The Death Of Rocky Was One Of Sylvester Stallone's Endings For Rocky III

Incredibly, the "Rocky" franchise has gone from the rough streets of Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood, where Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) lived, to become a worldwide cultural phenomenon that spawned five sequels. That was before Ryan Coogler came along and reinvigorated the series with "Creed" and "Creed II" starring Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed. Jordan's directorial debut with "Creed III" will have Adonis going toe-to-toe with Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors), an old childhood friend and boxing prodigy fresh out of prison who's looking to take his shot. 

"Rocky" helped redefine what a sports movie could be. In all likelihood, "Creed III" will be the last time audiences will see these characters in the ring, marking the end of Rocky Balboa's and Apollo Creed's legacy. Could the upcoming matchup between Adonis and Damian Anderson really be the final fight in the long history of the franchise? There's a good chance that will be the case. 

Back when Rocky was still in his prime, Stallone came close to ending the heavyweight's reign with an epic last battle during the finale of "Rocky III." Think of all the epic clashes we would have missed if that had come to fruition! Long before "Fast X," the tenth installment of the "Fast and Furious" existed, there wasn't much of a precedent for an endless parade of action-packed sequels. The original "Star Wars" trilogy was about to wrap up with "Return of the Jedi," so Stallone probably didn't envision Rocky's story going past three films. 

If Stallone would have stuck to one of his original ideas for "Rocky III," he may have killed Rocky off in the final scene after a hard-hitting fight set in the Roman Coliseum.

Before Mr. T as Clubber Lang and Hulk Hogan as Thunderlips were even a thought in Stallone's head, he pictured Rocky traveling to Rome for a fight in front of a record worldwide audience. Telling Roger Ebert in a 1979 tell-all interview:

"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."

In 1979, Pope John Paul II made his first pilgrimage to the United States, causing a national fervor. He was greeted by President Jimmy Carter during a trip that started to resemble a rock tour. Stallone must have been a little caught up with the idea of having this new, cooler Pope appear in "Rocky III."

Seeing a street-smart Rocky as a fish-out-of-water traipsing around Europe learning about the culture could have led to some funny moments, admittedly. That's not necessarily a bad idea. But having Rocky die at the end of "Rocky III" would have been, which is exactly what Stallone was mulling over. 

After the fight in the Coliseum with the Pope in attendance, Rocky would have accomplished more than he ever imagined and gone out on top. Stallone wanted "Rocky III" to "end with more than a fight." Instead of taking Rocky out when he was physically in the ring, Stallone had another idea at the time. "The way I imagine it, after the fight, he's riding home in a cab, with the roar of the people chanting 'Rocky!' still in his ears. And he just drops over dead," he told Roger Ebert.  

After John G. Avildsen's original freeze-frame ending in "Rocky," there probably would have been riots in the Philly streets if "Rocky III" had actually ended with the death of Rocky Balboa in a foreign land. Stallone didn't think that people wanted to see Rocky grow older, but seeing him age over the course of multiple sequels created a much more dynamic character that lived a long life full of triumph and tragedy. Seeing Balboa take over the role of mentor to become Adonis Creed's trainer allowed the character to go completely full circle, becoming an inspiration and a loyal father figure. 

In that original 1979 interview, Stallone wanted that for the character, but having him die with little to no fanfare would have undermined one of the best underdog stories in cinema history. The night before Stallone spoke with Ebert, he threw the first pitch at a Phillies game. He may have not completely grasped what Rocky meant to the city at that point, but a civic official spoke to him and the crowd. "You typify the Philadelphia spirit, which is, that you can win without winning."

"Creed III" is in theaters on March 3, 2023.