- Rocky Balboa Quote
- Rocky Balboa Movie
- Rocky Balboa Plot
- Rocky Balboa Store
- Rocky Balboa Beast Inside
- Rocky Balboa Hat
Title: Rocky Balboa
Rocky sharply corrects Paulie by saying 'She didn't leave me, she died.' In an emotional scene, Rocky breaks down and admits that he has found life without Adrian unbearable and much harder than he thought it would be. As a result of that, a 'beast' has grown inside him and it is tearing him apart. Rocky needs an outlet to vent his anger and pain. 'There's a beast inside me.' Rocky Balboa. 'I'm pursuing something and nobody looks too happy about it.' Rocky Balboa. 'The older I get the more things I gotta leave behind – that's life.' Rocky Balboa. 'Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all. Unique Rocky Balboa Posters designed and sold by artists. Shop affordable wall art to hang in dorms. Twas the last day for gifts by 12/25 (with standard shipping). Get rid of the damn beast inside you Poster. Tags: micks gym, rocky, rocky balboa.
Writer: Sylvester Stallone
Rocky Balboa is fighting Spider Rico in a local boxing ring called the Cambria Fight Club (nicknamed 'The Bucket of Blood') inside a chapel. In the second round, Rico hits Balboa with a headbutt, leaving a gash on his forehead. Rocky then delivers a vicious barrage of punches, knocking Rico out.
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Year: 2006
Actors: Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, Antonio Tarver, Geraldine Hughes, and Milo Ventimiglia
Story: Rocky Balboa, is a 2006 film about thirty years after the ring of the first bell. Rocky Balboa comes out of retirement and dons his gloves for his final fight; against the reigning heavyweight champ Mason ‘The Line' Dixon.
Plot: The movie starts out with Adrian's death and Rocky mourning the anniversary of her death from ovarian cancer. He reminds himself of all the good times he spent with her, and they show a Rocky I flashback of the places he saw Adrian (ice rink, pet shop, Rocky's front doorstep.)
Meanwhile, Mason 'The Line' Dixon is the best 'pound for pound' boxer at his prime and wants a competitive fight; something that is really challenging for him.
Rocky, in the mean time, is running his restaurant ‘Adrian's.' Rocky's son (Robert) is dealing with the struggle of having a father like Rocky. He sees his now 60 year old father signing autographs and he feels like he is living in his shadow. The little girl that Rocky walked home in Rocky I has a cameo in this film. Her name is Marie and she is the woman in the trailer who is having life issues. Marie has a son named Steps who is later shown ringside in Rocky's corner during the big fight.
Rocky has the urge to come out of retirement from boxing and passes all the medical/physical tests with flying colors. Initially the boxing commission denies him his boxing license due to his age but with a little convincing, he gets them to grant him his wish. Paulie loses his job at the meat factory and decides to help Rocky train. Rocky also hires Marie to work at his restaurant to help her get back on her feet. In the meantime, Mason 'the line' Dixon trains and is interested about a computer simulation fight showing Rocky defeating him if the two fighters were to meet in their prime. Two of Mason's promoters come in to talk to him and then go to Rocky's restaurant to ask Balboa if he would consider fighting Mason. With a lot of convincing Rocky decides he will participate in the 'exhibition' boxing match. He feels that he has a 'beast inside of him' from of all his sorrow after Adrian died. Rocky gives Robert an amazing heartfelt speech explaining the importance of being an individual and not to be deterred by the actions/thoughts of others. Robert takes his father's advice into consideration and quits his job so he can help his father train.
Duke, Apollo Creed's old trainer who later trained Rocky, is also his trainer in the movie. He tells Rocky to rely on sheer blunt force trauma to succeed in the fight. Rocky's age is a major factor in this decision. The training scene is intense, with a musical montage set to the 'The Rocky' theme song. Duke brings Rocky back to his old form and he even runs up the stairs in typical Rocky fashion.
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The fight is located in the beautiful Las Vegas desert. While in the hotel, Marie gives Rocky a picture of Adrian to commemorate her memory. Rocky and Robert head towards the ring and in route they happen to run into Mason in the backstage area. He pulls the two aside and tells Rocky that he won't embarrass him unless he cheap shots him. Rocky lets Mason know that the old man still has a few tricks up his sleeve and says, 'It ain't over, til' it's over.'
Spider Rico sends Rocky a prayer while Paulie tells him to release his 'beast' as they walk towards the ring. Rocky's ring song is the 'Rubber Tree Plant' cover by Frank Sinatra which enlightens the older folks in the crowd. Soon after, Mason comes out to the ring, they hit fists and the fight is on. The difference between this film and the previous Rocky films, is that it's more authentic. It is shot by HBO PPV with the actual live commentary. The atmosphere is electric and the two fighters begin their descent into the dark abyss.
