Sylvester Stallone Reveals Nearly Died While Filming ‘Rocky 4’

Actor Sylvester Stallone, 75, revealed that he nearly died while filming the film “Rocky 4” (1985), fourth feature, and the most profitable in the franchise in which the artist played boxing champion Rocky Balboa.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, he said that in the scene where Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) punches Rocky in the chest, the blow was nearly fatal and made his heart swell. Stallone had to be admitted to the ICU and then discovered that he had injured the pericardium.

“In the first round, where he knocked me down, it’s for real. He sprayed me and I didn’t feel it at the time, but later that night my heart started to swell,” explained the artist during the interview.

“He had injured the pericardium, which is when your heart beats in your chest — like in a car accident when your chest hits the steering wheel. My blood pressure went up to 260. They thought I was going to talk to angels.”

According to the Screen Rant website, the actor asked the fighters to throw real punches during the filming, to make the film even more authentic. However, after coming close to death, Stallone rethought the practice.

In June 2020, the documentary “40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic” was released. Written and produced by Derek Wayne Johnson, 37, the project was narrated by Sylvester Stallone and recalls the actor’s experience working on the first film in the franchise.

“The documentary is a golden nugget for Rocky fans and casual audiences,” Johnson said at the time, adding that “film will provide audiences with an intimate and, at times, emotional experience.” “We are proud of the film, and audiences can expect a mix of director John Avildsen’s home movies, behind-the-scenes footage from the film’s production,” he told New Musical Express.