“I felt in my butt”: Rocky 4’s Most Dangerous Scene Was So Realistic That Sylvester Stallone Felt Its Effects Throughout His Body
- Sylvester Stallone recalls the heart wrenching fight sequence opposite Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV.
- Sylvester Stallone explained his near-death experience on the sets of Rocky IV.
- Sylvester Stallone clarified his feud rumors with Robert De Niro.
Actor Sylvester Stallone gained worldwide recognition and critical acclaim after he starred as Rocky Balboa in 1976’s Rocky, which he also wrote. With the success of the first movie in the Rocky franchise, the star continued to appear as the boxer in the next five movies as well. In the fourth installment of the movie, Stallone appeared opposite Dolph Lundgren, who portrayed the character of another professional boxer, Ivan Drago.
Rocky IV was the sequel to Rocky III and Dolph Lundgren’s American movie debut. The movie is remembered for its Cold War theme, apart from Ivan Drago as the villain. The movie received mixed reviews upon release and was criticized for its predictable screenplay and negative portrayal of Russians. Sylvester Stallone shared information about one of the most dangerous scenes of the movie, which shook him to his core.
Sylvester Stallone recalls a near-death experience on the sets of Rocky IV
During an interview with Empire Magazine, actor Sylvester Stallone and fellow co-actor Dolph Lundgren watched and recalled their famous fight sequence from Rocky IV. Lundgren asked Stallone if the actor knew that he was a karate champion at the time of the filming, adding that he was almost 10 years younger than the actor. Lundgren also added that despite that Stallone was able to keep up with him and Stallone later added, after watching the scene,
Look at my head! Bang! I’ll never forget that shot. I felt it in my butt. You hit me on the top of my head; it went down my spine literally like a bolt of lightning. Those eight-ounce gloves have actually been banned today because they’re too lethal.
The actor in The Making of Rocky Vs. Drago shared that he ended up in a hospital bed after they filmed the match between the two. Stallone admits that it was horrifying, and he almost thought that he could’ve died. The actor mentioned that he had to be flown into intensive care in California from Canada. He added,
I didn’t feel it at the moment, but later that night, my heart started to swell. My blood pressure went up to 260, and I was going to be talking to angels. Next thing I know, I’m on this emergency, low-altitude flight. I was in intensive care surrounded by nuns, and then after that, I had to get back and finish the fight.
The reports suggested that on the day of the big fight, Stallone had told Lundgren to forget the choreography and had asked him to go out and try to clock him. The actor wanted the scene to look real, and it did. Stallone, who appeared as Rocky Balboa in Michael B. Jordan’s Creed, shared that he feels honored to be able to go back and fix things or reimagine things. The actor noted that when he was offered the opportunity to work on the movie, he thanked MGM for the opportunity.
Sylvester Stallone addresses his feud rumors with Robert De Niro
When the respected and beloved actor Sylvester Stallone had joked that his former co-star Robert De Niro was his worst-ever boxing opponent, the rumors of two of them not liking each other started to spread. But Stallone took to his social media to quickly address the situation;
I just want to address something that is kind of an absurd rumor about myself and Robert De Niro never wanting to work together or having all sorts of angry comments about our stance on life, philosophies, whatever. We’ve never had this discussion, probably never will. And I just want to say you can’t believe everything you read. So, anyway, keep punching.
Talking about De Niro being his worst boxing partner, he said De Niro got in the ring, and he could tell his knees were shaking. And he put on his gloves, and he kind of looked like a lobster claw, so Sly said to De Niro, ‘Let’s move a little, and he said, ‘Oh my god’. I said, ‘You’re a great actor, but you’re the worst boxer. (via Muscles and Fitness)
During the filming of The Expendables, Stallone revealed that he broke his neck during the filming of the movie, adding that he never fully recovered. He added that it did much harm to his body, and he’s never been the same. When asked if putting himself in those situations was worth it, he said (via BI)
Are you really doing this for people’s approval? Really, that’s almost important, like a child needing a pat from his father. That’s constant encouragement. But it’s true.
Arnold Schwarzenegger also chimed in to talk about the accident, mentioning that it’s not uncommon for an action hero to get injured on set, but according to him, it was clear that Sly did push himself to his extreme.
Rocky IV is available on VOD on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+.
