Veteran actor and boxer Burt Young who’s widely known for starring in Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky franchise recently passed away this October. It was a piece of really tragic news for fans of the franchise as he was the emotional and moral support for Rocky Balboa to be better at whatever he did. He was a strong and thoughtful man who really contributed to the legacy of the franchise and Stallone also recently paid tribute to his late friend, expressing love and gratitude all these years.
Young was also known for his boxing career. He had an admirable winning record in his career and this made him a perfect fit for the Rocky films. He was also approached to be cast in Rocky by Stallone himself. It seems he even came face to face with the boxing legend Muhammad Ali and squared off against him.
Also read: Burt Young Passes Away at 83: 7 Other Rocky Stars the Ageing Sylvester Stallone Has Bid Adieu
Burt Young Fought Against Muhammad Ali and Later Became Friends
Before becoming an actor, Burt Young was a boxer and he participated in many exhibition fights. He was a hard worker and held an impressive winning record in the sport. He even fought the legend Muhammad Ali in an exhibition match and later became friends with him. He told Rumpus,
“I used to fight. I put a heavy bag in; I work out. I don’t sleep much. But I’m still very good. 17-0, I’ve never lost a pro fight. I had forty-one amateur; I lost the first one and the last one. Well, I had an exhibition fight with Mohammed Ali, three rounds we did. It was quite exciting for me. He’s a friend. We became very friendly.”
Sylvester Stallone later approached him for Rocky and the rest is history. He became one of the most beloved characters in the franchise and people still remember the late actor primally for his involvement and tremendous contribution to the franchise.
Sylvester Stallone Pays Tribute to His Dear Friend and Co-Star, Burt Young
Veteran actor Burt Young recently passed away at the age of 83 on October 8, 2023. Young’s co-star in the Rocky franchise, Sylvester Stallone took to Instagram to pen a heartful tribute to his friend. He wrote,
“To my Dear Friend, BURT YOUNG, you were an incredible man and artist, I and the World will miss you very much…RIP.”
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Young will always be remembered for his contribution to the franchise and all the other great films he has done in his career. Stallone, on the other hand, has a documentary film based on his life and career coming up on Netflix called Sly. It will start streaming on Netflix from November 3, 2023.
