The late heavyweight legend Joe Frazier took issue with the Rocky movies—here's why. Upon its release in 1976, Rocky instantly popularized the sports drama genre as it's known today. Following the titular underdog prospect boxer as he's given a chance to fight for the heavyweight championship against another fast-talking and flashy champion, Rocky told a gritty cinderella story that cemented its eponymous protagonist's place in pop culture for generations.
In fact, Rocky was based on the true story of Chuck Wepner, a journeyman who once fought Ali and fared much better than many believed he could. However, the fighting style (and the name) of the character was borrowed from a different heavyweight, Rocky Marciano, who once dominated the division. Rocky became iconic for its dramatic depiction of the boxing world, its relatable protagonist, and its thrilling boxing scenes, and a franchise was spawned that continues today.
However, the real-life heavyweight legend Joe Frazier had a very specific issue with the Rocky movies. Many of Rocky's most iconic moments have passed into legend and become synonymous with the character himself, but they were actually borrowed from Frazier's real life. Frazier is well known for his rivalry with Muhammad Ali - the inspiration for Apollo Creed - which in many ways draws parallels with the character of Rocky Balboa. However, according to Frazier, Stallone used specific elements of Frazier's own life in Rocky, and the boxer was upset that he was never credited for them.
In a 2008 interview with The Guardian, Frazier talked about his long-standing rivalry with Ali. When talking about his own past, Frazier described the job he once held in a Philadelphia slaughterhouse, where he would punch the hanging meat as a form of training. Years later, this was something that Stallone used for Rocky's own training regimen in the film. Frazier also talked about how he used to run up the museum steps in Philadelphia, and how that was another idea that Stallone used for Rocky which became instantly synonymous with the fictional character.
The Rocky franchise's inspiration from real fighters is one of the many aspects that makes it great. However, Frazier describes Rocky as a "sad story" for him, as he felt he was never given any credit for the way that he inspired a part of the film. Frazier was once a young up-and-coming boxer in Philadelphia himself, and for Stallone to never credit him as the inspiration behind Rocky's training was something that Frazier found upsetting.
The Rocky franchise is an iconic part of modern cinema and catapulted Sylvester Stallone to international fame. However, some of the real-life fighters that inspired the film didn't appreciate the way their stories were used without credit, and Frazier was one of them. Frazier's upset about not being credited for his role in inspiring Rocky's iconic training regimen is understandable, but just like the fictional Balboa, Frazier remains a boxing legend in real life.
