“You’re a Great Actor but the Worst Boxer”: Sylvester Stallone Details Sparring Session With Robert De Niro for Grudge Match

Sylvester Stallone has always been a staple name for boxing fans. His movie series, ‘Rocky‘ is the bastion of boxing-based movies. However, his 2013 movie, ‘Grudge Match’ is also counted as a good one in the genre. It also stars Robert De Niro alongside Sly. Years later, the movie remains a fan favorite. However, Stallone revealed some insider info on one of the fight sequences in it.

Grudge Match, directed by the iconic Peter Segal, is a story of two aging fighters taking a final bow in their career. The lead characters, Henry “Razor” Sharp (Stallone) and Billy “The Kid” McDonnen (De Niro) fight against each other, 30 years post their initial confrontation inside the ring. While Stallone was known to be good at boxing, was De Niro too trained enough for Grudge Match? His co-star reveals.

Sylvester Stallone vs. Robert De Niro: who fights better?

This was not the first boxing-based movie that Robert De Niro starred in. His 1980 biographical sports drama film, ‘Raging Bull’, is another iconic title from the genre. Directed by Martin Scorsese, it is a story about a middleweight who powers through the ranks. However, as he does that, he grapples deeply with tribulations in his personal life. These classic movies set the stage for Sly and De Niro to come together to tell the story of two aging boxers returning to put an end to their old rivalry, which is what became the Grudge Match.

In a new clip on Instagram, he clarified the same, talking about the time when they both entered the ring against each other. Of course, for showbiz sakes. He noted, “Someone sent me the video of me and De Niro of boxing in Grudge Match. And I thought, oh wow, He’s Raging Bull. He’s gonna come in and he’s gonna kick my butt and he’s gonna… like heard all these stories.”

How equipped was the then 69-year-old, De Niro? “He gets in, and I can tell his knees are shaking. He’s like that. He put his gloves on. He kinda looks like a lobster closet and I said, let’s move a little bit. And, oh my god! I said, you’re a great actor, but you’re the worst boxer I’ve ever seen in the whole universe. And he kinda admitted it,” recalled Stallone.

In a 2013 interview, Stallone, however, was appreciative of De Niro’s boxing skills. He remarked, “He was very feisty. He took a good shot. It was very, very hard, the training. He hit me a couple of times because, you know, you want to get that realism. But when I saw him take some falls, and I took some falls, I said, ‘This is getting good, this is not a joke fight.’ “

Also Read: A Decade Later, Legendary Boxing Announcer Relives His Involvement in “Grudge Match” Featuring Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, and Kevin Hart

The movie went on to do good numbers at the box office, with records suggesting $44.9 million. However, in the awards season, it failed to gain any momentum. Despite that, it continues to remain a good entertainer for boxing fans.

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