Photos of Sylvester Stallone and Hulk Hogan on the Set of “Rocky III” (1982)

Rocky III is a 1982 American sports drama film written and directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone. The film is the sequel to Rocky II (1979) and the third installment in the Rocky franchise. In the film, Stallone and Hulk Hogan shared an iconic moment where Hogan made his film debut playing the memorable character Thunderlips, a flamboyant professional wrestler.

Thunderlips faces off against Rocky Balboa (Stallone) in a charity match that humorously pits boxing against professional wrestling. The scene is over-the-top and plays up the showmanship of both sports — with Hogan towering over Stallone at 6'7", making for a dramatic size contrast. Their in-ring brawl quickly escalates beyond the rules, with Thunderlips tossing Rocky out of the ring at one point.

Behind the scenes, Stallone later recalled that Hogan was “throwing me around like a rag doll,” and that he ended up with a bruised collarbone and a few other injuries. Despite the rough shoot, Stallone praised Hogan’s charisma and athleticism, saying that he knew instantly Hulk would become a superstar.

This early 1980s collaboration helped elevate both men’s careers — Rocky III was a massive success, and it helped launch Hogan into mainstream fame just before his WWF (now WWE) explosion in 1984.

Stallone, now 79, released a statement following Hogan’s passing on Thursday, saying he first met his co-star 45 years ago.

“I had the pleasure of meeting this brilliant personality and showman when he was 26 years old,” Stallone said of Hogan. “He was absolutely wonderful and his amazing skill made Rocky three incredibly special. My heart breaks. I think that he’s gone…”