Michael B Jordan as Adonis Johnson Creed. Photograph: Allstar/Warner Bros

The Rocky franchise in numbers

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As Creed, the seventh in Sylvester Stallone’s box-office-pummelling series, is released, we take a blow-by-blow look at the makings of an underdog hero

“Getting strong now/ Won’t be long now…” Out on Friday, Creed is the acclaimed latest instalment in the Rocky fighting franchise. It finds veteran “Italian Stallion” Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) becoming trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson Creed (Michael B Jordan), son of Rocky’s former friend and rival Apollo Creed. Here’s the tale of the tape…

7

Number of films in the series – Rocky to Rocky V, plus 00s reboot Rocky Balboa and new offering Creed.

6

Of the films were written by Sylvester Stallone, who also directed four of them.

Carl Weathers and Rocky Balboa in Rocky II. — Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed lands a punch on Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa in 1979’s Rocky II. Photograph: Allstar/United Artists

3

The number of days it took Stallone to write the first draft of the Rocky screenplay. It took 28 days to shoot.

$1.08m

The budget of the first Rocky film. It went on to become the highest-grossing title of 1976 and made its money back 200 times over in global box-office takings.

10

The number of Oscar nominations for Rocky. It won three: best picture, best editing and best director for John G Avildsen.

Sylvester Stallone in the peak of condition for Rocky III. Photograph: Allstar/United Artists

2

Number of pet turtles owned by Rocky. Their names were Cuff and Link.

220lb

The eight Stallone was bench-pressing during training for Rocky II when he tore a pectoral muscle.

800

Local schoolchildren were used as extras in Rocky II for the hero’s training run through Philadelphia.

11st 1lb

Stallone’s weight during Rocky III, the 5ft 10in actor’s leanest weight, with a body fat ratio of just 2.8%. He’d weighed in at 14st for Rocky II.

10

Egg whites, one piece of toast and one piece of fruit he ate per day to fuel his rigorous Rocky III training regime.

$300m

Worldwide box office takings of 1985’s Rocky IV, the highest-grossing film in the series.

$1m

The loss made by Rocky V at the US box office, the only film in the franchise to lose money. This led to a 16-year gap before Stallone returned to the role.

59

Stallone’s age when he starred in Rocky Balboa. He’s now 69, and Creed is the first film in which Rocky doesn’t fight.

4

Of the five highest-grossing boxing movies of all time are Rocky films. The fifth is Million Dollar Baby.

34,739

The attendance at the Everton v West Brom match a year ago at which some Creed crowd scenes were shot. Stallone is a big Toffees fan and delivered a half-time message asking supporters to participate. Even Everton manager, Roberto Martinez, is seen in the film.

Watch all Rocky Balboa’s training montages.

1995

The year that Bart Simpson credited the Rocky films with teaching him how to read Roman numerals in an episode of The Simpsons: “Where have I seen these numerals before? Rocky V! That was the fifth one!”

40

Number of years exactly between the date of the opening scene in Rocky and Creed’s US release date.

S0THPAW

The numberplate on Rocky’s car.

81

The number of fights in Rocky Balboa’s fictional career. He won 57 (with 51 knockouts), lost 23 and drew one.

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