Sylvester Stallone Says Dolph Lundgren Sent Him to the ICU During 'Rocky IV'
Ever since they traded blows in Rocky IV, Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren have beefed in real life. After the success of the fourth Rocky title, the two actors reportedly argued behind the scenes of various films, including The Expendables. Don't even get Stallone started on the time Lundgren returned to the Creed franchise without him. Now, in a new Netflix documentary, Sly, Stallone remembered the time their heated rivalry actually did come to blows.
While filming Rocky IV, Stallone claims that Lundgren "pulverized" him in the ring—which led to potentially severe medical complications for the actor. "Dolph Lundgren... he pulverized me," Stallone says in the documentary. "Later that night, my heart started to swell—which happens when the heart hits the chest—and then my blood pressure went up to 260, and they thought I was going to be talking to angels. Next thing I know, I'm in intensive care, where I'm surrounded by nuns, and I thought, 'OK, that's curtains.'"
Stallone says that he was in the hospital for nine days following the incident, praying for "one more round." According to The Hollywood Reporter, on the day of the big fight scene, Stallone reportedly told Lundgren to forget the choreography. "Just go out there and try to clock me," he supposedly said. Stallone wanted the scene to look real—and it was. "For the first minute of the fight, it is going to be a free-for-all," Stallone told Lundgren. The Swedish actor joked in a separate interview that all he did was "obey orders," explaining, "[Stallone] was the boss. I did what he told me."
Luckily, the fight didn't leave any lasting medical issues. Doctors allegedly told Stallone that he received a blow to the ribs that made his heart rattle around in his ribcage. Usually, it only occurs during head-on collisions. Stallone joked, "I did hit a bus, of sorts." Lesson learned! Be careful what you wish for, Sly.
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