Rocky Balboa

Rocky Balboa was the only child in an Italian-American family. Born July 6, 1947. He trained with great zeal, so he wanted to look like his idol, Rocky Marciano. Forced to live on a small salary, participating in the fights of a local club and unable to find work elsewhere, Rocky got a job as a collector for Tony Gazzo, a local money-lender, only to make ends meet. His nickname is the Italian stallion , which he came up with because of his Italian origin. The real name of the boxer is Roberto. When little Balboa was born, Marciano was not yet widely known. But when Roberto Balboa started boxing - by the consonance of names he received the nickname in honor of his fellow countryman and at that time he was already champion - Rocky.

Rocky Balboa will marry Adrian Pennino in early 1976, this could be seen in the movie " Rocky 2 ". They were married for 26 years until Adriana died of cancer. Her brother Polly was Rocky's best friend. From Adriana, Rocky has a son, Robert (Rocky) Balboa Jr., who, unlike his father, uses the name Robert. He was born in 1976. In the eighth film, it turns out that Robert now has a son, Logan, and at the end of the film, Rocky sees him for the first time in his life, although the boy is already several years old.

As his conversations with the priest, Father Carmine, testify, Rocky understands Italian very well; however, it is not known whether he speaks the language himself, because he answers Father Carmine in English. Rocky also has its own restaurant "Adriana", named after his wife. In addition to Polly, Rocky's close friends were his former opponent Apollo Creed and his coach Tony “Duke” Evers, who later became his coaches after the death of Mickey Goldmil. In the fourth film, Creed died in a duel with Russian boxer Ivan Drago, and his desire for revenge became the main incentive for Rocky to challenge Drago.

In the seventh film, Rocky became the coach of Adonis Creed, the illegitimate son of Apollo, to whom he later became attached as a nephew. In the eighth film, Rocky became the godfather of the daughter of Adonis.

Throughout his career, Rocky spent 83 fights of them:

- 57 wins (54 by KO), 24 losses and 2 draws

  Rocky Balboa -   Spider Rico

• Venue: Philadelphia
• Date: November 25, 1975
• Result: Balboa won by knockout in the 2nd round of the 15-round battle.
• Status : Demonstration match.

  Rocky Balboa -   Apollo Creed

• Venue: Philadelphia
• Date: January 1, 1976
• Result: The victory of Creed by the decision of the judges of the 15-round battle.
• Status: Fight for the world heavyweight title

Apollo does not take the opponent seriously, but Rocky in the first round sends the world champion to the knockdown. Creed crowds Rocky. Due to its natural ability to hold a punch, Balboa withstands all 15 rounds and at the end of the battle almost tilts the scales in his direction. Creed, however, wins on points with a minimal margin.

  Rocky Balboa -   Apollo Creed (2nd battle)

• Venue: Philadelphia
• Date: November 25, 1976
• Result: Balboa won by knockout in the 15th round of the 15-round battle.
• Status: Fight for the world heavyweight title

Apollo immediately begins a quick attack, which bears fruit. He wins the first two rounds and earns leadership by points. But during the battle, Rocky suddenly throws the opponent back, turning the battle into a fierce battle. At the beginning of the fifteenth round, the Apollo coach asks the latter not to try to knock out Rocky, since he is already winning on points, but Creed, who is outraged, decides to prove to everyone that he can end the fight by knockout. Mickey advises Rocky to switch to his left hand. He initially refuses, but during the battle decides to obey and knocks down Apollo with a final blow. However, from sheer exhaustion, Rocky also falls. The referee begins to count 10 seconds, and the wrestlers of the last forces try to get up. The battered and tired Apollo drops sharply into a corner, and Rocky, holding on to the ropes, gets to the score “9” and he is declared the new World Heavyweight Champion. In the post-match speech, Rocky thanks Apollo for the fight and Mickey for his help in training.

