Sylvester Stallone recalls near-death experience filming Rocky IV
"I thought, 'OK, that's curtains.'"
Sylvester Stallone's new documentary, Sly, is now available to stream on Netflix, and in amongst the personal stories the Hollywood star tells is one of a harrowing near-death experience.
Stallone describes how, when he was filming Rocky IV opposite Dolph Lundgren, Lundgren "pulverised" him in the ring, leading to medical complications.
He said: "Dolph Lundgren... he pulverised me. 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.'"
He continued: "Dolph Lundgren put me in hospital for nine days. [But] when you're beaten to the ground and you're praying someone knocks you on the chin so you just don't suffer anymore, there's a small voice inside of you that says, 'Give me one more round.'"
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Touching on the incident, Lundgren has joked: "All I did was obey orders. He was the boss. I did what he told me."
Also, as per The Hollywood Reporter, on the day of the fight scene, Stallone told Lundgren to ignore the planned choreography. "Just go out there and try to clock me," he said. "For the first minute of the fight, it is going to be a free-for-all."
The new documentary covers all aspects of Stallone's life, including the passing of his oldest child, Sage Stallone, who died at the age of 36.
The documentary arrives amid an influx of Netflix series and films giving all-access looks at famous figures, from Arnold Schwarzenegger to David Beckham and, soon, Robbie Williams.
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Stallone has already opened up recently in Paramount+ reality show The Family Stallone, which saw the star welcome a film crew into his home, following his daily life, as well as the lives of his wife Jennifer Flavin and his daughters Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet.
Sly is available to stream on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight.
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