Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky III signaled the franchise’s shift into larger-than-life territory, moving further away than ever from being sports dramas rooted in a tangible reality. The Italian Stallion was now the star of a blockbuster franchise, one that upped the scale and spectacle to capitalize on the character’s worldwide popularity.
The release of Rocky III in in the summer of 1982 was such a huge moment for audiences everywhere that The Purge creator James DeMonaco based a whole movie around it, and it still ranks as the second highest-grossing entry in the series to date after hauling in $270 million at the box office.
The writer, director and leading man got more shredded than ever before to play the title hero, where he was joined by fellow behemoths Mr. T and Hulk Hogan, both of whom were making their feature film debuts. Ruining the illusion, Stallone recently shared an image to his Instagram account revealing that Thunderlips wasn’t quite as tall as he claimed to be, which you can see below.
Not that Hulk Hogan is a small dude by any stretch, but having Thunderlips dwarf his opposite number during Rocky III‘s exhibition bout on an almost ridiculous scale ultimately enhances a scene that’s equal parts ridiculous and entertaining.
