A small-time boxer gets a supremely rare chance to fight a heavy-weight champion in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect.
- Director: John G. Avildsen
- Writer: Sylvester Stallone
- Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young
Winner of 3 Oscars, including Best Picture
Rocky Balboa is a struggling boxer trying to make it big, working on the side as a debt collector. Heavyweight champion Apollo Creed visits Philadelphia and his managers want to set up an exhibition match between Creed and a local unkown, touting the fight as a once-in-a-lifetime chance to give a nobody a shot at the title. Even though nobody really gives Rocky a chance, Rocky puts it all on the line to try to "go the distance" when he fights Apollo. This is his only shot at the big time.
