Synopsis for
Rocky (1976)

Philadelphia Pennsylvania, home to the number one underdog fighter, Rocky Balboa.

The year is 1976, Rocky is fighting Spider Rico in a prize fight at the church. The fight goes smooth through the first couple of rounds. Before beginning the next round, Rocky and Spider get up from their corners after receiving advice from their corner-men and the fight continues. After a couple of punches, Spider grabs a hold of Rocky and headbutts him in the face. The crowd goes restless on spider and Rocky after recovering from the hit goes after Spider and finishes him off. The bell rings signalling the end of the fight and Rocky is pronunced the winner. Rocky and Spider both leave the ring and head back to the locker room. Rocky approaches and finds Spider lying on the bed and tells Rocky that he was "lucky".

Rocky walks home in the cold seedy night after the fight and gets home to feed his pet turtles. He grabs a can of the turtle food and recites himself a line regarding the item into the mirror. He then looks at a picture of himself from his youth and then grabs some ice from the freezer and puts it on the cut that Spider gave him and lies down on his bed.

The next morning, Rocky visits the pet shop where Adrian works and talks about the turtle food that he bought. Adrian being shy and quiet doesn't respond to Rocky after he tells her a joke about the food. Her boss commands her to clean out the cat cages and she walks away not paying attention to Rocky.

Rocky is walking down at the docks with a stick in his hand whistleling, and out to collect money for his boss Gazzo. He finds a man riding a forklift and when the man sees Rocky he drives away. Rocky chases him on foot and breaks his stick off the forklift. The man runs from the forklift and Rocky catches up to him demanding Gazzo's money. He tells Rocky that he doesn't have the money but offers him his coat. Rocky refuses and gives him a warning. Gazzo and his driver Buddy, Pick up Rocky at the Dock and Rocky tells him about the man and what he had. Buddy lets out a comment about Rocky's face as he and Gazzo get out of the car to talk in private. Gazzo asks Rocky why he didn't break the man's thumbs like he asked and Rocky tries to defend himself but Gazzo doesn't believe him. Gazzo leaves Rocky and gets back in his car. Buddy calls Rocky a "meat-bag" before driving away and Rocky shouts that he shoulda broke HIS thumbs.

Rocky goes to Mickey's Gym to find out that his locker has been rented out to new-comer Dipper Brown, and that his stuff is now hanging on skid-row. Mike the janitor tells Rocky about it and tells him where Mickey is. Rocky sees Mick working with Dipper and Rocky goes to ask about the locker and Mick admits that Dipper is an upper-commer and Rocky is nothing. Rocky leaves the gym.

Rocky goes back to see Adrian the petshop which is about to close for the night. Rocky asks her if she wants to go to see a basketball game, but she refuses the invite. He then asks to walk her home and she says no to that. He warns her about the people walking the streets at night and suggests that she takes a cab home.

Rocky goes to the Lucky 7 Tavern where he sees his best friend and Adrian's brother, Paulie cursing up a storm in the bathroom after the mirrors been broken. Rocky tells him about Adrian and shouts at Rocky that she's a loser and can't take of herself. They leave the bathroom and go to get a beer, Paulie takes his beer and leaves. Rocky sitting at the bar watches tv and sees that the Heavy weight champion of the world, Apollo Creed is on tv. Rocky and the bartender talk about him then Rocky leaves.

On his way home Rocky notices a group of kids standing on the corner drinking and smoking cigarettes and sees that one of them is Marie, He pulls her out of the group and walks her home, On the way he tells her about respect and the kind of people that she should be hanging out with. After reaching her house, She calls Rocky a "creep-o" and he heads back home.

Apollo Creed and his trainer Tony are meeting with Jergans, the fight promotor, and they are discussing the possible fighters for him to fight in the biggest fighting event set to take place on New Year's Day. When it looks like there are no possible fighters. Apollo lets out his ideas about fighting a small time underdog fighter giving him a shot at the title. Everyone agrees with the idea and the plan begins is set in motion.

Rocky is dropped off at his house by Gazzo and Buddy and they talk about Adrian, Rocky wonders how they knew about him and Adrian. Buddy calls her a retard and how retards like the zoo and Rocky attempts to lunge at him but Gazzo separates them. He gives Rocky $20 for his date with Adrian. Before leaving Buddy tells Rocky to take Adrian to the zoo and he speeds off.

