Clubber Lang
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James 'Clubber' Lang (born May 21, 1957) is a fictional character that appeared as Rocky Balboa's rival in the 1982 movie Rocky III. He was played by the popular "bodyguard to the stars" Mr. T, who was 25 years old when the film was launched. The character is based on George Foreman in his early career.
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[edit] Fictional character biography
Little is known about Clubber Lang. Before Rocky's fight against him, he is introduced as being from Chicago, (his nickname is "The Southside Slugger"). According to his bio in Rocky: The Ultimate Guide, James Lang was orphaned at an early age, and spent most of his childhood in the streets of Chicago, orphanages and juvenile facilities. Later as an adult, Clubber was sent to prison for five years, for one possible count of a felony and/or assault charge. But during his time being served he discovered boxing as a way to let out his frustrations and talent, which leads to the events of Rocky III. This is also evident in the game, Rocky Legends, where if you select Clubber's path, he starts out fighting in the Chicago State Penitentiary, in a ring actually inside the prison itself. The Internet Movie Database does not provide a name for his manager, though one novelization of the film called him "Donut."
[edit] Character
Clubber's character is much like his boxing style: direct, aggressive and brutal. His fighting style and record show a similarity to a young George Foreman. His quest for respect from the press is much like Larry Holmes. Clubber is shown to seemingly enjoy fighting and inflicting pain on whoever he fights, he was shown to be willing to fight both inside and outside the ring, even attempting to taunt the newly retired Apollo Creed into hitting him just before his match with Balboa.
[edit] Plot
During Rocky III's intro, we see Rocky defeating numerous contenders in a montage. In this montage, Clubber is displayed as being annoyed at Rocky becoming a sellout. He is shown training himself and brutally thrashing other boxers until he becomes the number one contender. At the end of the montage, Clubber is shown yelling at Rocky's trainer Mickey, goading him to set up a fight between Rocky and himself. Later in the film, Clubber crashes a ceremony in Philadelphia dedicating a statue to Rocky and challenges him. He proceeds to flirt with Rocky's wife, Adrian, prompting Rocky to lose his temper and accept the challenge, despite Mickey's protests.
Because Rocky was distracted by his dying manager and was given hand picked competition previously, he was unprepared for Lang, who defeats him in a second round knockout. Afterwards, Rocky unable to admit to Mickey that he lost, telling his manager that he won. Mickey dies shortly afterward from injuries sustained by one of Clubber's temper tantrums, combined with a weak old heart. Disenchanted with himself, Rocky trains with former rival Apollo Creed in order to return to top form. In the rematch, Rocky defeats Lang by knockout in round three.
[edit] Catchphrases
- "I pity the fool." (Clubber originated the phrase, which has since become synonymous with Mr. T himself.)
- "My prediction: Pain."
- In the movie, Clubber throws a temper tantrum in the locker room before his first fight with Rocky Balboa and refers to the press as "parasites and leeches." Mr. T would use this phrase several times in his career, including in a 1985 interview with David Letterman.
| Preceded by Apollo Creed |
Rocky Balboa's Main Opponent | Succeeded by Ivan Drago |
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