Scene of the Week: Rocky vs Thunderlips
Rocky III gave us several things; it was the first film for Mr. T, it introduced the friendship of Rocky and Apollo Creed, it featured Survivor’s awesomely 80’s “Eye of the Tiger”, and maybe best of all it launched the film career for WWE Mega Star Hulk Hogan as Thunderlips! It was a role that he almost didn’t play as it wasn’t exactly something that Vincent J. McMahon thought was a good idea but Hulk wouldn’t let it slip away and signed on for the 10 day shoot opposite one of the biggest action stars of all time, Sylvester Stallone.
Rocky, like most people thought that the Pro Wrestling world was all “fake” and it wasn’t until Thunderlips slammed that meatball around the ring a bit that Balboa finally learned some respect for the business. If you ask me, the heat went a little too long and Balboa’s selling was shit but Thunderlips was not only the ultimate man, he was also the ultimate heel. Check out the way he throws that referee around. Rocky was as squeaky clean as a greased-up John Cena but he cinches in that choke hold and delivers a bunch of closed fists to the body of the behemoth. I, for one, would have liked to see Balboa get DQ’ed for his dirty in-ring tactics but I guess the booker had other plans.
