Rocky Balboa

Rocky (1976)

Robert "Rocky" Balboa was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 6, 1945. He was the only child in a Roman Catholic Italian American family. However, the surname Balboa (roughly meaning "beautiful valley") originates from a Galician-speaking town in north-western Spain. When Rocky is spoken to by his priest, Father Carmine, it is apparent that he understands Italian very well, including a scene in which he translates for Tommy Gunn. It is undetermined how well he actually speaks the language, as his responses are always in English.

During the scene in which Rocky takes Adrianna "Adrian" Pennino skating on Thanksgiving, he tells her, "Yeah – My old man, who was never the sharpest, told me I weren't born with much brain, so I better use my body." This encouraged him to take up boxing. He trained very hard so he could grow up to be like his idol Rocky Marciano. Unable to live on the low pay of club fights, and being unable to find work anywhere else, Rocky got a job as a collector for Tony Gazzo, the local loan shark, just to make ends meet. By the end of 1975, Rocky had fought in 64 fights, winning 44 (38 KO'S) and losing 20. Rocky was proud that he never had his nose broken in any of his amateur fighting career. His nickname is "The Italian Stallion", spawning from his Italian American heritage.

Quotes

Rocky: Took you long enough to get here. Took you ten years to get to my house. Huh, what's the matter? You don't like my house? Does my house stink? That's right-it stinks! I didn't have no favors from you! Don't slum around me. Talkin' about your prime. What about my prime, Mick? At least you had a prime! I didn't have no prime. I didn't have nithin'! Leg's are goin', everything is goin'. Nobody's getting' no nothin'. Guy comes up, offers me a fight. Big deal. Wanna fight the fight? Yeah, I'll fight the big fight. I wouldn't wanna fight. Know what's gonna happen to me? I'm gonna get that! I'm gonna get that! And you wanna be ringside to see it? Do ya? You wanna help me out? Huh? Do you wana see me get my face kicked in? Leg's ain't workin', nothing's workin', but they go, "Go on, fight the champ." Yeah, I'll fight him. Get my face kicked in. And you come around here. You wanna move in here with me? Come on in! It's a nice house! Real nice. Come on in and move. It stinks! This whole place stinks. You wanna help me out? Well, help me out! Come on, help me out. I'm standin' here!

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Apollo Creed: Ain't gonna be no rematch.
Rocky: Don't want one.

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Rocky: You stop this fight, I'll kill ya'!
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Rocky: I just want to say hi to my girlfriend, OK? Yo, Adrian! It's me, Rocky.
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Reporter: Where did you get the name, "The Italian Stallion"?
Rocky: Oh I made that up one night while I was eating dinner.

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Rocky: Cut me, Mick.
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Adrian: Is this you?
Rocky: Yeah, that's me when I was eight years old, that's the Italian Stallion when he was a baby.