  Rocky Balboa -   Vito Soto

• Venue: Monte Carlo
• Result: Balboa won by knockout in the 10th round of the 15-round battle.
• Status: Fight for the world heavyweight title (4th defense of Balboa)

  Rocky Balboa -   Marco Kretschmann

• Venue: Albert Hall
• Result: Balboa won by knockout in the 3rd round of the 15-round battle.
• Status: Fight for the world heavyweight title (5th defense of Balboa)

  Rocky Balboa -   Dave Fossan

• Venue: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
• Result: Balboa won by knockout in the 2nd round of the 15-round battle.
• Status: Fight for the world heavyweight title (6th defense of Balboa)

  Rocky Balboa -   Jamal Ben Saddik

• Venue: Milwaukee
• Result: Balboa won by knockout in the 3rd round of the 15-round battle.
• Status: Fight for the world heavyweight title (7th defense of Balboa)

  Rocky Balboa -   Joe Green

• Venue: Tokyo
• Result: Balboa won by knockout in the 2nd round of the 15-round battle.
• Status: Fight for the world heavyweight champion title (8th defense of Balboa)

  Rocky Balboa -   Mat Dilaru

• Venue: Las Vegas
• Result: Balboa won by knockout in the 5th round of the 15-round battle.
• Status: Fight for the world heavyweight title (9th defense of Balboa)

  Rocky Balboa -   Philip Hammerman

• Venue: Rome
• Result: Balboa won by knockout in the 3rd round of the 15-round battle.
• Status: Fight for the world heavyweight title (10th defense of Balboa)

  Rocky Balboa -   James (Clubber) Lang

• Venue: Philadelphia
• Date : 1981
• Result: Lang won by knockout in the 2nd round of the 15-round battle.
• Status: Fight for the world heavyweight title (11- Balboa defense).

By the beginning of the battle, Rocky was enraged and greatly excited by the state of his coach, so he immediately rushed to the attack, but was lost after receiving a rebuff from the mighty Lang. Rocky is demoralized and says that without Mickey he will lose. In the second round, Lang immediately seizes the initiative and sends Rocky to the floor with crushing blows.

  Rocky Balboa -   James (Clubber) Lang (2nd battle)

• Venue: New York
• Date : 1982
• Result: Balboa won by knockout in the 3rd round of the 15-round battle.
• Status: Fight for the world heavyweight title (1- Lang's defense).

At the beginning of the battle, Rocky, who was thin, immediately pounced on Lang with extraordinary power and speed, which no one, including Lang himself, expected from him. As a result, Rocky completely leads in the first round, scoring blow after blow and demonstrating his newfound speed and an admixture of Apollo style, and even dancing around his opponent. In the second round, Lang goes on the attack, and Rocky completely changes his tactics, which somewhat confuses Apollo; he deliberately allows Lang to hit him, taunting him so that the enemy runs out of steam. In the third round, Lang, who is used to quick victories, knocking out opponents in the early rounds of the battle, quickly expends all his strength to win the battle, but in vain. Rocky, feeling that the situation is changing for the better for him, begins to box more actively and knocks out the baffled and tired Lang with his destructive counterattack. The referee starts counting down 10 seconds. After the countdown, Rocky jumps up with happiness, rejoicing that he regained the world heavyweight title.

  Rocky Balboa -   Ivan Drago

• Location : Moscow
• Date : December 25, 1985
• Result : Balboa won by knockout in the 15th round of the 15-round battle.
• Status : Demonstration match.

Drago immediately rushes to the attack, while Rocky tries to combine to slightly compensate for the difference in athleticism and power. But he doesn’t really succeed. Drago easily finishes the first round in his favor. But at the end of the second round, Rocky manages to cut his eyelid, and this he makes a break in the course of the battle. The battle turns into an open battle and lasts all fifteen rounds. Toward the end of the battle, Soviet spectators are surprised at Rocky's desire and endurance, and they begin to shout his name. Koloff, indignant at the crowd’s attitude and frightened that the Secretary General wouldn’t leave it like that, goes down to the ring and starts scolding Drago. At this time, Drago lifts him by the collar and throws him at the audience, saying: "I will win ... for myself ... FOR MYSELF! ...". In the fifteenth and final round, both fighters beat each other with all their might, but Drago’s stamina is finally exhausted, while Rocky finds the last strength in himself and puts them into his final blow, knocking out the enemy.

  Rocky Balboa -   Mason Dixon

• Venue: Las Vegas
• Date: 2006
• Result: Dixon victory by majority decision. (94-95.95-94.94-95)
• Status: Demonstration match.

