Sylvester Stallone Credits One Co-Star For Keeping ‘Rocky’ Alive So Long

Sylvester Stallone recently sat down with the entertainment news site Deadline and offered an interview for the ages, mostly centered around the Rocky series and his own rags-to-riches story.

The piece is well worth reading for fans of the actor because he really takes you inside the metamorphosis of what would become Rocky and also dishes on what it was like going from a broke B-movie actor to having John Wayne come up to you and tell you how much he liked your movie.

But it was one part, in particular, that will capture the interests of Rocky fans the world over. It’s when Sylvester Stallone reflects on the one actor who deserves much of the credit for keeping the series relevant for so long.

When speaking about the performance of Michael B. Jordan in Creed, the seventh film in the Rocky saga, Stallone had this to say.

“What Michael had going for him is the same thing that Carl Weathers had. I was so blessed the day I met Carl, who is not just a fantastic actor, but a world class athlete who did things that normal actors and human beings can’t do. The fact that this is a movie called Creed, and it’s 40 years after Rocky, well it shows the impact that Carl Weathers had with Apollo Creed. I hadn’t seen that in the ring before. Dolph Lundgren was a good athlete besides being a Fulbright Scholar, and Mister T was a good athlete, but nothing quite like Carl.”

The pick is one that most Rocky fans would agree with, but it’s surprising to see Sylvester Stallone open up as much as he has about Weathers’ contributions to the saga.

A previous report from the Inquisitr rehashes an unhappier time between the two men when they were reportedly no longer on speaking terms.

Carl Weathers and Sylvester Stallone had allegedly been at odds with one another since prior to the release of Rocky Balboa in 2006. Apparently, the man who played Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky films wanted a role in the sixth entry, even though his character was killed off in Rocky IV.

Stallone revealed as much in an Ain’t It Cool News interview promoting Rocky Balboa around the time of its release. However, with the approaching release of Creed, Weathers took to Twitter to commend both Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan for their work on the film.

@thepetemossshow Michael B’s CREED will entertain a lot of people. Coogler did a great job. Sly’s never been better. Go see it! #BePeace

— Carl Weathers (@TheCarlWeathers) November 21, 2015

Previously in the year, however, he had rather coldly told TMZ there was “no comment” on the new Rocky film as he was leaving a gym.

Now that the film is out and has grossed more than $100 million, while racking up tons of critical praise and even a Golden Globes nomination for Sylvester Stallone as Best Supporting Actor, it appears that those fences are mended.

Stallone’s tribute in the revealing Deadline interview only cements a fact Rocky that fans are sure to appreciate.

Not mentioned in the interview are previous Rocky opponents Antonio Tarver and the late Tommy Morrison. In the past, Sylvester Stallone has had nothing but good things to say about both men, though Morrison’s performance in Rocky V was universally maligned, along with the film itself.

But what do you think, readers?

Who is the best Rocky “villain” in the series’ history? Would you go with Carl Weathers (Rocky and Rocky II), Mr. T (III), Dolph Lundgren (IV), Morrison (V), Tarver (Rocky Balboa), or Tony Bellew (Creed)?

And do you agree with Sylvester Stallone that Carl Weathers is instrumental in keeping the series alive through the new film? Sound off in the comments section below.

[Image via Everett Collection/Shutterstock.com]