Even the thought of being on the receiving end of Sylvester Stallone’s punch is enough to make someone petrified. Arguably the best boxer among his Hollywood peers, the Rocky Star hasn’t backed away from showcasing his fighting abilities on numerous occasions, even engaging in a choreographed sparring session with Demi Lovato.
But apart from being an accomplished fighter, Stallone never fails to entertain fans, as he once humorously put the fear of god in a notable late-night host after agreeing to teach him how to take a punch.
Sylvester Stallone Put the Fear of God in This Late Night Talk Show Host
Having starred in 6 Rocky standalone flicks before passing the torch to Michael B. Jordan with Creed, Sylvester Stallone knows how to take and deliver a punch without risking injuring anyone. And when talk show host Jimmy Fallon showcased an interest in learning to perform a fake punch like Demi Lovato, who engaged in a sparring session with the Rambo Star, Stallone was on board.
However, the Rambo Star did warn Fallon to maintain his distance, jokingly stating “If you get close I will break your jaw”, asking Fallon to take some water in his mouth before Stallone does the trick.
“First of all, you gotta put a little water in your mouth because what I am going to do is I am going to lay it on you,” Stallone explained.
But despite being nervous about being on the receiving end of a fake punch from Stallone, Fallon perfectly pulls it off, making the fake punch seem legitimate after spilling out the water from his mouth.
Taking a Punch for Real Gone South for Sylvester Stallone in Rocky 3
While Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa is no stranger to giving hell to his opponents in the movies, the actor also had his fair share of clobbers in the acclaimed franchise. But there has been one instance where, unlike the fake hits with Jimmy Fallon, Sylvester Stallone took a real punch from a professional athlete, and it didn’t take him long to regret his choices.
One such incident occurred during the auditioning process for Rocky 3, where prestigious boxer Ernie Shavers almost grabbed the role of Clubber Lang in the threequel. But before eventually getting turned down for the role, following his thin voice, Shavers humbled Stallone down, who was confident about taking a punch from Shaver’s on the guts for real.
“That nearly killed me. I went straight to the men’s room and threw up.” Stallone recalled.
Even at the age of 77, the actor is not backing down from giving hell to his opponents on the big screen, with his The Expendables 4 set to arrive in theatres next month.
Rocky 3 is available to rent on Apple TV.
Source: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
