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The Rewatchables · December 2, 2025

Rocky II

host Bill Simmons host Chris Ryan host Van Lathan producer Craig Horlbeck

Casting what-if: Chuck Wepner’s proposed trainer role
Sequel or remake: A reported prestige television project in the Creed world

All 33 categories

Who won the movie Sylvester Stallone
Just one Oscar Bill Conti
Cruise or Hanks Cruise as Rocky
Dion Waiters Award Brent Musburger

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award · 1:12:51

A Creed-centered version

Chris Ryan: The movie would be more interesting as Creed, centered on Apollo’s shame and rematch obsession.

Van Lathan: Rocky and Apollo would both fare better if they swapped wives.

The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson · 1:47:15

Listen to the trainer, resist ego, and do not read hate mail

Listen to the trainer instead of the ego is the main lesson.

The film

Rocky II (1979)

Directed by Sylvester Stallone · Sports

119 minutes

IMDb Find on JustWatch Find on Rotten Tomatoes

Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Sylvester Stallone Robert "Rocky" Balboa , "The Italian Stallion"

Talia Shire Adrian Balboa

Burt Young Paulie Pennino

Carl Weathers Apollo Creed

Burgess Meredith Michael "Mickey" Goldmill

Tony Burton Tony "Duke" Evers

Sylvia Meals Mary Anne Creed

Seargeoh Stallone Robert "Rocky" Balboa Jr.

Paul Micale Father Carmine

Joe Spinell Tony Gazzo

Frank McRae meat foreman

Everything from the episode

In the order the hosts got to it. Open a row for the discussion.

24:33

Most Rewatchable Scene

Round fifteen; Apollo and Duke; Adrian awakening through the training turn

In the discussion (28)

Approx. transcript time · 00:24:33Read transcript

The repeated ending of the first film is questioned for marathons, though the opening fight supplies action before a long stretch without boxing. — Bill Simmons
The opening credits and remastered Rocky theme are nominated.
Rocky wheeling over to Apollo and asking whether Apollo gave his best is nominated as a short scene. — Bill Simmons
Rocky’s zoo marriage proposal, including his awkward phrasing and invitation to the tiger, is nominated. — Bill Simmons
Rocky struggling to film the Beast aftershave commercial is nominated and described as painful to watch.
The group digresses on period aftershave advertising and the appeal of the Beast campaign. — Van Lathan
Mickey testing Rocky’s injured eye and warning that another fight could hurt him permanently is nominated. — Bill Simmons
Rocky returning to work in the gym and Mickey challenging his dignity is separately praised for Stallone’s acting. — Bill Simmons
Rocky’s quiet job loss and request to finish the workday are praised as understated setbacks.
Duke warning Apollo that Rocky kept coming and is wrong for them is praised as a great sports-movie monologue. — Bill Simmons
Apollo calling Rocky out on television through Mickey deciding they should fight again is nominated. — Bill Simmons
Paulie’s behavior at the press conference prompts an extended objection to the harm he causes Adrian and Rocky.
The eleven-minute coma stretch is criticized for its length. — Bill Simmons
Adrian waking, telling Rocky to win, and Mickey asking what they are waiting for is selected as a favorite sports-movie turn. — Bill Simmons
The one-arm exercise against the sun, chicken-catching, and jump-rope work announce the energized training montage. — Bill Simmons
The montage is praised for establishing the heightened training template of later Rocky films. — Bill Simmons
Rocky beating up scrap metal is singled out as a standout training-montage image. — Bill Simmons
The hosts estimate roughly six weeks of serious training before the fight.
Rocky dropping the heavy log and choosing to pick it up again is praised as a perseverance moment.
The scrapyard hammering prompts a joke about a spinoff following the scrapyard owner. — Bill Simmons
Mickey’s largely silent assistant receives praise for the medicine-ball training and stomach punches. — Bill Simmons
The montage’s contrast between neighborhood-supported Rocky and ego-driven Apollo is praised. — Van Lathan
Rocky’s run through Philadelphia with the children is nominated, while its estimated distance and finishing sprint are questioned.
The fight’s escalation into “World War III” and Rocky refusing to go down are nominated. — Bill Simmons
Rounds three through fourteen and especially the fifteenth-round double knockout are nominated. — Bill Simmons
Rocky’s victory speech produces a debate over ranking the day against marriage and his child’s birth.
One final choice is round fifteen, with the Apollo-and-Duke conversation as a secondary favorite. — Van Lathan
Another final choice is Adrian waking followed by “What are we waiting for?” and the training montage. — Van Lathan

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44:17

The most 1979 thing

A 9.5% mortgage, fifteen-round fights, paper hate mail, and major fights on regular Philadelphia television

In the discussion (5)

Approx. transcript time · 00:44:17Read transcript

A 9.5% mortgage on a $16,000 Philadelphia house is nominated.
Roberto Duran appearing as a sparring partner leads to an extended period-boxing discussion. — Van Lathan
Fifteen-round championship fights are nominated. — Van Lathan
Receiving and reading physical hate mail is nominated. — Van Lathan
Major fights airing on regular television and being held in Philadelphia are nominated. — Van Lathan

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44:30

What’s Aged the Worst?

Affordable housing, Paulie, weight training, Adrian missing the fight, stickball, domestic expectations, background b...

