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via Getty

via Getty

It’s been over a quarter of a century. But the effusive charm of an underdog testing his wits against an established top dog fails to fade away. Down and out himself, with his future looking bleak, fellow New Yorker Chuck Wepner‘s slugfest against none other than Muhammad Ali inspired a young Sylvester Stallone to bring out a small-time loan shark and club fighter on the big screen. The rest, as they say, is history. The last movie in the series came sixteen years ago. However, the legend of ‘Rocky’ stays strong among die-hard fans. The new collector’s item ensures that the bond remains rock-solid.

The training montages of ‘Rocky Balboa’ running through the Philadelphia streets with Bill Conti‘s ‘Gonna Fly Now’ have mesmerized a generation of fans. Budding boxers, living a life akin to the protagonist, envision success against an established name through sheer grit and determination, as ‘Rocky’ did. Sylvester Stallone and his team introduced Rocky’s ‘Loan Shark Collector.’ A sixth-scale action figure among the long list of paraphernalia to keep all those memories alive.

Sylvester Stallone resurrects an iconic character

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Sharing the details through @officialslystallone early today, ‘Sly’ Stallone’s message read, “What makes this figure so incredibly unique is the actual journey that eventually made him change his entire life and become the people of champions! I am very proud of all the professionals that made this so realistic!” Then he urged all fans to buy the memorabilia from @slystalloneshop.

According to ‘sylvesterstallone.com,’ it stands twelve inches tall. The new collectible reports the personal involvement of the Hollywood icon in its development. Three alternate versions can be pre-ordered at the ‘Sly’ Stallone shop. The Standard Edition, The Deluxe Edition, and the Ultimate Edition come in a gorgeous box designed by John Rivoli, an official ‘Rocky’ artist. It’s difficult to deny that the collectible toy immortalizes the indomitable character of ‘Rocky Balboa. The faithful portrayal of the protagonist transports fans back to the film’s memorable scenes.

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‘Rocky,’ made on a shoestring budget of less than a million dollars, became the highest-grossing film in 1976. Reportedly, after watching the Wepner-Ali match, Sylvester Stallone completed the movie’s first draft in three days flat. Over the next thirty years, six installments followed. ‘Rocky Balboa,’ released on December 20, 2006, became the last in the series. After nine years, the production company paved the way for a new franchise based on one of Stallone’s characters.

Read More: Sylvester Stallone Refused to Write ‘Creed’ Because of a 4-Decade-Long Problem That Could Not Be Fixed

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Which is your favorite ‘Rocky’ movie in the franchise? Please share your views and opinions with us in the comments section below.

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