JerryvonKramer Posted April 28, 2015 Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 Okay, this is one of the most ridiculous things. Reading Terry Funk's book, I laughed out loud when he claimed credit for getting him the part in Rocky III through his connection with Sly Stallone. Funk claims that he recommended Hogan, and Vince Sr recommended Gorilla Monsoon. Reason I laugh is because this feels like the 5th or 6th different person that has claimed credit for that deal. Another one is Bill Apter, who says he sent Stallone photos of Hogan and Billy Graham for the part. So: 1. Let's list all of the different claims on this, to find the most outlandish and improbable one. and 2. Which, if any of them, are true? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR Ackermann Posted April 28, 2015 Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 I could believe the Terry Funk story seeing as he and Stalone had at least some sort of a working relationship from the late 70s into the late 80s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(BP) Posted April 28, 2015 Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 Hogan's version of events is that the casting director's brother was a wrestling fan and agent who recommened him. He said on Jericho's podcast that he's aware of rumors of Skaaland and Apter taking credit, as well as the Monsoon thing, but none of it's true. Sounded reasonable, even coming from Hogan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodhelmet Posted April 28, 2015 Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 Is Bill Apter really known for being a bullshit artist? My instincts say trust Apter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted April 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 Is Bill Apter really known for being a bullshit artist? My instincts say trust Apter. He seems like such a nice guy and it's a weird one to fabricate (i.e. actually sending the pictures off). It is possible they are all true of course. i.e. That Funk did mention to Stallone that Hogan might be good, that the casting agent's brother also mentioned Hogan, AND that Apter sent the pics of Hogan. All entirely possible. Just one of those funny wrestling things that everyone seems to lay a claim to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Thread Killer Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 In Dynamite Kid's book, DK mentions that Funk was bragging about his friendship with Stallone, and offered to get DK cast as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, but that DK never got the part because he was too short. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.S. Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 In Dynamite Kid's book, DK mentions that Funk was bragging about his friendship with Stallone, and offered to get DK cast as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, but that DK never got the part because he was too short. DK would've been a terrible choice for Drago. Wasn't his back also shredded by that point anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Sorrow Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 In Dynamite Kid's book, DK mentions that Funk was bragging about his friendship with Stallone, and offered to get DK cast as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, but that DK never got the part because he was too short. HAHAHAHAHA, yeah, that's why Dynamite wasn't in Rocky 4. 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted April 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 The story Funk tells in his book is that he suggested Kerry von Erich to Stallone and Sly loved him, but Kerry couldn't learn any lines and didn't get it. Personally, I'm more inclined to believe Funk, especially as I can imagine Sly loving Kerry's look. Also I thought Terry's book was short on bragging and BS in general. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dooley Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 I think even Stallone mentioned at one point he was looking at wrestlers for the Drago part. KVE may have been name-checked, I can't recall off the top of my head. But the Kerry as Drago thing has been around for a long time. Besides Kerry being too fucked up to learn lines, Occam's Razor suggests that Stallone stopped searching when he found Dolph Lundgren because that guy had the absolute note-perfect look to play an ice-blooded Soviet killer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye12 Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 Yeah I'm sure in 1984 when they were trying to find Drago they were all about hitting up some junior heavyweight nobody in Calgary for the role. Rocky IV came out four months before the Bulldogs even won the belts at WM2. Kerry is at least believable being pushed hard already by 1984. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyonthewall2983 Posted May 3, 2015 Report Share Posted May 3, 2015 I could see Fritz nixing the idea because it would go strongly against the image he had going in Texas at the time. I'm inclined to believe Funk about his Stallone connection though. Weren't he and Dibiase and a few others in that wrestling movie he did, the title of which escapes me at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricky Jackson Posted May 3, 2015 Report Share Posted May 3, 2015 Paradise Alley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye12 Posted May 3, 2015 Report Share Posted May 3, 2015 Stallone and Funk are friends, I think Sly even mentioned him in his HOF induction speech for Hogan. And Terry is also in Over the Top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebrainfollower Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 Dynamite would have been absurd. Granted Stallone is a short guy so he could have matched up with Dynamite but Carl Weathers would have dwarfed him, completely ruined the whole idea of the movie and failed miserably. Visually a Kerry willing to cut his hair works, but you'd have to dub him to get anything that works. As for the Hogan claim, I've heard crazy things about everyone from Big John Studd (I can sorta see it) and Gorilla Monsoon of all people being up for the part. I can't think of any better choice than Hogan though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidebottom Posted May 6, 2015 Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 Dynamite as Drago is blowing my mind... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyonthewall2983 Posted May 23, 2019 Report Share Posted May 23, 2019 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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