“He put Stallone in the ICU for 9 days”: Will Smith, Mark Wahlberg and Many Actors Have Played a Boxer in Movies But It’s Not a Debate Who is the Best Boxer in Hollywood
Playing a boxer seems to be a prerequisite for an actor in their journey to become an action star. Will Smith played Muhammed Ali in Ali while Mark Wahlberg played Micky Ward in The Fighter. Though Sylvester Stallone had his breakthrough with the Rocky franchise, the greatest boxer in Hollywood reportedly even bested him.
Stallone recounted the filming process of Rocky IV where the legendary actor Dolph Lundgren played Ivan Drago. While Drago was one of the most dangerous opponents that Rocky Balboa ever faced, Lundgren himself was reportedly no less, punching Stallone in the chest on his insistence, which reportedly led him to be hospitalized.
Will Smith And Mark Wahlberg Have Nothing On Dolph Lundgren
There is just something about boxing movies that makes them an iconic sub-genre in the sports drama category. Films like Million Dollar Baby, Rocky, Cinderella Man, Ali, and more have made a mark in the industry by telling inspiring stories, with the Hillary Swank starring former even winning the Oscar for Best Picture.
While actors like Swank, Will Smith, and Michael B. Jordan have given incredible performances in their boxing films, no one is as iconic as Sylvester Stallone. The action star established himself by writing and starring in Rocky, which won Best Picture at the Oscars. He went on to make five sequels and even contributed to the spinoff Creed films.
However, the iconic star who made boxing so popular was reportedly not the best boxer in Hollywood. That distinction was reportedly held by Rocky IV’s antagonist and popular actor Dolph Lundgren. According to Redditor ‘emster22’, Lundgren was so good that he once punched Stallone while filming Rocky IV that he was put in the ICU.
Dolph Lundgren, by a mile! The guy is a European karate champion. He got a bit over-aggressive and lifted and flung Carl Weathers across the ring when they were shooting for Rocky IV. And he put Stallone in the ICU for nine days by punching him in the chest (on Stallone’s instructions of course). The doctors who treated Stallone said that his injury was more in line with a head-on car crash.
The incident was first stated by Stallone himself, who reportedly insisted that Lundgren, who played Ivan Drago, punch him really hard in order to make the first minute of their sparring look real (via THR).
Carl Weathers Reportedly Threatened To Quit Rocky IV Because Of Dolph Lundgren
Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky IV was regarded as a good comeback for the franchise after Rocky II and Rocky III. With themes of the Cold War and Dolph Lundgren’s performance as Ivan Drago, who seemed to be a huge threat to Rocky, the film seemed to head towards its former glory (of course, Rocky V would soon tarnish the legacy of the franchise).
Despite its success, Rocky IV may have been a terrible experience for actor Carl Weathers who played Apollo Creed in the franchise. Creed dies in the film as a result of a spar with Ivan Drago. Weathers reportedly had painful injuries while filming due to Dolph Lundgren’s aggressive fighting. Stallone mentioned in an interview (via Ain’t It Cool News),
I saw Dolph Lundgren pick up Carl and heave him three feet into the corner when I was directing the scene between them; rather than retaliate, Carl got out of the ring and said something ferocious like, ‘I’m calling my agent… I quit!’
Though Weathers ended up staying back after Stallone convinced him, the actor reportedly ranked Lundgren after himself when a fan asked him about who the best boxers in Hollywood were.
Rocky IV is available to rent on Apple TV.
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