The key difference between boxers on the big screen and those in real life is that actors don’t need the skills, discipline, or resilience required to step into the ring. Real fighters endure years of grueling training, countless hours in the gym, and the mental fortitude to perform under the bright lights—challenges actors never face.

While this distinction has always been apparent, a resurfaced clip featuring Floyd Mayweather‘s uncle puts it into sharp focus. Using Sylvester Stallone as an example, the clip delivers a blunt critique that casts a shadow over the actor’s legacy. For those unaware, there’s quite a story behind how the ‘Italian Stallion’ was inspired to make the first ‘Rocky’ movie.

You see, Stallone was inspired to create the ‘Rocky’ movies after witnessing the underdog spirit, the film is known for, in real life unfolding in an actual boxing match. On March 24th, 1975, the legendary Muhammad Ali took on an unknown Chuck Wepner. Nobody, absolutely nobody, expected Wepner to even survive the fight let alone win.

However, ‘Bayonne Bleeder’ surprised everyone by not only lasting the entire 15 rounds but even dropping ‘the God of boxing’ at one point. This was the David-and-Goliath moment that sparked Stallone’s imagination. He captured Wepner’s resilience and the human spirit into a story and over the next few days, Stallone whipped up the first draft of Rocky.

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The movie was an instant hit, spawning several sequels that continued until 1990. The franchise experienced a revival in the 21st century, achieving notable success with the Creed films. Regardless, Roger Mayweather, Floyd Mayweather’s uncle and mentor, doesn’t see an ounce of boxing skill in those movies.

In a resurfaced clip shared on Instagram, the late ‘Black Mamba’ can be heard describing what real boxing is while tarnishing Stallone’s legacy. “Boxing, number one, is skill. It’s all about skill, basically,” Roger began. “When you start coming up, when you come to real boxing, I’m not talking about no Sylvester Stallone s**t, that s**t they show on TV. That’s bulls**t.”

“When you start talking about real boxing, real boxing takes real skill, okay?” he added. Even though Roger doesn’t consider Sylvester Stallone a skilled boxer—understandably so—Stallone has accomplished something typically reserved for professional fighters.

Sylvester Stallone claimed he never pretended to be a boxer

Sylvester Stallone, upon being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011, humbly claimed, “I’ve never pretended to be a boxer. I don’t possess those skills.” Despite his iconic portrayal of the underdog boxer Rocky Balboa in the Rocky films, Stallone acknowledged that his strength lies not in the physicality of boxing but in understanding the struggles outside the ring. 

He explained, “What I do think I have is an understanding of what goes on outside the ring. Outside the ring is sometimes maybe an even bigger struggle than what goes on inside the ring.” Stallone’s ability to capture the emotional and psychological battles of his characters resonated with audiences, making the Rocky films so impactful. 

His reflection on life’s challenges added depth to his portrayal of the fighter, saying, “It’s not how hard you can hit — it’s how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward because that’s really what makes the difference in your life.”

That being said, it’s unlikely that Roger Mayweather intentionally tried to downplay the work Sylvester Stallone has done. Rather, Roger was merely trying to get a point across. Regardless, what did you think of Roger’s statement about boxing?