Clubber. He is 34 at the time of the rematch. In a fast-paced rematch, Rocky wins and once more becomes the “Heavyweight Champion of the World.”
Apollo and Rocky continue their friendship with Rocky helping Apollo train for an exhibition match against Soviet champion Ivan Drago. In this match, Apollo dies after several intense blows to the head. In 1985, Rocky, 40, then goes to Russia and wins a non-title battle in the ring against Drago.
When Rocky, Adrian, and Paulie return to the United States, it is revealed that Rocky’s banker stole all of his money. On top of this, Rocky learns that he has suffered from brain damage from the fight with Drago, leaving him no choice but to retire. The Balboas and Paulie move back to their old neighborhood in Philadelphia. Rocky opens up Mickey’s old gym where he begins training Tommy “The Machine” Gunn in 1990. Gunn quickly becomes the hottest thing in boxing with Rocky at his side. Gunn is convinced to leave Rocky by promoter George Washington Duke and wins the heavyweight championship. Duke talks Gunn into challenging then 45-year-old Rocky to a fight, which takes place on the street outside the local bar. Once again, Rocky emerges victorious.
On December 20, 2006, incredibly, Rocky, the 61-year-old former champion, comes back to fight current world heavyweight champion Mason "The Line" Dixon.
According to information provided in Rocky, as of his last professional bout with Drago, Rocky's pro record stands at 57 wins (28 KOs) and 22 losses. Based on this final record and the fights depicted in the films, it can be said that coming into the first fight with Apollo Creed, Rocky has a professional record of 44-20. Starting with the Creed fight, Rocky fought 15 more times, capturing a record of 13 wins and 2 losses in that span.
Rocky's time at the top of the heavyweight division looked like this:
Apollo Creed - L SD15 (Undisputed Championship)
Apollo Creed II - W KO15 (Wins Undisputed Championship)
10 title defenses - 10 wins, 0 losses
Clubber Lang - L KO2 (Loses Undisputed Championship)
Clubber Lang II - W KO3 (Regains Undisputed Championship)
Ivan Drago - W KO15 (Non-title bout - Rocky had relinquished the title to fight Drago)
Mason "The Line" Dixon - TBD (Non-title bout - Mason Dixon is champion)
Currently, Rocky is a widower living in Philadelphia operating a restaurant called Adrian’s.
[edit] Origin
| 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. He is a man of the streets. 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. |
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—Sylvester Stallone[1] |
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[edit] Rocky Balboa Day
A holiday only known to those living in the Philadelphia area. Rocky Balboa Day commemorates everything Rocky Balboa stands for (the underdog that manages to come out on top and gave it his all). Celebrated on Dec 20, because it is the release date of the final Rocky movie, Rocky Balboa.
[edit] Partial List of Rocky’s Opponents
[edit] References
- ^ Stallone, Sylvester Origin of Rocky Balboa, totalrocky.com
| Preceded by Apollo Creed |
Rocky champion {{{years}}} |
Succeeded by Clubber Lang |
| Preceded by Clubber Lang |
Rocky champion {{{years}}} |
Succeeded by Union Cane |
[edit] External links
- BalboaPension.Org - parody-based fan fiction on the life and times of Rocky Balboa.
- Report on Rocky 6 and comparison to Rocky Marciano
- AUDIO: Sylvester Stallone on boxing and faith
- Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame Apollo Creed For Losing To Rocky Balboa
| Rocky Series |
|---|
| Rocky | Rocky II | Rocky III | Rocky IV | Rocky V | Rocky Balboa |
| Characters |
| Rocky Balboa | Apollo Creed | Clubber Lang Ivan Drago | Tommy Gunn | Mason Dixon |
| Related Articles |
| Boxing | The Distance | "Southpaw" World Heavyweight Championship |
