Rocky Balboa’s first fight gets a masterful recreation in new Rocky art. Starring Sylvester Stallone as the titular boxer, the first Rocky film was released back in 1976. The film was well-received at the time of its release, winning Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director, and nomination for multiple other awards including Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay for Stallone.
As posted by Stallone’s official Instagram account, Rocky’s first fight gets a great artistic recreation. The art takes the form of a painting, which shows Rocky squaring up against his first opponent, Spider Rico.
With the painted colors included, the frame bears resemblance to the freeze frame at the end of Rocky III. In the caption, Stallone paid tribute to the great artist behind the painting, writing “A fantastic painting by @john_rivoli depicting Rocky’s beginnings. As though he was chosen to make that enlightening journey. Check out @john_rivoli the best Rokie artist in the world.”
Rocky’s Film Legacy Explained
Rocky became a nearly instant classic after its debut in 1976, causing it to get a sequel three years later with 1979’s Rocky II. Rocky then got three more sequels, releasing up until 1990’s Rocky V. The series later got a one-off follow-up with the Stallone-directed 2006 film Rocky Balboa, which saw Rocky come out of retirement to have one last fight.
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After Rocky Balboa, the franchise lay dormant for almost a decade. Then, the series was re-explored through the Ryan Coogler-helmed Creed, which told the story of Apollo Creed’s son, Adonis, and Rocky’s attempt to train him. Creed received critical acclaim, including a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Stallone, and went on to get the 2018 sequel Creed II and Creed III in 2023. Since then, Creed 4 has been announced to be in development.
The ongoing Rocky movies showcase the franchise’s enduring legacy. As alluded to in the art, the Rocky franchise as a whole has borne a number of iconic shots, such as the Rocky III freeze-frame to which this painting pays homage. The franchise lives on not only through the nine Rocky films, but through fan art like this which celebrates the film.
