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Playing a boxer seems to be a prerequisite for an actor in their journey to become an action star. Will Smith played Muhammed Ali inAliwhile Mark Wahlberg played Micky Ward inThe Fighter. Though Sylvester Stallone had his breakthrough with theRockyfranchise, the greatest boxer in Hollywood reportedly even bested him.
Stallone recounted the filming process ofRocky IVwhere the legendary actor Dolph Lundgren played Ivan Drago. While Drago was one of the most dangerous opponents that Rocky Balboa ever faced, Lundgren himself was reportedly no less, punching Stallone in the chest on his insistence, which reportedly led him to be hospitalized.
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There is just something about boxing movies that makes them an iconic sub-genre in the sports drama category. Films likeMillion Dollar Baby, Rocky, Cinderella Man, Ali,and more have made a mark in the industry by telling inspiring stories, with the Hillary Swank starring former even winning the Oscar for Best Picture.
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While actors like Swank, Will Smith, and Michael B. Jordan have given incredible performances in their boxing films, no one is as iconic asSylvester Stallone. The action star established himself by writing and starring inRocky, which won Best Picture at the Oscars. He went on to make five sequels and even contributed to the spinoffCreedfilms.
However, the iconic star who made boxing so popular was reportedly not the best boxer in Hollywood. That distinction was reportedly held byRocky IV’s antagonist and popular actor Dolph Lundgren. According to Redditor ‘emster22’, Lundgren was so good that he once punched Stallone while filmingRocky IVthat he was put in the ICU.
Dolph Lundgren, by a mile! The guy is a European karate champion. He got a bit over-aggressive and lifted and flung Carl Weathers across the ring when they were shooting for Rocky IV. And he put Stallone in the ICU for nine days by punching him in the chest (on Stallone’s instructions of course). The doctors who treated Stallone said that his injury was more in line with a head-on car crash.
The incident was first stated by Stallone himself, who reportedly insisted that Lundgren, who played Ivan Drago, punch him really hard to make the first minute of their sparring look real (viaTHR).
Carl Weathers Reportedly Threatened To QuitRocky IVBecause Of Dolph Lundgren
Sylvester Stallone’sRocky IVwas regarded as a good comeback for the franchise afterRocky IIandRocky III. With themes of the Cold War andDolph Lundgren’sperformance as Ivan Drago, who seemed to be a huge threat to Rocky, the film seemed to head towards its former glory (of course,Rocky Vwould soon tarnish the legacy of the franchise).
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Despite its success,Rocky IVmay have been a terrible experience for actor Carl Weathers who played Apollo Creed in the franchise. Creed dies in the film as a result of a spar with Ivan Drago. Weathers reportedly had painful injuries while filming due to Dolph Lundgren’s aggressive fighting. Stallone mentioned in an interview (viaAin’t It Cool News),
I saw Dolph Lundgren pick up Carl and heave him three feet into the corner when I was directing the scene between them; rather than retaliate, Carl got out of the ring and said something ferocious like, ‘I’m calling my agent… I quit!’
Though Weathers ended up staying back after Stallone convinced him, the actor reportedly ranked Lundgren after himself when a fan asked him about who the best boxers in Hollywood were.
Rocky IVis available to rent on Apple TV.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2417
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
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Dolph LundgrenSylvester Stallone
