Sylvester Stallone Officially Sets the Record Straight on Rocky Rumor That’s Circulated for Decades

Sylvester Stallone has finally addressed a decades-old rumor surrounding Rocky Balboa. The actor and filmmaker discussed the story in his new memoir, The Steps. He also opened up about what actually inspired the iconic character.

Stallone explained that Rocky was inspired by watching heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano as a child. He said Marciano was his size and had a background that matched the character he imagined. Marciano was the son of Italian immigrants and grew up in Brockton, Massachusetts. He started boxing in his twenties and retired with a 49-0 professional record.

As quoted by Entertainment Weekly, Stallone wrote, “A lot of people think that the inspiration for the character of Rocky came from the fight between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner. That’s really not true.”

The 80-year-old pointed to Marciano’s life and career as the model and said, “He was the perfect prototype for the character I was creating. Plus, the name Rocky was right there in front of me. It was perfect.”

Rocky’s Origins Reveal Another Side of Stallone’s Journey

The Steps also connects details from Rocky to Sylvester Stallone’s struggles before Hollywood success. In it, Stallone recalled living on unemployment insurance and buying cheap food while he was out of work. That experience helped shape the famous raw-egg scene in the first movie.

The actor wrote, “I wouldn’t recommend this diet to anyone. But if you’re young and poor, it will suffice.” He said he used the scene to show how Rocky approached his life. This detail links Stallone’s circumstances at the time to the character he created.

For the uninitiated, Sylvester Stallone wrote and starred in Rocky, released in 1976, which became his big breakthrough. The film earned nine Academy Award nominations and won Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Film Editing at the 1977 Oscars. Stallone also received nominations for acting and his original screenplay.

The Steps: A Memoir was published on September 29, 2026, by William Morrow. This book covers Sylvester Stallone’s path to stardom and his account of how Rocky came to be.

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