Stallone in Awe of New Protégé 11 Years Ago: “Stars in My Eyes!”

In “Creed,” directed by Ryan Coogler, the former heavyweight world champion Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) assumes the role of mentor and coach to Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan), the son of Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), Rocky’s friend and former ring rival. The film continues the tradition of the Rocky saga with ultra-realistic boxing scenes, and for Jordan, this meant he had to experience pain… for real.

A Knockout to Remember

As reported by Variety (via Looper), a particularly memorable moment occurred on set when a tweet from behind the scenes, posted by Stallone himself, showed Jordan taking a fierce right hook from his on-screen opponent, professional boxer Tony Bellew… before collapsing to the ground. “Now that’s guts!” Stallone tweeted enthusiastically, praising his young protégé’s bravery in the ring.

During his appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Jordan revealed that the punch had actually been carefully staged by Stallone to achieve a convincing slow-motion effect for the camera. Unfortunately, during the first take, Bellew’s glove obscured the camera, forcing the actors and crew to redo the scene. And it was this second, apparently more accurate punch that truly floored Michael B. Jordan.

Between Reality and Film

Although the actor assured the audience that he was not “technically” unconscious, he humorously and realistically recounted: “I was seeing stars… I was completely out of it… I felt like I had been in a car crash for four days.” This testimony not only illustrates the realism sought in Creed, but also Michael B. Jordan’s dedication to fully embodying his character as a boxer.

Listen to Michael B. Jordan share his story below:

The Creed saga is available on VOD.

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