Sylvester Stallone was a struggling actor in the early seventies. However, his fortunes changed when he saw Muhammad Ali defending Chuck Wepner’s challenge on March 24, 1975. While “The Greatest” fended the Bayonne Bleeder’s challenge, the narrative of an underdog taking on a reigning world champion ignited a storyline in young Stallone’s mind. Reportedly, he took three days to complete the script.

Released on December 1976, “Rocky” is now considered a cultural landmark. The story of a young man growing up in the suburbs and how, despite heavy odds, he challenges and overcomes the adversities resonated with millions of viewers across the globe. A perfectionist, Sly always ensured that the movie stayed true to reality. Story and sequences apart, even when it came to training montages and fights, Stallone saw to it that moviegoers get a one-of-a-kind experience.

But sometimes, his zeal to capture the most realistic shot proved too costly a deal.

Sylvester Stallone recalls the day Captain Ivan Drago hit him

Yesterday, a pic from “Rocky” reached viewers through a tweet. What it added further could be beyond the imagination of most.

Read More: “He Is Unbelievable”: Arnold Schwarzenegger Turned Sylvester Stallone Red in Public, Revealing Unknown Side of Him in 2014

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In 1991, Hobby Press and Axel Springer SE collaborated to create the Spanish video game publication HobbyConsolas.

On its Twitter handle, it displayed Rocky IV’s final fight scene. A quintessential American, “Rocky Balboa” faces a dreaded enemy, Soviet “Captian Ivan Drago,” in his den. The message in Spanish read, “Sylvester Stallone was “surrounded by nuns and angels” after taking a real punch from Dolph Lundgren on the first day of filming for Rocky IV.”

Released nearly a year ago, more than 2 million have seen “The Making of Rocky Vs. Drago.” Sylvester Stallone recalled several stories while filming “Rocky IV.”

Reportedly, “Rocky IV’s” first day of the shooting almost killed Sly. Determined to challenge Dolph Lundgren and infuse the cinematic fight with an incredible shot of realism, Sly challenged Lundgren to give him a real punch. No role-playing and controlled hits. 

A punch that packs too much of a jolt to arrange a conference with the stars

Dolph Lundgren sprang on him with all his might. Stallone recalled scarcely noticing anything at the moment. But post the day’s shoot, the pain became unbearable when he tried to get some relaxation,” Well, he pulverized me. And I didn’t feel it at the time, but later that night, my heart started to swell. My blood pressure went up to 260, and I was talking to angels. The next thing I know, I’m on a low-altitude emergency flight. I am in intensive care surrounded by nuns, and after that, I had to go back and finish the fight.”

The actor had “cardiomegaly,” where the impact against the chest causes heart inflammation. Stallone said that he could have had a heart attack. But he was lucky that the intensive care unit took care of the problem before his health deteriorated. 

Interestingly, when asked to choose the best “Rocky” fight, Sylvester Stallone prefers the one in “Rocky Balboa” when “The Italian Stallion” faces Mason “The Line” Dixon.

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