Sylvester Stallone Reveals His Favorite Boxing Films Outside of ‘Rocky’

Written by and starring Sylvester Stallone, Rocky became the highest-grossing movie of 1976. It earned ten Academy Award nominations and won three, including Best Picture. The film became a cultural phenomenon, inspired several sequels, and is still remembered as one of the greatest sports movies ever made.

Talking to Rotten Tomatoes, Stallone said, “There aren’t many fight films like Rocky. Rocky is more of a fantasy in many ways.” He acknowledged that the film was more imaginative than realistic, which might explain its legendary status. Still, Stallone has other favorite boxing movies that he thinks deserve attention.

One of the first films he mentioned is Fat City, directed by John Huston. Stallone explained, “Because most fighters have these horrible lives.” Fat City is very different from Rocky. Instead of a triumphant story, it focuses on the struggles of a washed-up boxer. Critics praised the movie for its realism and the way it showed the harsh realities of life in and out of the ring.

Stallone also pointed to an older movie starring James Cagney, most likely the 1932 film Winner Take All. In this pre-code Hollywood story, Cagney plays a boxer sent to a health ranch to recover from too many fights, drinks, and affairs. It mixes romance with the life of a fighter, and reviewers at the time enjoyed Cagney’s energetic performance and the film’s entertaining story.

Another film Stallone admired was The Champion. This could refer to Charlie Chaplin’s silent film where The Tramp enters a boxing contest using a lucky horseshoe, creating lots of comedy. Chaplin’s version was praised for its humor and Chaplin’s classic charm. Stallone might also have meant the 1979 remake of The Champ directed by Franco Zeffirelli, which starred Jon Voight as a father and former boxer returning to the ring. This version received strong reviews for its emotional depth and Voight’s moving performance.

Finally, Stallone mentioned Raging Bull, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro as boxing champion Jake LaMotta. “Raging Bull” shows the intense highs and lows of LaMotta’s career and his difficult personal life. It earned De Niro his second Academy Award and is now considered one of the greatest films ever made, though critics were mixed when it first came out. Over time, it has been praised for its raw, realistic portrayal of boxing and human struggle.

For Stallone, Rocky may be a fantasy, but movies like Fat City, Winner Take All, The Champion, and Raging Bull show that boxing on screen can be funny, heartbreaking, and powerful. Critics have recognized the impact of each of these films, proving that the sport has inspired some of cinema’s most memorable stories.

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