At Apollo's office, he and Tony are looking through a book of local club fighters of Philadelphia and they come across Rocky who seems to be the perfect fighter. Apollo takes a likeing to his name "The Italian Stallion"

On the night of Thanksgiving, Rocky and Paulie are walking home and Paulie keeps imploreing Rocky to get him a job with Gazzo. They reach Paulie's house where Adrian is making Thanksgiving dinner. She comes out of the kitchen to greet Paulie but doesn't realize Rocky is with him. Rocky says hello and she walks back into the kitchen. Paulie goes to talk to her and she runs into her bedroom embarassed. Paulie gets her out and tells to go out with Rocky for the night, but Adrian claims that it's thanksgiving and shes cooking a turkey. Paulie goes to the kitchen and grabs the turkey out of the oven and throws it outside. Adriana begins to cry and Paulie yells at her to go out. Rocky tells him to forget the date but Paulie instructs him to go talk to her. Rocky walks over to her door and talks to her through the door but doesn't get any feedback. He asks her if she wants to go out with him and have a good time and she opens the door all dressed up ready to go.

On behalf of Paulie's advice, Rocky and Adrian head for the ice rink. They look around and see that it's empty and the maintenance man tells them that the rink is closed for the night. Rocky slips him $10 and they have the rink for themselves for 10 minutes. Adrian's skating as Rocky is running along side her telling her about the fights he's been in and how it's special to him.

After their date, Rocky and Adrian go back to his house where she is hesitant about going inside. Rocky implores her that its okay and she follows behind him. Inside his apartment, Adrian feels uncomfortable admitting that she's never been in a man's apartment before. Rocky admits he doesn't feel comfortable neither and he's kinda nervous. She wants to leave but Rocky stops her, trying to cheer her up giving her compliments. He tells her that she wants to kiss her and he does and the two end up kissing in his corner by the door.

The next day, Rocky heads for Mickey's Gym and Mick tells him that Jergan's office called asking for sparring partners. Rocky says the same thing to himself and a frustrated Mick yells at him. Rocky asks why after all this time Mick's been giving him the shoulder, Rocky demands to know and Mick yells at him across the gym that he had the talent and the heart to be a fighter but instead became a "leg-breaker". Rocky defends his occupation that its a living. But Mick retorts that it's a waste of life.

Rocky goes to see Jergans and tells him that he is willing to help out with the sparring training with Creed and tells him that he'd give it his all. Jergans then offers Rocky a proposition into fighting with Creed on the night of the event but Rocky declines. Jergans tells Rocky that it was him that Creed chose to fight and that its a once in a lifetime shot. Rocky takes a minute to consider it.

Back at Paulie's house, Rocky, Adrian, and Paulie watch an interview with Apollo and Rocky about the up-coming fight and they see that Apollo's been taunting Rocky through the whole session. Paulie tells Rocky that he should break his legs and that he should be able to win the fight. Rocky says that the taunts don't bother him. Adrian tells Paulie has a good chance of winning after Paulie's request to becoming a trainer for Rocky was declined by him. Paulie gets up and storms out of the room cursing loudly. Rocky gets ready to leave and Adrian follows him outside. Before leaving, Rocky admits to Adrian that the stuff said on tv actually hurt him inside.

Rocky meets with Gazzo once more in a game room where he gives him some money for training expenses. Hours later, Mick goes to see Rocky at his apartment and he begins telling him about his old days as a fighter and all the injuries he endured. He tells Rocky that he wants to become a manager for him. Rocky tells him that he asked for help years ago but Mick never wanted to help him. Mick, upset gets ready to leave as Rocky sitting in his bathroom waits for him to go. After Mick leaves, Rocky starts shouting to Mick about his asking to help him. Mick is half way up the street and Rocky runs up to him and apologizes to him and they now become partners.

Early the next morning, Rocky gets up at 4:00AM and prepares for a morning run. He breaks a couple of eggs, puts the yolks in a cup and drinks it. Rocky starts his run and at the end, attempts to run up the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum but can't reach it all the way because he's out of shape. Later, Rocky goes to see Paulie at the meat factory where they talk about Adrian. Paulie, talking "dirty" about Adrian sets Rocky to the point where he admits the truth about why he can't talk to Gazzo about Paulie because Paulie talks to much. Rocky, ready to leave because of the cold and the smell, a frusturated Paulie begins hitting a huge slab of meat hanging from the ceiling, taunting Rock in the process. Rocky steps over and beings throwing punches into the meat, breaking the ribs of the meat. Paulie jokes at Rocky saying if he did that to Apollo Creed he'd be put in jail for murder. Rocky takes the meat that Paulie's prepared him for the week and leaves.

At Paulie's apartment, Adrian cares to Rocky's cut up hands from hitting the meat. She begins to get intimate with him but he keeps backing her off, telling her that there's no fooling around during training. Adrian near upset gets up and goes to the kitchen, Rocky gets up and follows her and apologizes and they embrace.

Rocky begins training with Mick and Mike the janitor at the gym. Two girls walk in and ask for Rocky's autograph, Mick shoos them away and tells Rock that "Women weaken legs" and to lay off the pet shop dame: Adrian. Rocky tells him that he really likes her, and Mick shouts back at Rocky telling him to let her train her. Rocky takes a second and agrees with Mick and will not fool around anymore.

