The American Film Institute (AFI) ranked Rocky as the second-best sports film of all time, with the top spot going to another boxing classic, Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull. AFI’s Top 10 list categorizes “sports” films as those featuring protagonists engaged in athletic competitions or other competitive games.
While Rocky certainly falls within that definition, Sylvester Stallone, the screenwriter and star, hesitates to label it as a sports film.
Sylvester Stallone Doesn’t Consider Rocky As Sports Film
In 2021, Sylvester Stallone shared a video on his official Instagram account, delving into the production of Rocky 4, the installment where Rocky faces off against the Soviet fighter Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren).
Sylvester Stallone said in an Instagram video:
“To this day, I just cannot describe what ‘Rocky’ is. And maybe that’s the beauty of it, that it just touches on a level that even I don’t understand.”
Yet, as the conversation unfolds, it becomes evident that while Stallone may not precisely define what Rocky is, he’s clear about what it isn’t. In his perspective, it doesn’t fit the category of a sports film. He elaborates further in the discussion.
“A lot of the Rocky’s I tried to make dramatic, like Rocky 1, Rocky 2, the last Rocky Balboa. Creed. There’s a lot of drama in there, yes, but it’s not a sports film. It’s a drama. It’s a drama,” he continued.
In the video, director John Herzfeld’s voice is heard coming from behind the camera as he questions Stallone, asking whether he considers any of the Rocky films to be sports films. Stallone firmly reaffirms his stance, stating that they are “not even close.”
Sylvester Stallone Had To Stop A Real Fight In Creed
The Creed series, which revolves around the character Adonis Creed, portrayed by Michael B. Jordan, was launched in 2015 as a spinoff of the legendary Rocky franchise. The storyline follows Adonis Creed as he undergoes training under the tutelage of Rocky Balboa, the former rival of Adonis’s father, Apollo Creed. Subsequently, the spinoff franchise has delivered three films.
The production of the 2015 film took an unpleasant turn when former boxer-turned-actor Tony Bellew was reportedly involved in a physical altercation with another actor on set. While specific details about the incident remain scarce, it can be noted that the situation was fortunately defused before it could escalate into a more severe confrontation. Tony Bellew, known as ‘Bomber,’ has an impressive track record of 20 knockouts in his boxing career.
The incident initially came to public attention through TMZ’s report. As per their account, Sylvester Stallone and others had to step in when the actor portraying Ricky Conlan left the ring and confronted another actor on set, who was cast as his corner coach. Despite the production team’s consistent denial of any physical altercation, numerous witnesses offered conflicting accounts of the incident.
All Rocky films can be streamed on FuboTV.
