Sylvester Stallone is renowned for portraying Hollywood’s most formidable tough guys but Rocky stands head and shoulders above the rest. The third film in the series depicts the iconic boxer at his lowest ebb, as both his personal life and career seem to hit rock bottom.
And art imitated life when Stallone endured a harrowing moment on set with Hulk Hogan, filming an intense scene where he squared up to a colossal adversary who charged at him like “an enraged bull.”
After being floored by the impact, the battered actor implored the crew not to move him, fearing he had snapped his collarbone.
Stallone would later end up in hospital after a brutal encounter with Dolph Lundgren during the making of Rocky IV in 1985, but he has admitted that nothing compared to the excruciating pain he experienced during the bone-shattering beating in Rocky 3.
Stallone recounted: “At 6 feet 7 and 295 pounds with 24-inch biceps! He was an amazing athlete! Incredibly powerful. I remember a violent move where he threw me into the corner, charged across the ring like an ENRAGED bull and leaped so amazingly high above me that his shin-bone actually came down (like a) giant tree on my collarbone, and I tumbled to the floor.”
“I was afraid to look at my shoulder for about 10 minutes… I said, ‘Don’t roll me over, don’t move me,’ because I was sure there was bone protruding through my upper chest!”.
He further revealed: “Of course there wasn’t but I have never felt such a mind-numbing pain from a massive hit before or since that day!”
Rocky 3 boasts a formidable cast of tough guys, including Carl Weathers. Standing at 6’1, the actor who played Apollo Creed towers over both Stallone and Mr T, who portrays the main antagonist, Clubber Lang.
However, everyone on set was overshadowed by the towering 6’7 bleach-blond figure of the world’s most famous wrestler, both in the film and in real life.
Stallone, who stands at a modest 5’8, paid homage to his co-star in an Instagram post: “Another flashback and another reason why it’s not such a great idea to always do your own stunts! I met Terry Bollea aka THUNDERLIPS aka HULK HOGAN In the very early 80s when I was directing Rocky III.”
Hogan, who died aged 71 after suffering a cardiac arrest at his home, only plays a minor role in the film during a staged charity exhibition match, but he left a lasting and painful impression on more than just his famous leading man.
The 75 year old Stallone added: “Believe it or not when he jumped into the audience to fight with the stuntmen, three of them had to be treated at the hospital.
“Great guy, great friend, his presence made the film very, very special. HULK, if you’re reading this, it was a privilege to be mangled by such a gentleman.”69-year old Hogan, whose real name is Terry Eugene Bollea, publicly issued a challenge for a rematch: “I want to fight Stallone again like I did in Rocky III. I haven’t heard anything though, nothing.
I’m praying for it though, I would love it… It would be a lot of fun standing opposite him, face-to-face. “.