Rocky is jogging back to his place where Adrian is waiting on the steps with a surprise for him. She has given Rocky Butkus, the dog from the pet-shop that Rocky liked so much. Rocky begins jogging around with Butkus days later. One day Rocky and Butkus run to Paulie's Meat Shop to find a news van in the back. Rocky finds Paulie and he tells Rocky that he needs publicity but Rocky, now mad, wanted privacy. Rocky and Paulie go inside and meet with the news reporter and they ask Rocky for a demonstration on how he trains with the meat. He begins to jab at the meat as the newscamera looks onto him. Tony, Apollo's trainer is watching the interview and sees that Rocky means business.

On Christmas Night, Paulie is walking home. Rocky and Adrian are already there watching a movie on tv. They start talking about Paulie about what he did with the publicity stint back at the meat shop. A drunken Paulie, overhearing the conversation enters the room and threatens the both of them to leave his house. When they refuse to leave, Paulie grabs a baseball bat and threatens Rocky that he'll break both his arms. He begins swinging at a lamp and then breaks the end table next to Rocky and Adrian. Paulie begins ranting that he never done anything wrong to Rocky and he even let him go out with his sister. Paulie then admits the truth about why he hates Adrian so much and then begins smashing more things with the bat. Paulie shouts at Adriana that she owes him, but mainly, it is Adrian who takes care of Paulie. Another remark about her sends her running to her room crying while Rocky grabs Paulie ready to punch him, but Rocky reliazes Paulie is drunk and weak. Rocky walks into Adrian's room and asks Rocky if he'd like a roommate.

A couple of days later, Rocky is at the gym training again with Mick and Mike, After the session, Mick introduces Rocky to their cut-man Al Silvani. Rocky gets out of the ring as Mick and Al talk, and he begins hitting a heavy bag. Paulie walks in and offers Rocky an Advertising job for him. Rocky tells him if he can make money off his name, do it.

The famous montage of the movie starts with Rocky running around Philadelphia, then in the gym, hitting a speed-bag,doing push-ups and sit-ups. Then in the meat factory as Rocky hits the meat once more. Rocky then runs again this time up the stairs of the Museum and he is able to make it all the way to the top.

The next night, Rocky and Adrian are in bed at his apartment but Rocky can't sleep, he gets out of bed, puts his coat on and walks to the arena. Rocky stands in the center of the ring and looks around to see that the place is well decorated and ready for the fight. Rocky goes back home as Adrian slowly awakes as Rocky lays down on the bed upset. He tells her that he won't be able to beat Apollo and how no one has ever gone the distance with him before.

On the night of the fight, Rocky and Apollo are both getting prepared. When Rockys gets the cue that it's time. He leaves Adrian down at the locker room as she wishes him good luck. Rocky starts making his way towards the ring as the crowd cheers for him. When he reaches the ring. Rocky, Mick and Mike watch as Apollo comes out in his uncle sam outfit in dedication to the new year. He reaches the ring and both of them recieve instructions and rules for the fight. They turn to their corners and wait for the bell. The fight begins and Apollo begins throwing punches at Rocky but most of them miss. He begins to throw a haymaker at Rocky but he dodges it and swings at Apollo knocking him down. The crowd goes wild and Apollo gets back up and the fight continues with the two of them throwing punches at each other and dodging most of them. As the rounds progress, Rocky and Apollo are getting cut-up and bruised. Rocky's eye is damaged and can't open it. Apollo is getting tired and hurt badly. At round 13, Apollo knocks Rocky down and Mick instructs him to stay down until the count is up. Adrian comes out of the locker room and watches the ring and believes in Rocky and hopes he'll get up. Rocky gets back up and Apollo, dancing around sees that Rocky is standing and wants more. Apollo now exhausted, throws a punch a Rocky but Rocky moves him and jabs him twice in the chest breaking his ribs. The bell rings signalling the end of the round and the fighters are brought back to their corners. Rocky claims he can't see anything and tells Mick to cut him in order to open his eye. The bell for the final round rings and Rocky and Apollo take their time until Apollo tags Rocky in the face, Rocky moves in as Apollo is now protecting the other side of his ribs. More punches to the faces occurs on both of them until Rocky gets the last 10 seconds of the round and beats Apollo senses in the face. The bell rings signalling the end of the fight. Apollo tell Rocky that there won't be a rematch and Rocky responds that he doesn't want one. The ring is stormed by reporters and both the fighters managers. A reporter asks Rocky questions about the fight as Rocky shouts for Adrian. While Adrian makes her way to the ring. Jergans announces that the fight came out to be a draw and it was a spilt decision on who won. Adrian makes it to ringside to see Paulie being restrained from entering the ring. Adrians sneaks in and runs to Rocky and the two embrace.