Rocky III

**Rocky III** is a 1982 film starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers and Burgess Meredith, directed and written by Stallone and produced by Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler.

## Plot

Three years after winning the heavyweight championship against Apollo Creed, Rocky Balboa has had a string of ten successful title defenses. His fame, wealth, endorsements, and celebrity profile have increased, leading him to participate in an exhibition charity event against the world wrestling champion, Thunderlips (Hulk Hogan).

Rocky's manager, Mickey, worriedly eyes a young and powerful contender rapidly rising through the ranks named James "Clubber" Lang. While unveiling a statue of himself at the stairway by the Philadelphia Museum of Art just prior to announcing his retirement, Rocky is publicly challenged by Lang, now the number-one contender. Lang accuses Rocky of intentionally accepting challenges from lesser opponents, and goads Rocky into accepting his challenge for a championship fight.

Mickey initially wants no part of it. Pressed by Rocky, Mickey confesses that he handpicked the opponents for Rocky's title defenses in order to spare him from another beating of the kind that Creed gave him in their rematch. He explains that Lang is young and powerful, and most of all he's "hungry", and that Rocky won't last three rounds, because he has lost his edge (the "eye of the tiger") and became "civilized". Rocky, not wanting to retire and now knowing that he never really defended his title against the best opponents, convinces Mickey to work with him for one last fight. Despite his promise to Mickey, Rocky trains in a Las Vegas-style training camp that is filled with distractions, and is clearly not taking his training seriously. In contrast, Lang trains with ruthless determination and vigor.

Lang and Rocky meet at Philadelphia's Spectrum. In a brawl backstage, Mickey is violently shoved by Lang, causing Mickey to suffer a heart attack which later proves fatal. Distraught, Rocky wants to call the match off, but Mickey urges him on while he stays in the dressing room. By the time of the match, Rocky is both enraged and severely distracted by his mentor's condition. The match begins with Rocky pounding Lang with several huge blows looking for an early knockout, but he cannot put Lang down due to his own lack of conditioning. The bigger, stronger, and better-prepared Lang quickly recovers and takes charge, dominating Rocky and knocking him out with a haymaker left hook in the second round, winning the heavyweight championship. After the match, Rocky tells an exhausted Mickey that the match ended in a second round knockout without saying who the victor was. Mickey falsely believes Rocky won and then peacefully succumbs to his heart attack. Rocky, lapsing into severe depression, mourns over Mickey's death.

Stopping by Mickey's closed gym, the forlorn Rocky encounters his former rival, Apollo Creed, who witnessed the match as a guest analyst. Creed offers to help train Rocky for a rematch against Lang in exchange for a future favor which Rocky accepts. Apollo then takes Rocky to the gym where he once trained, Tough Gym in Los Angeles. Creed, along with his former trainer Tony "Duke" Evers, infuses Rocky's brawling style with more of Apollo's trademark footwork, skill and speed to become a more complete fighter. At first, Rocky is too distracted and demoralized to put forth his best efforts, infuriating Apollo, but he regains his momentum after Adrian helps Rocky come to terms with Mickey's death.

The rematch takes place at Madison Square Garden. Apollo lends Rocky the American flag trunks that he once wore during their first match. At the outset of the match, Rocky sprints from his corner, battering Lang with a level of skill and spirit that no one ever expected. Rocky completely dominates the first round, leaving Lang enraged and bewildered after the bell. Lang gains the upper hand in the second round, and Rocky adopts an entirely different strategy that bewilders Apollo by intentionally taking a beating from Lang, even getting knocked down twice, all the while taunting Lang that he cannot knock him out. By the third round, Lang, who is used to winning matches swiftly with knockouts in the early rounds, becomes increasingly furious over Rocky's taunts. He quickly exhausts his energy trying to finish Rocky off with repeated knockout blows, which Rocky blocks or dodges. With Lang rattled and vulnerable, Rocky seizes the opportunity to finish off Lang with a flurry of punches culminating in a brutal knockout, reclaiming the heavyweight championship.

Afterwards, Rocky fulfills Apollo's favor: a private rematch with him at Mickey's gym. However, this time, they are fighting in the spirit of friendly competition rather than as fierce rivals. The film concludes with both fighters throwing their first punch simultaneously.