On December 17, 2010, Newsday posted a piece titled Actors, Fighters Weigh-in on Boxing Flicks. As you can imagine the Rocky movies were selected as top choices several times. Here’s what was said:
- Frank Vincent, played Salvy, opposite Robert De Niro in “Raging Bull.” He’s appeared in numerous other films, including “Goodfellas” and “Casino.”
1. Although it was a fantasy, I have to go with “Rocky 1”, for the inspirational message. - Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, former WBA light heavyweight champion, played Billy Fox opposite Robert De Niro in “Raging Bull.”
3. “Rocky.” “The entire Rocky series was great for boxing. Even if it wasn’t real, it was an opportunity for Sly to come in and make those movies. It gave boxing a boost.” - A.J. Benza, played L.C. opposite Sylvester Stallone in “Rocky Balboa.”
1. “Although “Raging Bull” is a better film, with incredible acting and all the sacrifices Robert De Niro made to literally become Jake LaMotta, and having the great Martin Scorsese at the helm, I still have to say the greatest boxing movie of all-time is “Rocky.” Here we are 34 years later and I still drop the remote and stop whatever I’m doing whenever it’s on TV. That song is in everybody’s heart. That fight is a fight we will all face one day in our lives. Sylvester Stallone did it. Game over. Who doesn’t get the chills when they hear the trumpets?”
3. “Rocky Balboa.” Mainly because I’m in it. But I remember being on the set, on the last day, and watching Stallone run the steps for the last time. And when he was done and it was a wrap, no one wanted to leave. Stallone just sat on the steps. And I remember telling him, “You been making us cry for over 30 years. Who does that outside of our own families?” - Jeff Waxman, co-producer, “The Fighter”
1. “Rocky”
2. “Rocky II”
“I loved all those movies,” said Waxman. “I loved them not just for the boxing, but for the story. With Riocky, it was about going the distance, in this movie (“The Fighter”), Micky Ward had to go the distance, he had to win and he did.” - Steve Farhood, boxing analyst for Showtime:
1. “Rocky.” “The right movie at the right time. My friend and I saw it in the dead of winter, and we were so pumped up, we ran home two miles through the streets of New York City. By the way, not one of the 347 sequels compares.” - Lou DiBella, boxing promoter, played himself in “Rocky Balboa” and is a producer on “The Fighter.”
1. “Rocky.” “I think the character of Rocky Balboa is the greatest personafication of the underdog in movie history and it gets to the essence of why people love boixng. I think Rocky Balboa is the most iconic figure every created about boxing.”
2. “Rocky II.” - Mark Breland, Olympic gold medalist and WBA welterweight champion. Has appeared in “The Lords of Discipline,” and “Summer of Sam.”
2. “Rocky.” - Jose Rivera, former two-time world champion who played Mark Wahlberg’s sparring partner in “The Fighter.”
1. “Rocky.” - Junior Jones, former world bantamweight and junior featherweight champion:
1. “All of the “Rocky,” movies. I liked the training scenes and the music, too. It allows you to see the hard work and the intensity of a fighter.”