In the first round, Rocky barely stays up but actually surprises a few people with a blow to Mason's head. His luck runs out in the second round and he touches the canvas twice. Later in the fight Mason hurts his hand while landing a punch on Rocky. Balboa takes advantage of Mason's miscue and begins his assault on the champion. Rocky knocks Mason down but the champ soon recovers. From that moment on the Rocky feel starts to kick in. The vibrant music plays and the rounds soar by with hay maker punches and blood flying across the canvas. Proxima nova microsoft word.
Rocky begins to punish Dixon during the closing rounds. The fight seems to be going his way but a hard right hand changes everything. Balboa touches the canvas and you hear Rocky's voice in the background telling himself to get up and keep pushing forward. There is a brief flashback to Mickey (Rocky's old trainer) giving him advice and Adrian ringside for his previous slugfests. It then shows Adrian's roses on her headstone. The screen goes black. Rocky rises from the canvas and the 'beast is unleashed.' He goes on a rampage with flying fists towards Mason Dixon. The two fighters go toe-to-toe throwing haymakers and the bell rings with both fighters standing. The Rocky theme music plays in a faster tempo and the crowd erupts for having witnessed the greatest fight of their lives. The boxers corners rush the ring and congratulate their fighters on a great match.
Rocky exits the ring with his corner men (music still playing) and heads toward the exit with the crowd chanting 'ROCKY!' Mason stays in the ring and awaits the judge's decision. Rocky heads out near the entrance and in the background you hear '…. and the winner, and still undefeated champion, Mason ‘The Line' Dixon.' Rocky doesn't stop and continues to shake hands with the crowd. The screen freezes on Rocky shaking a crowd member's hand. This is symbolic with Rocky Balboa being 'the people's fighter.'
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The final shot shows Rocky at Adrian's tombstone reminiscing on how far they have gone. He went all the way and hoped she was happy. He believed winning wasn't everything and just wanted prove his worth in life. He set out a goal, and did everything in his power to accomplish that goal. He then put roses on her tombstone and walked away. He stops for a brief second and you can see him wave to her. The screen fades to black and the credits roll.
Chronology: The film was presented in chronological order. This order helped make sense of the whole movie. In this movie it chronologically shows Rocky's struggle dealing with the death of his wife. He has hidden aggression that he needs to release and does this the only way he knows how, which is to fight. This aesthetic method also gives Rocky the underdog status that makes any person want to cheer and root for him. The order of the film gives the audience a sense that they too struggled with him and want him to be able to accomplish the task of winning against the champ. We saw the struggles that he had to endure so that he could accomplish what seemed to be the impossible. Ultimately, in the end it wasn't about winning the match but releasing the built up aggression so he could begin a new life. This was a part of the character development used in the storytelling method. If the film had a different presentation style, it wouldn't have worked out as well. The general effect on the audience would have been entirely different. By using the similar plot as the first Rocky, as the underdog willing to win by any means; Rocky Balboa worked out as well as it did with the previous films.
Resources:
Chartoff, R. & Chartoff, W. (Producers), Stallone, S. (Director). (2006). Rocky Balboa. [Motion picture]. United States: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Rocky Balboa Quote
'Rocky Balboa' IMDb: The Internet Movie Database. IMDb.com-Amazon.com,1990-2014. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.
Rocky Balboa Official Trailer. (2006, December 20). Rocky Balboa official movie trailer. [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQecfT85f_I
Rocky Balboa Motivational Speech. (2006, December 20). Rocky Balboa inspirational speech. [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_Vg4uyYwEk
Rocky Balboa (2006)d. Sylvester Stallone, 102 minutes
Film Plot Summary
The film began without recapping events from the previous film (the only sequel to do so), and the only film in the series to begin without Rocky in the ring. It opened with a washed out B/W/color sequence of contemptuous, undefeated heavyweight champion boxer Mason 'The Line' Dixon (Antonio Tarver) quickly knocking out another opponent, and being blamed for the 'decline' of the entire sport, with fans booing and pelting him with ice, presumably because he had easily risen through the ranks by only fighting patsies and bums. One of the announcers noted: 'All of boxing is hoping for a warrior who thrills us with his passion.' Under the credits, to the tune of Take You Back by Frank Stallone and Valentine, views of downtown Philadelphia were shown.
Late in the year 2005, 60-ish year-old, puffy, battered Rocky awoke at 5am, a widower (a picture of deceased Adrian (Talia Shire) was on his nightstand), living by himself in a very modest South Philadelphia house, with his two turtles Cuff and Link. He sat at Adrian's gravesite (he kept a folding chair stashed in a nearby tree) and then commented to brother-in-law and friend Paulie: 'Time goes by too fast.' [Her gravestone displayed her birth/death date, March 10, 1950, January 11, 2002.] He was also struggling to keep up a relationship with his disconnected son Robert (Milo Ventimiglia), a corporate employee, who appeared 'uncomfortable' with his father's invitations to visit him at his Italian restaurant, and usually claimed he was too busy to visit. Estranged, Robert admitted that Rocky threw 'a big shadow,' and often watched as his famous father was greeted and asked for photographs and autographs. Later, Rocky visited the local market to stock up on fresh produce, meat, and fish for his small business named Adrian's (established in 1995). The restaurant's entrance was adorned with photos of his beloved wife, and there was another large wall display of Rocky's boxing mementos. Rocky (wearing an oversized maroon-colored dinner jacket over a black sweatshirt) would regale the patrons with old boxing tales from his past, especially his memorable fights against Apollo Creed, and the words of his trainer Mickey.
