In a revealing Netflix documentary titled “Sly,” Sylvester Stallone opened up about a harrowing incident that occurred on the set of “Rocky IV.” Stallone, who portrayed the iconic boxer Rocky Balboa, claimed that he asked his co-star Dolph Lundgren to forgo the choreography and deliver genuine blows during their boxing scene.
According to Stallone, the decision to go for a more realistic approach backfired spectacularly. “Dolph Lundgren… he pulverized me,” Stallone recounts in the documentary. “Later that night, my heart started to swell—which happens when the heart hits the chest—and then my blood pressure went up to 260, and they thought I was going to be talking to angels. Next thing I know, I’m in intensive care, where I’m surrounded by nuns, and I thought, ‘OK, that’s curtains.'”
Stallone was hospitalized for nine days following the incident, during which time he prayed for “one more round.” The actor revealed that on the day of the big fight scene, he had instructed Lundgren to forget the choreography and simply try to “clock” him. “For the first minute of the fight, it is going to be a free-for-all,” Stallone had told the Swedish actor.
In a separate interview, Lundgren acknowledged Stallone’s directive, joking, “Stallone was the boss. I did what he told me.” The Hollywood Reporter corroborates Stallone’s account, noting that the actor suffered a blow to the ribs that caused his heart to rattle around in his ribcage – a condition usually associated with head-on collisions.
“I did hit a bus, of sorts,” Stallone quipped. Fortunately, the incident did not leave any lasting medical issues, and Stallone was able to recover in time to complete the film. Nevertheless, it serves as a cautionary tale – sometimes, it’s best to stick to the script, even in the high-stakes world of Hollywood.
