The Original ‘Rocky III’ Idea Had The Italian Stallion Hanging Out With The Pope
Rocky IIIsawSylvester Stallone’s persistent pugilist stepping into the ring to battleMr. T, but according to Stallone, there was an even crazier idea for the film at first. In an old interview, Stallone revealed his originalRocky IIIidea had a half-blind Rocky Balboa duking it out in Roman Coliseum, with the Pope himself in the audience.
It’s hard to believe now, withCreed IIabout to punch its way into theaters, but at one point, Sylvester Stallone wantedRocky IIIto be the final adventure of Rocky Balboa. InRocky IIIas it exists now, Rocky Balboa has become lazy due to his successes. He’s put to the test when he has to go up against opponent Clubber Lang (Mr. T). To make matters worse, his trainer Mickey (Burgess Meredith) dies. Rocky turns to his former former adversary, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), to help get prepare for his big fight. That’s a fairly straightforward premise, but according to Stallone, an alternateRocky IIIidea was much, much different.
ScreenCrushhighlighted an oldRoger Ebertinterview with Stallone (from 1979), in which the actor, screenwriter and sometimes director of theRockyfranchise revealed his originalRocky IIIidea. “I’ll tell you what’s gonna happen,” Stallone said at the time. “Apollo retires. Mickey, Rocky’s manager, has a stroke. Rocky wants to retire, but there’s this street-tough challenger and Rocky decides on one more fight, even though he’s half blind, and this’ll be his last fight one way or the other. He goes to Apollo Creed and asks him to be his trainer. And Apollo teaches him to fight the way he does.” So far, this is close to what happens in the final film – minus the half-blind part. What comes next, though, is much different.
According to Stallone, he wanted to have Rocky’s final fight take place in the Roman Coliseum, and to have Rocky meet the Pope at one point:
“His last bout will be in the Roman Coliseum, carried worldwide by satellite,” Stallone said, and his voice picked up enthusiasm. “Can you see it? Rocky in the Coliseum? The last gladiator? And, for training, running up the Spanish Steps? And, Rocky’s deeply religious; can you imagine him inside St. Peter’s? I’m seriously gonna try to work in an audience with the Pope into the film. I dunno. Maybe with this Pope, he’ll go for it. If he don’t, we get another Pope.”
Stallone also goes on to add, “[T]here’ll never be aRocky IV. You gotta call a halt.” Of course, we all know how that turned out. Calling the quits afterRocky IIImight have been an interesting way to go out – especially if the Roman Coliseum ending had been kept. But in the end, perhaps it worked out for the best. The franchise eventually lead us to the fantasticCreedand the upcomingCreed II. And who knows, maybe Stallone will suggestMichael B. Jordan’s Adonis Creed should hang out with the Pope inCreed III.