Retired from boxing for almost two decades, he was still grieving the loss of his beloved Adrian. He moped around the old neighborhood with grizzled Paulie, conjuring up memories of the local pet shop where she worked (boarded-up), his first apartment where she gazed up at him with dorky glasses, the torn-down ice rink and vacant garbage-strewn lot where they skated on their first date, and the days of their initial romance. As he recollected his past days at closed Mick's Gym, Paulie reminded him how everything was deteriorating: 'The whole world is falling apart. Look at us.' Rocky responded: 'You know, I think if you live in someplace long enough, you are that place.' Paulie replied: 'I ain't no talking building,' and his unpleasant pal could only complain about the weather and how he didn't want to look back: 'It's depressing and freaking cold!..You're living backwards, Rocko. Change the channel from yesterday. Yesterday wasn't so great..Sorry, Rocko, I can't do this no more.'
Late one night, at the Lucky Seven Tavern which he had frequented in his past, he struck up an acquaintance with the bartender named Little Marie (Geraldine Hughes). She had heard of his wife's passing a few years earlier, due to 'woman cancer' (Rocky's description), and he realized that they had met a long time ago when she was a mischievous neighborhood girl who hung out at the Atomic Hoagie shop - at one time, he walked her home (in Rocky (1976)) and told her to stop smoking cigarettes and things. She denied that she had shouted at him: 'Screw you, creepo.' Before he gave her a lift eight blocks to her home, he defended her honor against local drunks, and also learned she was an abandoned mother by a Jamaican man - the single parent of a bi-racial son born out of wedlock named Stephenson or 'Steps' (James Francis Kelly III). Outside her rented apartment in a crumbling section of town, Rocky met her teenaged son who was hanging out on the street, and offered the two of them a free meal at his restaurant some time in the future.
Meanwhile, heavyweight champ Mason 'The Line' Dixon, frustrated by his faltering reputation and damaged superstardom, returned to the small gymnasium where he had trained, and spoke to his old trainer Martin (Henry G. Sanders), who wisely told him that he needed to be tested by a real opponent in order to restore his self-respect: 'Got everything money can buy, except what it can't..Pride is what got your ass out of here. Losing is what brung you back. But people like you, they need to be tested. Need a challenge..There's always somebody out there. Always. And when that time comes, and you find something standing in front of you that ain't running, that ain't backing up, hitting on you, and you're too damn tired to breathe. You find that situation on you, that's good. Because that's baptism under fire. You get through that, you find the only kind of respect that matters in this damn world: self-respect.'
At his restaurant, Rocky would frequently offer free meals to ex-opponent Spider Rico (Pedro Lovell) (Rocky's first opponent in Rocky (1976)), but at one point, Spider insisted on doing dishes in the kitchen, and firmly told Rocky: 'Don't make me fight you again. Last time you got lucky.'
While Robert was in an Irish pub with his friends, a large TV screen was broadcasting an ESPN computer-simulated boxing match between two fighters: former two-time heavyweight champ from Philadelphia, Rocky Balboa (in his prime, with a record of 57-23-1, and 54 knockouts) and Mason Dixon of Las Vegas, NV (with a record of 33-0, and 30 knockouts), to see 'who would come out on top.' A commentator noted that Rocky fought tougher opponents than Mason Dixon, who was only 'spoon-fed his opponents.' He predicted: 'Not only does Rocky win, but he wins knockout.' Another mentioned that Dixon had never been in 'knock-down, drag-out brawls. He never had to dig down to rally back,' and Balboa would win. A third boxing historian spoke about how Dixon had only fought 'cream-puffs,' but with his unbelievable speed and slashing offense, he would defeat Balboa. The simulated contest ended with a KO victory for Balboa with 'a murderous right hook,' that further upset the champ. Meanwhile, Marie and Steps came to Rocky's restaurant for a meal and grew to become friends, although when he offered Steps a job, Marie asked: 'Why are you being so nice?' As he replaced her burned-out lightbulb on her front step, he told her: 'I don't owe you nothing..why do you gotta owe somethin' to get somethin', you know?' and he proposed hangin' out with her kid. One of their first experiences was a visit to the dog pound, where Rocky picked out one 'cute ugly' older dog, like himself, who was lying on his side and 'wastin' no energy..There's a lot of good mileage left on that animal' - and Steps jokingly (and disrespectfully, according to his mother) proposed naming it Punchy - and Rocky agreed.
