Of all the Rocky movies, Rocky III is our favorite. Rocky takes on Thunderlips aka Hulk Hogan, loses Mick to a heart attack, loses the title to Clubber Lang, loses his will to fight, and then… Adrian confronts Rocky on the beach when he’s basically given up. This is one of the most powerful scenes in any Rocky movie, and it’s the moment Rocky realizes he can beat Clubber Lang. After this scene, it’s on!
Enjoy this look back at one of the greatest scenes in the Rocky movie series where Adrian confronts Rocky on the beach and sets him straight once and for all!
Once again, it’s Adrian who sets Rocky over the edge. Confronting him on the beach, Adrian demands to know the truth about what’s going on. In a shocking moment of vulnerability, Rocky confesses that for the first time in his life he is scared. Lang’s intensity combined with the revelation that Mickey handpicked “safe” challengers to protect Rocky made Balboa question himself and his ability to win. He doesn’t want to lose what he has, and he’s afraid what might happen if he fails. Adrian assures him that as long as he gives it his best, it doesn’t matter what the result is, and encourages him to finish his training strong. The second fight between Rocky and Apollo was billed as the “rematch of the century,” but this was the rematch fans really wanted to see. After having his championship title ripped away from him, Rocky was ready to square off against Clubber Lang again to take it right back. This fight, like so many others in the franchise, was a great illustration of Rocky’s passion and will to win. After dominating the first round, Rocky adapts an unorthodox method by intentionally taking a beating from Lang (to wear him down), taunting his opponent to make him angrier. As the battle progresses, the outcome becomes inevitable.