Rocky (film)/Headscratchers

• What is up with Rocky's fighting style? This troper has only seen the first film, but he spends most of his fight against Apollo just getting punched in the face. A good chunk of the time, it doesn't look like he's even trying to avoid or block it.
  • Dramatic tension. It's the same reason Hulk Hogan always gets beat up before he makes the big comeback, and the evil sports team is always up on the scoreboard in the early part of the game.
  • Because heavily based on Chuck Wepner, who pretty much did use that tactic on Muhammad Ali.
    • Not even that, there are guys who have found infinitely more success than Wepner ever did fighting like that and blocking punches with their faces.
  • He pretty much has the same style of famous mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez who would go on to take horrible punishment only to land a hit or two of his own (which were beyond devastating), and he was EXTREMELY successful. Just watch his fight against Meldrick Taylor and you'll see the end results of trying to face someone head-on with that style.
• During his rematch against Clubber Lang an announcer said that this was to be Rocky's last fight, regardless of the outcome. Then at the start of Rocky V he gets challenged for the Heavyweight Belt by Union Cane. Wasn't he retired by then, or did he just change his mind after the Clubber Lang rematch? When he did retire, who did his belt go to?
  • Way I remember it was that Rocky retired after fighting Clubber and his belt went to whoever was the #1 contender, un-retired to fight Drago, and retired again. Then a few years later, Cane is the champ, but everyone criticizes him for not really fighting anyone good, so he gets pissed and challenges Rocky. Rocky couldn't do it, so he trains Tommy Gunn who fights him and wins, than Tommy becomes a dick, so Rocky beats his ass in a street fight.
  • I may be wrong, but the way I understood it, Rocky was still the champion as of the beginning of Rocky IV, though leaning heavily towards retirement. After Apollo's death, he accepts Drago's challenge to a match in Russia. This, however, is an unsanctioned exhibition match, and because Rocky chooses to compete in a bout unsanctioned by whichever promotion he is champion of (the promotion Rocky competes in is never mentioned on screen, though his championship belt, with the red, white, and blue cloth strap, is reminiscent of The Ring magazine's sponsored title belt), he is stripped of his title. Another possibility is that Rocky's boxing promotion chose to crown an interim champion in Union Cane, with the idea that he and Rocky would fight to unify the now-split heavyweight championship. However, when Rocky retires, plans for a big money title fight are flushed away and Cane becomes the sole heavyweight champion pretty much by default.
• How long do you think it took Stallone to grow that sweet-ass beard during Rocky IV's training montage?
  • Depends on the person. Everyone's hair grows at different rates. It's possible it could have taken just a week to get that long.