Rocky Balboa Collection [1976-2006] 01-06

It's late 1975. Thirty year old Rocky Balboa, nicknamed the Italian Stallion, is a third rate club heavyweight boxer in his home neighborhood of working class South Philadelphia. Needing to supplement his income to live, he also works as the enforcer for loan shark Tony Gazzo, but being a sensitive soul underneath that tough boxing exterior, Rocky is unable or unwilling literally or proverbially to break a few fingers of Gazzo's clients if they miss payments, which doesn't sit well with Gazzo. This work is also partly the reason why the club's trainer, Mickey Goldmill, has never paid Rocky too much attention in feeling he being a wasted talent. Rocky is also lonely, he attracted to his gruff best friend Paulie Pennino's extremely shy sister, Adrian Pennino, Rocky often frequenting the pet store where she works just to talk to her. Rocky's life has the potential to change when he is approached by the management of undefeated world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed for what he believes is Apollo needing a sparring partner in the lead up to his American bicentennial world heavyweight boxing match in Philadelphia on New Year's Day in five weeks time. Instead, they, along with a $150,000 appearance fee, offer Rocky the world championship bout against Creed in Creed's original opponent bowing out due to injury. What Rocky doesn't know in ultimately accepting the offer is that they chose him not even knowing him as a boxer, they, unable to find a ranked opponent at such short notice, solely wanting a persona to epitomize the American dream for this bicentennial bout. Ultimately supported by among others Paulie, Mickey, and especially Adrian, Rocky has to fight through his own insecurities to come to a place of entering the bout on his own terms.