This Is How Sylvester Stallone Almost Died Whilst Shooting Rocky 4

The filming of Rocky 4 proved almost as dangerous as a real boxing match

rocky 4
© MGM
rocky 4

To make the fourth part of the saga Rocky as realistic as possible, the actors had to get their hands dirty. This was the case with superstar Sylvester Stallone, who endangered his physical health during the filming.

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The Swedish actor Dolph Lundgren played the role of the terrible Soviet Ivan Drago, and he prepared to face the character of Stallone, Rocky, in the final fight. For the sake of realism, Stallone then went on to ask his Swedish counterpart not to pull his shots. Bad idea.

Ivan Drago

At that time, Lundgren was a mass of muscles, a real beast. For him, supporting the shots was not a problem, for Sylvester, however, that it would prove a bit more difficult. The American actor was then forced to go to the hospital the same evening and stay there for 5 days.

"It hit my heart so hard it hit my ribs and started to swell, which usually happens during car accidents." A bad memory also for Carl Weathers who played Appolo, who threatened to resign if Lundgren continued to strike as well.

Boxing is no game!

Sylvester Stallone Still Has The Turtles From The First Rocky Film At Home Sylvester Stallone Still Has The Turtles From The First Rocky Film At Home