At the restaurant, Paulie (on his way to his meat-packing plant job) informed Rocky about the 'fake Looney Tune fight' -- and Rocky watched a replay of the match with a 'stunning knockout' of his opponent, although there was 'fallout' over the disputed KO. Dixon's manager was interviewed and stated that the computer simulation was 'not responsible,' and another commentator judged restaurant owner Balboa as 'completely overrated.' Later, Rocky looked up his son and wanted his opinion about taking up boxing again ('small stuff, like locally'), although Robert thought his idea was slightly crazy and that he was too old, with time catching up on him: 'It's just the ego talking.' Rocky mentioned he wanted to be more involved with his son - 'like home team' (a term first used in Rocky V (1990)). In a later conversation, Paulie agreed with Robert: 'Nobody's giving you no title shot,' and then he wondered why Rocky was even considering the idea: 'You're mad because they took down your statue?' Rocky claimed there was 'still stuff in the basement,' meaning that he still had a 'beast' inside of him - one last fight to prove himself, and he was going to begin training.
The ex-champ applied to the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission to issue him a discretionary professional boxing license, so that he could compete again. He was told that he passed his medical tests, but he was denied a license. The board argued that they were looking out for Rocky's best interest - but he disagreed: 'It ain't nobody's right to say no after you earn the right to be what you wanna be or do what you wanna do!' His words must have had some impact, because on reapplication, Rocky was able to successfully renew his license, and his intentions became public. Dixon's promoters thought this would be an opportunity to make money and 'capitalize on that computer fight.' They stressed that a fight with has-been Balboa was the only one with 'marquee value' that could bolster Dixon's failed popularity - but Dixon was fed up with them and threatened to go back to his old trainer.
At the same time, Rocky asked that Marie work in his restaurant as a hostess 'to class my place up,' but she initially turned down the offer, and then was persuaded to accept. Paulie, however, was laid off from his job at the meat packing plant, but told Rocky that he had 'retired.' However, Rocky knew the real story when he noticed the slab of meat he was carrying: 'So when did they start giving retired people meat instead of watches, Paulie?' Paulie angrily shouted back: 'I don't need a watch. I got a watch. You gave me a watch.' (Rocky had given him a watch in Rocky II (1979).)
Dixon's promoter Lou DiBella (Himself) and manager L.C. Luco (A.J. Benza) briefly met with Rocky in his restaurant, and pitched the idea of a 'first-class exhibition fight..a glorified sparring session,' but Rocky explained that he only wanted local and 'small fights, not big fights.' They further described the bout as a charity event, to occur in Las Vegas, but Rocky was unsure and uncertain now that he had actually been approached to be in a fight, and wanted time to think about it. He described his ambivalent feelings to Marie about his 'crazy idea' of fighting: 'I'm not even sure what is true anymore..Am I this old pug who's just trying to replace old pain with new pain?' She advised him to follow his gut feeling: 'You've got this opportunity, so do it. Why not?..And if this is something that you wanna do, and this is something that you gotta do, then you do it. Fighters fight.'
The match was agreed to and announced at the Pennsylvania Convention Center during a highly-publicized press conference. It was tauted as 'skill vs. will' - a pay-per-view charity event in Las Vegas that was the 'brainchild' of Dixon to 'honor past heavyweight champions, warriors like Rocky Balboa.' However, there were doubts that two-time heavyweight ex-champion Rocky at his advanced age could compete - it was risky, he had 'virtually no chance,' and he was labeled 'Balboasaurus' by the press for participating in the circus-type event. One press person called the fight: 'a cheap bit of ring theatre between, no offense, a has-been and a man whose own credible legacy and popularity is in doubt.' Later, outside the restaurant, Robert spoke to his father about the upcoming fight, and the problems of growing up under Rocky's celebrity shadow ('People see me but they think of you..This is only gonna end up bad for you, and it's gonna end up bad for me'). Rocky realized his son blamed all his hardships and personal problems on him: 'And when things got hard, you started looking for something to blame, like a big shadow.' Rocky rebuked his son and told him how to win and succeed in life, and not be cowardly: 'The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!' Rocky ended by expressing his love for his son, and urging him to believe in himself to begin truly living. He ended his words: 'Don't forget to visit your mother.'
The next day at Adrian's grave, Robert told his father that he had quit his job ('I didn't fit in there') and confessed: 'Right now, I'd rather be with you..It's been a long time since I seen a fight.' They reconciled with a loving hug and embrace. Rocky began training with Apollo Creed's trainer Tony 'Duke' Evers (Tony Burton), who knew that his fighter needed speed, but with his arthritic neck and calcium deposits in his joints, sparring was out. The best strategy would be to build Rocky's strength and punching power: 'What we'll be calling on is good old-fashioned blunt-force trauma. Horsepower. Heavy-duty, cast-iron, pile-driving punches..Let's start building some hurting bombs.' A montage (accompanied by 'Gonna Fly Now') of weight-training exercises including jogging with Punchy in the snow up the steps of the Art Museum, and pounding meat slabs.
