ROCKY AND THE RING
Leonard fight for Hagler (115-113). Filippo refereed Balboa vs. Creed 1 and 2, Clubber Lang vs. Balboa 2 and Creed vs. Ivan Drago.
for several Ring Magazine covers. During a Creed training session, we briefly see Neiman painting the fictitious heavyweight champion. Neiman would also turn up as an announcer in Rocky III , Rocky IV and Rocky V before a brief cameo appearance in Rocky Balboa . JEFF TEMKIN Temkin was a ring announcer in the Los Angeles area, presenting many professional fights at the Forum during
the 1970s. Fans will have seen him announcing the rematch between Ali and Norton. After appearing in The Champ (1979), Temkin entered the Rocky franchise to announce the Creed vs. Balboa sequel. He reprised his role in Rocky III before tragically passing away at the age of 35. No reputable outlets covered the news, so the cause of death was never made official, but reports persist that Temkin passed away following a car crash.
ROCKY II BRENT MUSBURGER
Musburger is best known for his broadcasting work in football (college and NFL) and college basketball. But while his boxing influence is less than that of some on this list, he still had the privilege of covering Muhammad Ali as a newspaper reporter in the 1960s. Later on, Musburger was lead commentator for CBS when Leon Spinks upset Muhammad Ali on points in 1978. In Rocky II , the veteran broadcaster interviews Creed, who uses the opportunity to call for a rematch with Rocky. ROBERTO DURAN Eagle-eyed fight fans will notice Stallone and Roberto Duran together at ringside during the Ken Norton vs. Larry Holmes fight in June 1978. Just short of four months later, Duran, then the undisputed lightweight champion, would make his movie debut in Rocky II . The great “Hands of Stone” and Rocky have a carefully choreographed sparring session at Mighty Mick’s gym during which our fictitious hero fails to land a meaningful blow. Art definitely imitates life in that one. LEROY NEIMAN By 1978, Neiman was long established as the No. 1 boxing artist in the world, immortalizing colossal events like “The Fight of the Century” and “The Rumble in the Jungle” with his signature style and flair. He also completed artwork
ROCKY III JIM HILL
ROCKY IV JAMES “CANNONBALL” GREEN
A promotional shot for Rocky III and a custom Ring cover.
During the opening credits, when Clubber Lang has his “I want Balboa” meltdown, former NFL player and veteran broadcaster Jim Hill appears on a television set inside the Lucky Seven Tavern in Philadelphia. Hill is doing a makeshift report on Rocky’s career plans as jealous brother-in-law Paulie looks on in disgust. A highly respected professional, Hill appeared on countless CBS and HBO/TVKO broadcasts during the ’80s and ’90s and still works today. JIMMY LENNON SR. By the early 1980s, the legendary Jimmy Lennon Sr. was the most famous ring announcer in boxing, having worked hundreds of fights at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles since 1949. Lennon had already cut his teeth in the movie business, showing up twice in the Oscar-winning Raging Bull (1980). In the third installment of the
In a “blink and you’ll miss him” role, former middleweight fighter James “Cannonball” Green plays Manuel Vega, one of Drago’s boxing coaches. A young Green also had an uncredited role in Golden Boy (1939), which starred Barbara Stanwyck, William Holden and Lee J. Cobb. The best result of his decade-long boxing career was a six-round draw with former light heavyweight champion and Hall of Famer Maxie Rosenbloom in 1935. BARRY TOMPKINS Before Jim Lampley took to the mic for HBO, Barry Tompkins was the blow- by-blow man for America’s premium cable broadcaster. Among dozens of other championship fights Tompkins called during the 1980s were Leonard vs. Hearns, Holmes vs. Cooney, Arguello vs. Pryor, Hagler vs. Hearns and Hagler vs. Leonard. In Rocky IV , he was lucky
Rocky series, Lennon makes his only appearance to announce the first bout between Rocky and Clubber Lang. He would be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2017. MARTY DENKIN Like Lou Filippo, Denkin was something of a boxing renaissance man. Hailing from California, he competed as an amateur, judged or refereed over 1,400 professional fights and served as both supervisor and promoter. In Rocky III , Denkin plays the referee for the first fight between Balboa and Lang. He would turn up again in Rocky IV for Balboa vs. Drago, for which he had suddenly adopted a Russian accent (or at least the person looping his lines did). Like Lennon, Denkin also appeared in Raging Bull .
Stallone poses with Leroy Neiman artwork used in Rocky III .
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