Affordable housing, Paulie, weight training, Adrian missing the fight, stickball, domestic expectations, background boxing, and Rocky’s exaggerated impairment

In the discussion (8)

Approx. transcript time · 00:44:30Read transcript

A young couple being able to afford the house is identified as having aged worst.
Paulie is selected as having aged worst. — Bill Simmons
The claim that boxers should never lift weights is questioned. — Bill Simmons
Adrian not attending the fight is criticized. — Bill Simmons
Stickball and children playing outside are nominated as dated images. — Van Lathan
Rocky telling Adrian to start dinner after she returns to work is criticized as dated. — Van Lathan
A background boxer’s technique and hairline are mocked. — Van Lathan
Stallone is criticized for making Rocky seem too cognitively impaired in this installment.

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49:46

What’s Aged the Best?

The zoo callback, reckless spending spree, fuller arena, Tony’s pep talk, New Jersey gas service, Rocky lore inherite...

The zoo callback, reckless spending spree, fuller arena, Tony’s pep talk, New Jersey gas service, Rocky lore inherited by Creed, and Carl Weathers

In the discussion (9)

Approx. transcript time · 00:49:46Read transcript

The zoo callback to the driver in the first film is praised. — Bill Simmons
Rocky rejecting condominiums and characters going on a visibly doomed spending spree are praised as period storytelling. — Bill Simmons
The arena being filled with actual extras improves on the first film’s cost-cutting. — Chris Ryan
Tony’s monotone locker-room encouragement of Apollo is praised. — Chris Ryan
Tony’s pep talk prompts a joking comparison to Ben Johnson coaching Caleb Williams. — Chris Ryan
The line about pumping gas in New Jersey still works because drivers there cannot pump their own gas. — Van Lathan
A story about teasing Charlemagne for using full-service gas leads to discussion of regional gas-station customs and their argumentative friendship. — Van Lathan
The Rocky lore and visual template inherited by Creed, especially the running and training material, are praised. — Van Lathan
Carl Weathers’s athleticism, acting, and range are praised. — Van Lathan

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56:04

The Great Shot Gordo Award for Most Cinematic Shot

The children running with Rocky and fight footage projected over Mickey are considered.

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 00:56:04Read transcript

The little kids running with Rocky are nominated. — Chris Ryan
The first fight projected against Mickey while he studies the footage is nominated. — Chris Ryan

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1:00:36

The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the Weakest Link in the Film

Rocky beating the prepared Apollo, the coma, Gazzo’s unused plot potential, and Adrian

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 01:00:36Read transcript

One-eyed and impaired Rocky beating a prepared, motivated Apollo is selected. — Bill Simmons
The coma is selected. — Chris Ryan
Gazzo is selected because his appearances have little effect on the plot despite Joe Spinell’s performance.
Adrian is selected without elaboration. — Bill Simmons

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1:08:16

The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award

The commercial director and Burgess Meredith

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 01:08:16Read transcript

The commercial director is nominated. — Bill Simmons
Burgess as Mickey is nominated for shouting through his scenes. — Chris Ryan

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1:12:51

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

A Creed-centered version; swapped spouses; Apollo’s wife among 1970s beauties; Stallone over Cruise as a movie runner

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 01:12:51Read transcript

The movie would be more interesting as Creed, centered on Apollo’s shame and rematch obsession. — Chris Ryan
Rocky and Apollo would both fare better if they swapped wives. — Van Lathan
Apollo’s wife is placed among the best-looking Black women of the 1970s. — Bill Simmons
Stallone is judged a better and more natural movie runner than Tom Cruise.

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1:20:04

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

Frank McRae

In the discussion (1)

Approx. transcript time · 01:20:04Read transcript

Frank McCray wins over Joe Spinell.

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1:20:19

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

Brent Musburger

In the discussion (5)

Approx. transcript time · 01:20:19Read transcript

Brent Musburger is selected for making the fight feel like a nationally important sporting event.
Frank Stallone and the doo-wop group are nominated. — Bill Simmons
Rocky’s commercial agent is nominated for slinking away after the advertisement fails. — Bill Simmons
Stu Nahan is nominated. — Bill Simmons
Duke is considered, then challenged as ineligible because he is in four films. — Bill Simmons

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1:29:02

Apex Mountain

No affirmative selection

In the discussion (5)

Approx. transcript time · 01:29:02Read transcript

Stallone is rejected here in favor of his mid-1980s Rocky IV and Rambo period.
Bert Young’s mid-1980s run is considered.
Brent Musburger’s peak is debated. — Van Lathan
The Philadelphia Zoo tiger is nominated as being at its peak. — Bill Simmons
The eleven-minute coma is proposed as a peak for overlong coma scenes.

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1:33:40

Cruise or Hanks?

Cruise as Rocky

In the discussion (1)

Approx. transcript time · 01:33:40Read transcript

Cruise is selected to play Rocky because Hanks is not plausible as a boxer. — Van Lathan

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1:39:50

Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake

A reported prestige television project in the Creed world

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 01:39:50Read transcript

The group says sequel, prequel, and all-Black continuation ideas have already been done. — Bill Simmons
A reported television project set in the Creed world is discussed as the prestige-TV route. — Van Lathan

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1:41:30