Sylvester Stallone has paid an emotional tribute to his colleague and former adversary in the Rocky franchise Carl Weathers, who passed away at 76 on Friday (February 2).
Stallone, who acted as Rocky Balboa with Weathers as Apollo Creed, starred alongside one another in four of the original five Rocky movies from 1976 through to 1985.
Balboa and Creed became one of the more iconic duos in the movie business and the boxing business due to their sporting rivalry portrayed in the movies before they transitioned into a boxer-trainer relationship.
An emotional Stallone posted a tribute on his Instagram account, saying his own success was down to Weathers with his performances in the Rocky franchise.
“Today is an incredibly sad day for me, I’m so torn up, I can’t even tell you,” said Stallone. “I’m just trying to hold it in because Carl Weathers was such an integral part of my life, my success, everything about it.
“I give him incredible credit and kudos because when he walked into that room and saw him for the first time, I saw greatness. But I didn’t realise how great.
“I could never have accomplished what we did with Rocky without him. He was absolutely brilliant, with his voice, size, power, and athletic ability, But more importantly, his heart — his soul.”
Stallone, who has been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame for writing and starring in the Rocky films, added: “It’s a horrible loss. I’m standing here in front of this painting because it was probably the last moment we were ever in the ring together. And I’ll never forget.
“He was magic. And I was so fortunate to be part of his life. So, Apollo, keep punching.”