Rocky begins to punish Dixon during the closing rounds. The fight seems to be going his way but a hard right hand changes everything. Balboa touches the canvas and you hear Rocky's voice in the background telling himself to get up and keep pushing forward. There is a brief flashback to Mickey (Rocky's old trainer) giving him advice and Adrian ringside for his previous slugfests. It then shows Adrian's roses on her headstone. The screen goes black. Rocky rises from the canvas and the 'beast is unleashed.' He goes on a rampage with flying fists towards Mason Dixon. The two fighters go toe-to-toe throwing haymakers and the bell rings with both fighters standing. The Rocky theme music plays in a faster tempo and the crowd erupts for having witnessed the greatest fight of their lives. The boxers corners rush the ring and congratulate their fighters on a great match.
Rocky exits the ring with his corner men (music still playing) and heads toward the exit with the crowd chanting 'ROCKY!' Mason stays in the ring and awaits the judge's decision. Rocky heads out near the entrance and in the background you hear '…. and the winner, and still undefeated champion, Mason ‘The Line' Dixon.' Rocky doesn't stop and continues to shake hands with the crowd. The screen freezes on Rocky shaking a crowd member's hand. This is symbolic with Rocky Balboa being 'the people's fighter.'
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The final shot shows Rocky at Adrian's tombstone reminiscing on how far they have gone. He went all the way and hoped she was happy. He believed winning wasn't everything and just wanted prove his worth in life. He set out a goal, and did everything in his power to accomplish that goal. He then put roses on her tombstone and walked away. He stops for a brief second and you can see him wave to her. The screen fades to black and the credits roll.
Chronology: The film was presented in chronological order. This order helped make sense of the whole movie. In this movie it chronologically shows Rocky's struggle dealing with the death of his wife. He has hidden aggression that he needs to release and does this the only way he knows how, which is to fight. This aesthetic method also gives Rocky the underdog status that makes any person want to cheer and root for him. The order of the film gives the audience a sense that they too struggled with him and want him to be able to accomplish the task of winning against the champ. We saw the struggles that he had to endure so that he could accomplish what seemed to be the impossible. Ultimately, in the end it wasn't about winning the match but releasing the built up aggression so he could begin a new life. This was a part of the character development used in the storytelling method. If the film had a different presentation style, it wouldn't have worked out as well. The general effect on the audience would have been entirely different. By using the similar plot as the first Rocky, as the underdog willing to win by any means; Rocky Balboa worked out as well as it did with the previous films.
Resources:
Chartoff, R. & Chartoff, W. (Producers), Stallone, S. (Director). (2006). Rocky Balboa. [Motion picture]. United States: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Rocky Balboa Quote
'Rocky Balboa' IMDb: The Internet Movie Database. IMDb.com-Amazon.com,1990-2014. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.
Rocky Balboa Official Trailer. (2006, December 20). Rocky Balboa official movie trailer. [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQecfT85f_I
Rocky Balboa Motivational Speech. (2006, December 20). Rocky Balboa inspirational speech. [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_Vg4uyYwEk
Rocky Balboa (2006)d. Sylvester Stallone, 102 minutes
Film Plot Summary
The film began without recapping events from the previous film (the only sequel to do so), and the only film in the series to begin without Rocky in the ring. It opened with a washed out B/W/color sequence of contemptuous, undefeated heavyweight champion boxer Mason 'The Line' Dixon (Antonio Tarver) quickly knocking out another opponent, and being blamed for the 'decline' of the entire sport, with fans booing and pelting him with ice, presumably because he had easily risen through the ranks by only fighting patsies and bums. One of the announcers noted: 'All of boxing is hoping for a warrior who thrills us with his passion.' Under the credits, to the tune of Take You Back by Frank Stallone and Valentine, views of downtown Philadelphia were shown.
Late in the year 2005, 60-ish year-old, puffy, battered Rocky awoke at 5am, a widower (a picture of deceased Adrian (Talia Shire) was on his nightstand), living by himself in a very modest South Philadelphia house, with his two turtles Cuff and Link. He sat at Adrian's gravesite (he kept a folding chair stashed in a nearby tree) and then commented to brother-in-law and friend Paulie: 'Time goes by too fast.' [Her gravestone displayed her birth/death date, March 10, 1950, January 11, 2002.] He was also struggling to keep up a relationship with his disconnected son Robert (Milo Ventimiglia), a corporate employee, who appeared 'uncomfortable' with his father's invitations to visit him at his Italian restaurant, and usually claimed he was too busy to visit. Estranged, Robert admitted that Rocky threw 'a big shadow,' and often watched as his famous father was greeted and asked for photographs and autographs. Later, Rocky visited the local market to stock up on fresh produce, meat, and fish for his small business named Adrian's (established in 1995). The restaurant's entrance was adorned with photos of his beloved wife, and there was another large wall display of Rocky's boxing mementos. Rocky (wearing an oversized maroon-colored dinner jacket over a black sweatshirt) would regale the patrons with old boxing tales from his past, especially his memorable fights against Apollo Creed, and the words of his trainer Mickey.
