BoxRec

For some reason, I was idly glancing through Roberto Duran's Wikipedia page, and, under a section on his movie and TV roles, it mentioned that he was in Rocky II as one of the lightning fast sparring partners Micky brought in to help Rock' develop the greeeaasssy speeeed he would need to defeat Apollo.

Can somebody confirm?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFG6Do4IcuQ

Emerson Poncey Name Ghent wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFG6Do4IcuQ

Can somebody send me an alternative link? You tube is banned behind the Iron Curtain. Or at least it is in my office.

Emerson Poncey Name Ghent wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFG6Do4IcuQ

I hope Duran let the right hand go when the cameras were off

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8vMvdVR ... re=related

Miami Vice....I think Duran's performance needs some Ronseal.

Phenomenal-Nutrition wrote:

Emerson Poncey Name Ghent wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFG6Do4IcuQ

I hope Duran let the right hand go when the cameras were off

I'm sure i've heard Duran knocked Stallone out in filming? Easy to lose track of Duran rumours

Read the same. Apparently a punch was mis-choreographed and sparked him. He was in training for Monroe Brookes at Gleason's at the time, I think.

I heard the knock out a stallion one but not the italian version.

DavidPayne wrote:I heard the knock out a stallion one but not the italian version.

I read that Tarver sparked Stallone when filming the fight scence for 'six'.

Its all very interesting but surely an actor is no match for a top World class boxer who can bang. The trouble is people seem to believe Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed were really World champions. Sorry to spoil it for you but they were very fit actors.

In the 1980s it was reported in The Ring and KO that Stallone asked Mathew Saad Muhammed to spar with him... Saad hit him with a body shot and Stallone was in a very, very bad way... The studio then banned Stallone from any more sparring.

WildWaylon wrote:Its all very interesting but surely an actor is no match for a top World class boxer who can bang. The trouble is people seem to believe Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed were really World champions. Sorry to spoil it for you but they were very fit actors.

The thing is I'm not sure Stallone or Weathers understood this...

I do like Eddie Murphys take on Rocky.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fp67geuhJM

Duran was The Man when they were filming Rocky II in 1978. He had just given his greatest West Coast performance in outpunching AND outboxing Esteban De Jesus, the only man to beat him, to unify the world lightweight titles and take his record to 62-1. Nobody on the planet could touch him at that time and Stallone wanted to be 'his friend'. In June 1978, during the Holmes-Norton classic in Vegas, you can see Stallone sucking up to Duran at ringside.

Terry D wrote:Read in his autobio that aaron Pryor had an axe to grind with Stallone after going to see the guy and finding him banging his, Pryor's, wife. Given that she was a porn star, bi-sexual, crackhead the revelation must have stunned Pryor to his core.

Araon Pryor is like Bruce Lee. Nobody in the world ever says he can't fight.

"What time is it?"

"Hawk Time!"

As Bennie says no one ever knocks Aaron Pryor's ability to fight - I watched his title winning effort against Antonio Cervantes the other day. He was on him from the first bell like white on rice; the old master just couldn't keep him away.

If it wasnt for that ill advised comback during his time in a crack induced fog Pryor would have retired unbeaten - wasn't he virtually blind in one eye when he lost to the far from brilliant Bobby Joe Young?

Great fighter who should have been involved in more high profile fights in the 80s. (against the Big 4)

He is a minister these days if I remember rightly so it seems his demons are behind him...

WildWaylon wrote:Its all very interesting but surely an actor is no match for a top World class boxer who can bang. The trouble is people seem to believe Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed were really World champions. Sorry to spoil it for you but they were very fit actors.

What?

You are kidding ?

You b-stard!

Roberto Duran HAS two roles in Rocky II - yes he is definately the sparring partner and he is also the guy who Rocky teaches how to "snarl" earlier one when he is working in the gym (you only see the back of his head).

Nice find! I have to say though - and I'm probably in the minority - but I despise the Rocky Films. Well, I loved them when I was six - and watched it again at sixteen thinking they were these amazing films only to be shocked at the cheesy-ness and bollocks-ness of the fight scenes. Never watched it since but I might just give them a go again since Durans in it! And this time I'll take it with a pinch of salt when I see Balboa use his face as a shield for half an hour and then pull out the win.

black panther wrote:Nice find! I have to say though - and I'm probably in the minority - but I despise the Rocky Films. Well, I loved them when I was six - and watched it again at sixteen thinking they were these amazing films only to be shocked at the cheesy-ness and bollocks-ness of the fight scenes. Never watched it since but I might just give them a go again since Durans in it! And this time I'll take it with a pinch of salt when I see Balboa use his face as a shield for half an hour and then pull out the win.

I agree, load of bollocks really!

They should have canned laughter - its hilarious!

Duran fought on the undercard of the greatest fight of the 1980s: Pryor-Arguello in Miami in 1982. He got a real close look at Pryor. Duran was rebuilding from No Mas and co. and got in 10 rounds against our own Jimmy Batten as he laboured to a decision. No worries. Duran always struggled in the lesser fights, because he just didn't train. Those fights helped him get in shape and he destroyed Cuevas in front of a huge house in LA a couple of months later to secure the shot at Davey Moore.
Anyway, I'm reading an interview on Duran recently and he's slagging off everyone. He would have knocked out Kenny Buchanan in a rematch, Arguello was too slow for him and would also have been knocked out - everyone is going down. Then Aaron Pryor is mentioned, and Duran says, "Pryor? almost as if he were in deep thought. "I would have won a decision."
The difference said it all.

I think Duran would have decisioned Arguello and Buchannon comfortably... I aint sure he would have KO'd either. I think Pryor would have been too big, Duran slowed down a fair chunk from Lightweight to Welter and I think Pryor would have been just too quick in an absolute classic - tough fight to call mind.