Trained Rocky begins to hit Dixon hard. In return, Mason, who was embittered by the crowd, also begins to beat Rocky and breaks his arm. He continues the further fight under anesthesia. The fight lasts all 10 rounds, during which Adriana and his old coach Mickey Goldmil appear before Rocky's eyes. It is these visions that stimulate him to continue the battle. By the end of the 10th round, both opponents are on their feet and hugging each other and thank each other. Mason passed the tests that his coach spoke about, and Rocky proved to himself that a person does not age while he is young with his heart. Two out of three judges, by a small margin, award victory to Dickson

  Rocky Balboa -   Thunderlips

• Venue: Philadelphia
• Date: 1981
• Result: Draw
• Status: Demonstrative charity wrestling match

At the beginning of the third film a wrestling match is held

  Rocky Balboa -   Apollo Creed (3rd battle)

• Venue: Philadelphia
• Date: 1982
• Result: In the seventh film, Rocky admits to Adonis Creed that Apollo won the fight
• Status: Friendly Sparring

The third film ends with Rocky and Apollo returning to Mickey's gym for a third fight between them.

  Rocky Balboa -   Tommy Gunn

• Venue: Philadelphia
• Date: 1990
• Result: Rocky victory by knockout
• Status: Street Fight

At the end of the fifth film, a street battle ensues between Rocky and his former pupil:

  Rocky Balboa -   Ivan Drago (2nd battle)

• Venue : Hospital
• Date : 2018
• Result : Unknown.
• Status : Controversial match.

Initially, a scene of a fight between Rocky and Ivan was planned for the film “ Creed 2 ” in the hospital ^{[2] [3]} . After Adonis was badly beaten by the son of Drago. After visiting Adonis at the hospital, Rocky was about to leave, but at that moment Drago and the promoter appear in the hospital with the crew! They planned to go up to the battered fighter, but Rocky stops them and does not allow them, as a result, a second battle ensues between Rocky and Ivan! This scene was still filmed, but she never entered the film at the box office.

• In the fourth film, Rocky is the first time to act as assistant coach to Tony Euc's Duke. Together they are the Apollo Creed coaches in the battle against Ivan Drago . At the request of the wounded Creed, Rocky does not stop the fight. As a result, Apollo dies.
• In the fifth film, Rocky leads a simple street guy Tommy Gunn to the world title. However, Gann betrays Rocky, having gone to another promoter.
• In the seventh film, the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed - Adonis Creed , persuades Rocky to become his coach. As a result, Creed almost becomes the world champion, losing only by a separate decision of the judges.
• In the Creed 2 movie, Rocky is again Adonis' coach.

Having lost all the money in the fifth film , in the sixth he opens a small but successful cafe “Adriana's” (a name in honor of his wife). The cafe is dedicated to Rocky's boxing career. In the same cafe, the main character of the seventh film - Adonis Creed, meets his future trainer Rocky.

• Rocky Balboa was named 7th out of 100 great heroes in 100 years .
• Rocky's character is immortalized by a bronze statue erected near the Rocky Stairs in Philadelphia from a famous scene in the Rocky movie.
• In December 2010, it was announced that Rocky Balboa's character should enter the Boxing Hall of Fame. In 2011, Rocky Balboa was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
• On April 6, 2018, a memorial plaque was unveiled on the podium of the Rocky Monument in Philadelphia. The ceremony was attended by actor Sylvester Stallone, who played the role of Balboa in the film. ^[four]
• The Rocky Boxer slot machine is very popular. When striking a pear you can check the strength of your blow.

In computer games

Rocky Balboa is a character in several computer games:

1. 1983 - Rocky Super Action Boxing;
2. 1987 - Rocky
3. 2002 - Rocky
4. 2004 - Rocky Legends
5. 2007 - Rocky Balboa
6. 2009 - Fight Night Round 4
7. 2011 - Fight Night Champion
8. 2015 - mobile game "Real Boxing 2 Creed". Rocky Balboa is involved in the role of coach Creed Jr. and is a non-player character .

Quotes

• Fear is a boxer's best friend! And there is nothing to be ashamed of ... Fear, like fire, burns inside you. If you learn to control it, you will feel heat in your chest, but if it controls you, it will burn you and everything around you.
• The worst thing in boxing is the morning after the fight. After the battle, you are one solid wound. I would like to call a taxi to get to the toilet.
• What matters is what you believe in the ring.
• It doesn’t matter how you strike, but what you hold is important.

See also

• Apollo Creed
• Ivan Drago
• Tommy Gunn
• Adonis creed

Notes