Retired from boxing for almost two decades, he was still grieving the loss of his beloved Adrian. He moped around the old neighborhood with grizzled Paulie, conjuring up memories of the local pet shop where she worked (boarded-up), his first apartment where she gazed up at him with dorky glasses, the torn-down ice rink and vacant garbage-strewn lot where they skated on their first date, and the days of their initial romance. As he recollected his past days at closed Mick's Gym, Paulie reminded him how everything was deteriorating: 'The whole world is falling apart. Look at us.' Rocky responded: 'You know, I think if you live in someplace long enough, you are that place.' Paulie replied: 'I ain't no talking building,' and his unpleasant pal could only complain about the weather and how he didn't want to look back: 'It's depressing and freaking cold!..You're living backwards, Rocko. Change the channel from yesterday. Yesterday wasn't so great..Sorry, Rocko, I can't do this no more.'
Late one night, at the Lucky Seven Tavern which he had frequented in his past, he struck up an acquaintance with the bartender named Little Marie (Geraldine Hughes). She had heard of his wife's passing a few years earlier, due to 'woman cancer' (Rocky's description), and he realized that they had met a long time ago when she was a mischievous neighborhood girl who hung out at the Atomic Hoagie shop - at one time, he walked her home (in Rocky (1976)) and told her to stop smoking cigarettes and things. She denied that she had shouted at him: 'Screw you, creepo.' Before he gave her a lift eight blocks to her home, he defended her honor against local drunks, and also learned she was an abandoned mother by a Jamaican man - the single parent of a bi-racial son born out of wedlock named Stephenson or 'Steps' (James Francis Kelly III). Outside her rented apartment in a crumbling section of town, Rocky met her teenaged son who was hanging out on the street, and offered the two of them a free meal at his restaurant some time in the future.
Meanwhile, heavyweight champ Mason 'The Line' Dixon, frustrated by his faltering reputation and damaged superstardom, returned to the small gymnasium where he had trained, and spoke to his old trainer Martin (Henry G. Sanders), who wisely told him that he needed to be tested by a real opponent in order to restore his self-respect: 'Got everything money can buy, except what it can't..Pride is what got your ass out of here. Losing is what brung you back. But people like you, they need to be tested. Need a challenge..There's always somebody out there. Always. And when that time comes, and you find something standing in front of you that ain't running, that ain't backing up, hitting on you, and you're too damn tired to breathe. You find that situation on you, that's good. Because that's baptism under fire. You get through that, you find the only kind of respect that matters in this damn world: self-respect.'
At his restaurant, Rocky would frequently offer free meals to ex-opponent Spider Rico (Pedro Lovell) (Rocky's first opponent in Rocky (1976)), but at one point, Spider insisted on doing dishes in the kitchen, and firmly told Rocky: 'Don't make me fight you again. Last time you got lucky.'
While Robert was in an Irish pub with his friends, a large TV screen was broadcasting an ESPN computer-simulated boxing match between two fighters: former two-time heavyweight champ from Philadelphia, Rocky Balboa (in his prime, with a record of 57-23-1, and 54 knockouts) and Mason Dixon of Las Vegas, NV (with a record of 33-0, and 30 knockouts), to see 'who would come out on top.' A commentator noted that Rocky fought tougher opponents than Mason Dixon, who was only 'spoon-fed his opponents.' He predicted: 'Not only does Rocky win, but he wins knockout.' Another mentioned that Dixon had never been in 'knock-down, drag-out brawls. He never had to dig down to rally back,' and Balboa would win. A third boxing historian spoke about how Dixon had only fought 'cream-puffs,' but with his unbelievable speed and slashing offense, he would defeat Balboa. The simulated contest ended with a KO victory for Balboa with 'a murderous right hook,' that further upset the champ. Meanwhile, Marie and Steps came to Rocky's restaurant for a meal and grew to become friends, although when he offered Steps a job, Marie asked: 'Why are you being so nice?' As he replaced her burned-out lightbulb on her front step, he told her: 'I don't owe you nothing..why do you gotta owe somethin' to get somethin', you know?' and he proposed hangin' out with her kid. One of their first experiences was a visit to the dog pound, where Rocky picked out one 'cute ugly' older dog, like himself, who was lying on his side and 'wastin' no energy..There's a lot of good mileage left on that animal' - and Steps jokingly (and disrespectfully, according to his mother) proposed naming it Punchy - and Rocky agreed.
