'Rocky' Makes It To The 6th Round

Posted Thursday, December 12, 2002 at 3:31 PM Central

by John Couture

If one word could describe Rocky Balboa, perseverance would be that word. Sylvester Stallone debuted his gritty underdog fighter over 25 years ago, but that's not preventing him from bringing him back for a sixth installment.

MGM announced today that it has hired Stallone to draft a screenplay for Rocky VI. The idea is to get back to Rocky's independent film roots. The new movie will be shot with a small budget in hopes that it can re-capture some magic from the first movie.

There's no definitive word on the plot, but sources claim that Stallone wants to have Rocky working in a youth center and have come out of retirement for one last fight. While Stallone, at 56, is pushing the envelope in terms of being a boxing hero, with the return of George Foreman to the ring and the continued dominance of aging fighter Evander Holyfield, the stage seems set for a geriatric Rocky getting in the ring and kicking some young punk's butt.