Action legend Sylvester Stallone has forever expressed profound love for his dog, correction: star dog, who was a recurring member in the Rocky film series. Butkus, named after the raging NFL player Dick Butkus, one of the fiercest football players in history, was a constant for Stallone in all phases of his life. From getting married to former wife Sasha Czack in 1974 to becoming an action icon with Rocky, Butkus had seen it all.
But the Rambo star was forced to sell his Bullmastiff dog after he had gone dead broke, as the legend goes. He has narrated the story so many times, on multiple occasions, that it might just turn into Sly-lore. Similarly, speaking in another of his interviews Stallone said something about eating his dog that has caught the internet’s attention.
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Sylvester Stallone ups and downs with his dog Butkus
To think of it, it is actually a very interesting story of how Sylvester Stallone once sold his pet dog to a stranger and then bought him back at an odd price. Having gone bankrupt in all spheres of living, the actor claimed he had two options, either to sell Butkus or “eat him.” Butkus was a fan-favorite character in the Rocky movies, but before making it big in Hollywood, Sly had to part ways with him.
A YouTube compilation presented Stallone narrating how he once sold his dog to a stranger outside a 7-Eleven store. Sly jokingly confirmed,
“I did sell my dog at a 7-Eleven. It was either that or eat him, I mean. I’m sorry.”
Implying that the 77-year-old star was so poor, that he would have to use his pet dog as food if not sold for money. As shocking as it sounds, the actor further admitted,
“I mean, literally I was emotionally, spiritually, physically bankrupt…”
The iconic story around Stallone’s Bull Mastiff, Butkus has the internet going haywire. With several memes, viral videos, and clips, Butkus had become a household name among Sly fans. After all, he was a star.
Sylvester Stallone bought his pet dog back
After landing the starring role of Rocky Balboa in Hollywood, Stallone was mindful enough to get his notable family member, Butkus back to his home. But the “short guy” he had sold Butkus to six months ago, had an odd condition. Sly revealed he sold Butkus for a mere $60 but was asked to pay $3000 when buying Butkus back.
When The Expendables star resisted, the man asked Sly to feature him in Rocky. So he did and got back Butkus. The actor explained that the guy appears in the “little scene” with a brief conversation about Stallone’s boxing match, asking if he did good “last night.”
While there have been different versions of Stallone’s story every time he mentioned it, the overall idea remained the same. Unfortunately, Butkus passed away in 1981, aged 12, per Total Rocky, yet Stallone cherishes him every chance he gets.