At the restaurant, Paulie (on his way to his meat-packing plant job) informed Rocky about the 'fake Looney Tune fight' -- and Rocky watched a replay of the match with a 'stunning knockout' of his opponent, although there was 'fallout' over the disputed KO. Dixon's manager was interviewed and stated that the computer simulation was 'not responsible,' and another commentator judged restaurant owner Balboa as 'completely overrated.' Later, Rocky looked up his son and wanted his opinion about taking up boxing again ('small stuff, like locally'), although Robert thought his idea was slightly crazy and that he was too old, with time catching up on him: 'It's just the ego talking.' Rocky mentioned he wanted to be more involved with his son - 'like home team' (a term first used in Rocky V (1990)). In a later conversation, Paulie agreed with Robert: 'Nobody's giving you no title shot,' and then he wondered why Rocky was even considering the idea: 'You're mad because they took down your statue?' Rocky claimed there was 'still stuff in the basement,' meaning that he still had a 'beast' inside of him - one last fight to prove himself, and he was going to begin training.
The ex-champ applied to the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission to issue him a discretionary professional boxing license, so that he could compete again. He was told that he passed his medical tests, but he was denied a license. The board argued that they were looking out for Rocky's best interest - but he disagreed: 'It ain't nobody's right to say no after you earn the right to be what you wanna be or do what you wanna do!' His words must have had some impact, because on reapplication, Rocky was able to successfully renew his license, and his intentions became public. Dixon's promoters thought this would be an opportunity to make money and 'capitalize on that computer fight.' They stressed that a fight with has-been Balboa was the only one with 'marquee value' that could bolster Dixon's failed popularity - but Dixon was fed up with them and threatened to go back to his old trainer.
At the same time, Rocky asked that Marie work in his restaurant as a hostess 'to class my place up,' but she initially turned down the offer, and then was persuaded to accept. Paulie, however, was laid off from his job at the meat packing plant, but told Rocky that he had 'retired.' However, Rocky knew the real story when he noticed the slab of meat he was carrying: 'So when did they start giving retired people meat instead of watches, Paulie?' Paulie angrily shouted back: 'I don't need a watch. I got a watch. You gave me a watch.' (Rocky had given him a watch in Rocky II (1979).)
Dixon's promoter Lou DiBella (Himself) and manager L.C. Luco (A.J. Benza) briefly met with Rocky in his restaurant, and pitched the idea of a 'first-class exhibition fight..a glorified sparring session,' but Rocky explained that he only wanted local and 'small fights, not big fights.' They further described the bout as a charity event, to occur in Las Vegas, but Rocky was unsure and uncertain now that he had actually been approached to be in a fight, and wanted time to think about it. He described his ambivalent feelings to Marie about his 'crazy idea' of fighting: 'I'm not even sure what is true anymore..Am I this old pug who's just trying to replace old pain with new pain?' She advised him to follow his gut feeling: 'You've got this opportunity, so do it. Why not?..And if this is something that you wanna do, and this is something that you gotta do, then you do it. Fighters fight.'
The match was agreed to and announced at the Pennsylvania Convention Center during a highly-publicized press conference. It was tauted as 'skill vs. will' - a pay-per-view charity event in Las Vegas that was the 'brainchild' of Dixon to 'honor past heavyweight champions, warriors like Rocky Balboa.' However, there were doubts that two-time heavyweight ex-champion Rocky at his advanced age could compete - it was risky, he had 'virtually no chance,' and he was labeled 'Balboasaurus' by the press for participating in the circus-type event. One press person called the fight: 'a cheap bit of ring theatre between, no offense, a has-been and a man whose own credible legacy and popularity is in doubt.' Later, outside the restaurant, Robert spoke to his father about the upcoming fight, and the problems of growing up under Rocky's celebrity shadow ('People see me but they think of you..This is only gonna end up bad for you, and it's gonna end up bad for me'). Rocky realized his son blamed all his hardships and personal problems on him: 'And when things got hard, you started looking for something to blame, like a big shadow.' Rocky rebuked his son and told him how to win and succeed in life, and not be cowardly: 'The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!' Rocky ended by expressing his love for his son, and urging him to believe in himself to begin truly living. He ended his words: 'Don't forget to visit your mother.'
The next day at Adrian's grave, Robert told his father that he had quit his job ('I didn't fit in there') and confessed: 'Right now, I'd rather be with you..It's been a long time since I seen a fight.' They reconciled with a loving hug and embrace. Rocky began training with Apollo Creed's trainer Tony 'Duke' Evers (Tony Burton), who knew that his fighter needed speed, but with his arthritic neck and calcium deposits in his joints, sparring was out. The best strategy would be to build Rocky's strength and punching power: 'What we'll be calling on is good old-fashioned blunt-force trauma. Horsepower. Heavy-duty, cast-iron, pile-driving punches..Let's start building some hurting bombs.' A montage (accompanied by 'Gonna Fly Now') of weight-training exercises including jogging with Punchy in the snow up the steps of the Art Museum, and pounding meat slabs.
