“The ultimate male versus the ultimate meatb–l.” That’s how ‘Thunderlips’ made the announcement ahead of the match with ‘Rocky Balboa’. Who can forget those iconic lines, that six-minute-long footage that ends with both taking that ‘Polaroid together’? The sequence, a charity fight between Hulk Hogan and Sylvester Stallone‘s characters, remains a cherished memory for many. To the delight of many, a clip from ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’, where the UFC commentator spoke with the pro-wrestling legend, resurfaced.

It caught Stallone’s attention, who promptly shared the footage of the talk through an Instagram post. Hulk Hogan had joined ‘Sly’ for a cameo in the ‘Rocky’ franchise’s third edition, the ‘Rocky III’. Released in 1982, the move went on to become a commercial success. The movie not only introduced the unforgettable character ‘Clubber Lang’ but also featured the go-to motivational song for all budding boxers, Survivor’s ‘Eye of the Tiger’.

Sylvester Stallone and Hulk Hogan: A Flashback to Fame

Lauding his former colleague, Sylvester Stallone noted, “WOW, HULK was the best. Fantastic athlete and threw the most amazing punches of all.” He recalled that Hogan had no gloves in his hands; hence, he could feel his punches more distinctively. “Because he was bare-fisted, I could actually feel his punch,” said Stallone. However, he credited the WWE for his professionalism. He would pull back at the right time to avoid serious injury.

In the clip, Joe Rogan mentioned how Stallone lifted Hogan, whose real name is Terry Gene Bollea, and threw him without any protection from the ropes. He could make out that perhaps the Hollywood icon’s feet were trembling. The WWE star added he managed the feat despite the actor being a sturdy 60 pounds against his 300+ weight. Then he further added how Sylvester Stallone personally used to do most of his stunts without a stunt double.

“I mean, I power slammed him, threw him in the corner, landed on him, and when I bounced off, the blood came out of his mouth. He goes, “Oh, that was great!”” Hulk Hogan said. He also described striking Stallone with a high knee that seemingly broke his collarbone. Likewise, he also recalled delivering a punch to the actor’s forehead.

Finally paying his tribute to Stallone, Hogan said, “But he was a ‘Trooper’ man. The good thing about this is that, all these years later, that was from then. ‘79, I think, all these years later, he’s the same ‘Paizan’ he used to be; he hasn’t changed a bit.”

When ‘Rocky’ got rocked

In the boxing vs. wrestling charity match, the fight begins with Hulk Hogan crashing into the corner as he tries to hit ‘Sly’. But Stallone evades the attack and circles the ring, suggesting they could move and give a good show to the crowd. An enraged ‘Thunderlips’ lands a punch on ‘Balboa’s back, knocking him down. Then follows a series of backbreaking throws and hits that concerned everyone in the ‘Balboa’ camp.

After throwing ‘Rocky Balboa’ into the crowd, ‘Thunderlips’ goes on a rampage. The clip also shows the boxer’s long-time trainer, ‘Mickey, suffering a heart attack. But soon, with his gloves removed, ‘Balboa’ moves back into the ring, turning the tables on ‘Thunderlips’. The fight ends after ‘Balboa’ chokes him down and lands body shots that push Hogan to the ropes. In the end, Stallone lifts the super-heavy wrestler and throws him out of the ring, which becomes an iconic scene. The fight ends in a draw, and the two fighters part after taking a photo.

Many years ago, Sylvester Stallone shared a photo of Hulk Hogan lifting him through a post. Recalling the whole shooting sequence, the Hollywood superstar expressed his gratitude to Hogan. Thanks to the wrestling legend, they were able to bring out such a memorable shot.

Which is your favorite sequence from the movie?