Rocky Balboa: The 10 Most Inspiring Quotes From The Legendary Boxing Franchise

It’s been over 40 years since Rocky Balboa made his debut on the big screen. Throughout his 44 years of cinematic history, Rocky has been in a total of eight films, with six about his own journey and two about his unlikely protégé, Adonis Creed. The Rocky series chronicles Rocky’s life as he goes from underdog fighter to boxing legend and champion. But Rocky is more than a boxing story; it’s about love, friendship, and believing in yourself.

Rocky has inspired millions of people over the years with his sincere words of encouragement as Sylvester Stallone himself knew what it was like to be the underdog. Here are the 10 most inspiring quotes from the Rocky movies.

10 “You’re gonna eat lightenin’ and you’re gonna crap thunder.” – Mickey

Every fan felt like they experienced a personal loss when Mickey passed away in Rocky III. Mickey had trained, supported, and given Rocky the tough love he needed in order for Rocky to become the champion. And he also gave fans the encouragement they needed to go after their own goals.

Mick was full of wisdom such as “women weaken legs” and he always seemed to know exactly what to say. In Rocky II,  Mick uses his majestry of words to motivate Rocky yet again so he can beat Apollo. Sometimes you have to get colorful with your motivational speeches.

9 “Because if you’re willing to go through all the battling you got to go through to get where you want to get, who’s got the right to stop you?” – Rocky

Rocky Balboa and Sylvester Stallone faced many challenges in achieving their aspirations, such as other people’s doubt. Nevertheless, Rocky and Sylvester succeeded in their goals. In Rocky Balboa, Rocky has to prove himself to be more than just a contender yet again.

When the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission turns Rocky down for his boxing license even though he passed their tests, Rocky decides to fight back. In his speech to the commission, Rocky reminds us all that we have the right to pursue happiness and to not listen to other peoples “no’s”.

8 “Every champion was once a contender who refused to give up.” – Rocky

Many people let setbacks take them out of the running, but if there’s one thing fans learned from Rocky, it’s that you have to keep fighting through the setbacks. Rocky never let a bump in the road or a brutal beating keep him down for long.

No one thought Rocky would be the champion, they barely even thought he was a contender. Rocky could have easily become the bum everyone thought he was, but he didn’t give up or let people’s opinions influence his determination. Rocky makes fans look inward and ask themselves: Are you going to give up or are you going to be the champion?

7 “No, do listen to it. Because when it’s over, everybody’s gonna owe you an engraved apology.” – Apollo Creed

Throughout the Rocky series people were consistently rooting for Rocky to fail. Not many people were on his side until he started winning and proving them all wrong. In Rocky III, Rocky lost his hunger and passion for fighting. But desperate to win his title back from Clubber Lang and regain his fire, Rocky enlists former opponent Apollo Creed.

Without Mick, Apollo Creed steps up to the plate as Rocky’s trainer. Apollo not only helped Rocky get his eye of the tiger back, but he also taught him to use people’s criticism as fuel.

6 “Going in one more round when you don’t think you can. That’s what makes all the difference in your life.” – Rocky

Time after time, Rocky shows fans why they have to stay in the fight even when they are beat down and exhausted. Most people have the tendency to give up after receiving one to many damaging blows, but for those who continue to stand back up and ask life “Is that all you got?”, victory will surely be theirs.

There were many times in Sylvester Stallone’s life when he could have thrown in the towel and settled for less than what he strived for. Stallone came from a rough upbringing with people doubting him every step of the way and he even had to fight for the role of Rocky even though he wrote the script. But now he is a Oscar nominated and Golden Globe winning actor.

5 “You’re gonna have to go through hell, worse than any nightmare you’ve ever dreamed. But when it’s over I know you’ll be the one standing.” – Duke

Every character in Rocky plays a part in motivating and encouraging fans. In Rocky IV, Duke gave Rocky and fans one of the most promising and hopeful speeches. Duke knows Rocky is about to face one of his toughest opponents, but he still believes that Rocky will win.

The Rocky series never sugarcoats how hard life can be. But even though Rocky tells fans the brutal truth about life, it always lets them in on a secret: they can withstand anything life throws at them. It won’t be easy, in fact it might be terrifying, but you can stand strong in the face of any adversity.

4 “He ain’t gettin’ killed, he’s gettin’ mad.” – Paulie

Sometimes in Rocky’s fights it can look like he is not only losing, but getting completely slaughtered. He takes hit after hit and everyone holds their breath waiting for him to fall to his death. Paulie watched every beating Rocky took and when everyone else thought Rocky was getting killed, Paulie knew the truth.

The more hits Rocky took, the angrier he got. The angrier he got the more he fought back. Rocky never laid down and compliantly took a beating. Instead he used the crushing blows he was being dealt as fuel to fight back and ultimately win.

3 “All those fighters you beat, you beat them with heart.” – Adrian

The Rocky series was an inspiring tale of an underdog boxer, but it was also a grand love story. Adrian knew Rocky better than anyone as they were the great loves of each other’s lives. She knew his determination, his resilience, and most importantly she knew his heart.

Rocky was a strong fighter, but his strength didn’t come from his muscles alone, it came from his heart. Rocky had the guts and the glory, but his passionate heart that refused to surrender is what earned him the title of the heavy weight champion. And whenever Rocky forgot how powerful his heart was, Adrian was there to remind him.

2 “But it ain’t about how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” – Rocky

Throughout the 40 plus years Rocky has been stepping into the ring, he has taught fans many difficult but impactful life lessons. He taught fans the value of seizing an opportunity when he agreed to fight Apollo in Rocky, the importance listening to your heart when he fell in love with Adrian, and that “no one hits harder than life.”

But even though Rocky knew life was the undefeated champion, he never stopped fighting. Rocky survived not only his early life troubles but also the devastating losses of 3 of the most important people in his life. Despite his many heartbreaks and the crushing punches life hit him with, he never stopped moving forward.

1 “Get up you son of b*tch. Mickey loves you.” – Mickey

If it wasn’t bad enough that millions of fans cried for Mickey in Rocky III, the grizzly trainer had fans tearing up once more in Rocky V. When Rocky visits the old gym, he flashes back to a time when Mick was still his trainer. In the flashback Mick not only gives Rocky his cuff link, but also a beautiful speech about life that every fan felt the power of.

Mick was always there when Rocky was down to pick him back up and throw him back in the ring for one more round. So anytime you’re down in life, just picture Mickey getting in your face and yelling, “Get up you son of a b*tch! Mickey loves you.”

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