At the weigh-in for the fight in Las Vegas (at the Mandalay Bay Hotel), Rocky's weight was 217, while Dixon was 221. Dixon spoke privately to Rocky about making sure no one was hurt in the fight, and promised: 'I'll do my best to carry you, make sure you save face,' but he also warned that if Rocky tried to press, hurt or really hit him with a cheap or low shot, he would retaliate. Rocky simply responded: 'A lot of people come to Vegas to lose. I didn't,' and then reminded the young fighter with a saying from the 70s: 'Ain't nothing over till it's over.' The night before the fight in the hallway outside his hotel room, Marie brought Rocky a framed picture of Adrian that she had taken from the restaurant: 'Thought she would keep you safe.' She thanked him for everything and then encouraged him: 'You're gonna prove that the last thing to age on somebody is their heart.' She kissed him for good luck.
The two fighters were compared before their 10-round, 'much-anticipated showdown' on HBO Pay Per View: the legendary 'Italian Stallion' Rocky Balboa, with a 'ferocious body attack and will of steel,' and the 'unappreciated' and 'undisputed heavyweight champion' Dixon with 'speed, determination, and confidence,' but doubtful whether 'he has the heart of a true champion never having been pushed to go the distance.' In his dressing room, Spider Rico read Rocky a Bible passage (Zachariah 4:6: 'It is not by strength, not by might but by his spirit we have already claimed the victory in our Lord Jesus Christ'). As he walked with Rocky's entourage toward the ring, Paulie advised: 'Get rid of the damn beast, let it be done once and for all. Please, I love you.' The 'off-the-board underdog' Rocky was introduced as 'veteran of the wars, here for one more last hurrah,' and he strode forward as Frank Sinatra's 'High Hopes' played on the loudspeaker system - he was still regarded as 'the people's champion.' When Dixon approached the ring, he was not greeted as warmly, and even boxer Mike Tyson (Himself) put him down for being in a charity fight. Ring announcer Michael Buffer (Himself) gave his trademark call to begin: 'Let's get ready to rumble' - and then introduced the two opponents.
Rocky Balboa Movie
When the fight began, Dixon dominated with his long 'pinpoint' jabs, although Rocky performed respectably, driving Dixon into the ropes with a series of shots. Dixon seemed to punish Balboa for 'the temerity of landing' a few punches and 'landing potent combinations to the head of the champion.' Balboa landed 9 of 13 punches, while Dixon landed 59 out of 69 punches. In round two, Rocky continued to take more blows and fell to the canvas with a 'monstrous straight left hand,' but quickly got up and bravely vowed to keep fighting. Dixon landed more brutal shots throughout the round, and Balboa went down again. He struggled to get up before the count of ten, and appeared 'furious with himself,' convincing the referee to let him continue. Balboa came back with left and right punches, and although Dixon appeared to take charge, he broke his left hand when he struck Rocky's hip. Taking the advantage, Rocky pounded away with body punches in a dramatic comeback, and Dixon fell to the canvas. Both fighters were severely challenged and hurt through the entire boxing match ('They're leaving nothing on the table, guys') -- shot in a montage of slow-motion and black/white, in part -- and at times, Rocky imagined Mickey coaching him ('Go through him! Run over him!') and Adrian cheering him at ringside. Balboa proved he had one 'great fight' left in him. At the start of final round 10, Dixon told Balboa: 'You are one crazy old man,' to which Rocky said: 'You'll get there.' Although Rocky almost faltered and went down to one knee, he retaliated with fury and at the fight's final bell, both men were standing 'toe to toe.'
Rocky Balboa Plot
Rocky thanked Dixon for their incredible fight: 'You're a great champion. You've got heart. Thanks for the opportunity. Good man.' Robert congratulated his father: 'That was the greatest thing I've ever seen.' And Rocky told Paulie: 'The beast is gone now. The beast is out.' Before the scorecard results were announced, Rocky left the ring with his entourage, applauded by the appreciative, chanting audience. Dixon won by a split decision: the final score cards were 95-94 Dixon, 95-94 Balboa, 95-94 Dixon.
In the film's brief epilogue, Rocky visited Adrian's grave with a bouquet of red roses, thanking her for helping him accomplish his goal: 'Yo, Adrian, we did it. We did it.' Bill Conti's 'Theme From Rocky' - Gonna Fly Now - played over the closing credits. In the first part of the credits, fans of all ages ran up the front steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art - jumping, punching the air, and raising their arms in victory. In the second section of credits, in the darkness, Rocky stood unmoving and by himself on the top step.
Film Notables (Awards, Facts, etc.)
Rocky Balboa Store
With a production budget of $24 million, and box-office gross receipts of $70 million (domestic) and $156 million (worldwide).
Rocky Balboa Beast Inside
Rocky Balboa marked Stallone's first directorial effort since Rocky IV over 20 years before.
Rocky Balboa Hat
The film's concluding fight was often compared to real-life boxing history, when aging George Foreman came out of a long retirement and won the heavyweight championship in 1994 at the age of 45.
