Rocky 3 (officially Rocky III) is the 1982 boxing drama written and directed by Sylvester Stallone, released in US theaters on May 28, 1982, and the third of six films about Rocky Balboa. Its villain is Clubber Lang, played by Mr. T, a hungry contender who beats the champion in the second round and forces Rocky to rebuild with the help of former rival Apollo Creed. The film runs 99 minutes and grossed about $270 million worldwide, according to The Numbers.
Rocky 3 opens in 1981 with Rocky Balboa five years into his heavyweight reign, rich, famous and starting to coast. He has defended the title ten times since beating Apollo Creed, and the city of Philadelphia honors him with a statue at the top of the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps. At the unveiling he begins to talk about retiring.
That is when Clubber Lang, the top contender, interrupts and accuses Rocky of ducking real challengers. The sting is that Lang has a point. Rocky's manager, Mickey Goldmill, admits that he quietly chose the earlier opponents to protect his fighter. Rocky agrees to take the fight anyway, but he prepares in a crowded, showy public setting full of distractions, while Lang trains with fierce focus. The film sets up a simple question: what happens to a champion who has stopped being hungry?
Clubber LangMr. T
Tony 'Duke' EversTony Burton
ThunderlipsHulk Hogan
AlAl SilvaniMore of the cast: Bill Baldwin (Title Rematch Commentator), Don Sherman (Andy), Frank Stallone Jr. (Singer / Opponent), Lou Fillipo (Rematch Referee), Stu Nahan (Title Rematch Commentator), LeRoy Neiman (Special Appearance).
| Market | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US | May 28, 1982reported | boxofficemojo.com |
| UK | July 22, 1982reported | themoviedb.org |
| AU | August 12, 1982reported | themoviedb.org |
| Market | Subscription | Rent or buy |
|---|---|---|
| US | Amazon Prime Video, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Philo, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads | Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex |
| UK | Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, ITVX Premium, ITVX (Free with ads) | Apple TV Store, Rakuten TV, Amazon Video, Sky Store, YouTube |
| AU | Amazon Prime Video, Stan, Amazon Prime Video with Ads | Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, YouTube, Fetch TV |
Streaming availability data from JustWatch, checked 2026-11-03.
| Director | Sylvester Stallone |
|---|---|
| Writers | Sylvester Stallone |
| Producers | Robert Chartoff, Irwin Winkler |
| Music | Bill Conti |
| Cinematography | Wilmer Butler |
| Budget | Not reported |
|---|---|
| Domestic (US and Canada) | $125 million |
| International | $145 million |
| Worldwide | $270 million |
Rocky box office for every film.
Bill Conti composed the score for Rocky III (1982), and the music was released as the album "Rocky III: Original Motion Picture Score" on the Liberty label in 1982, with 10 tracks. Conti is the credited score composer on this film, so the orchestral side of the picture belongs to him, while the one featured song comes from the rock band Survivor.
That song is "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor, and it was written for the film. An instrumental version plays as Rocky trains in Apollo's old gym. The film uses a demo recording of the song rather than the finished album version, so the track heard during that training sequence is an earlier take of the song, not the polished studio release.
The featured song:
In short, Rocky III pairs a Conti score album with a single signature song, and the training scene in Apollo's old gym is where the two come together. To see how this music compares with the rest of the saga, visit the Rocky soundtrack page on Cinvibe.
An instrumental version plays as Rocky trains in Apollo's old gym, and the film uses a demo recording of the song rather than the finished album version.
Sources: musicbrainz.org, themoviedb.org, en.wikipedia.org
The full plot of Rocky 3 is a fall and a rebuild: Rocky loses the title to Clubber Lang, loses Mickey, and wins it back with Apollo Creed in his corner. Training takes place in a public hotel ballroom full of distractions. Backstage before the fight, Lang shoves Mickey, who suffers a heart attack. Rocky wants to call the fight off, but Mickey urges him to go on.
Lang takes control and knocks Rocky out in the second round to win the title. Mickey dies soon afterward, leaving Rocky grieving and unable to train. Apollo Creed then offers to coach him, and the two work together at a gym in Los Angeles. With help from Adrian, Rocky deals with the loss, while Apollo and trainer Duke teach him footwork, speed and skill.
The rematch takes place at Madison Square Garden. Rocky wins the first round, then is knocked down twice in the second while wearing Lang down. Lang loses his temper and tires in the third round, and Rocky knocks him out to take back the title. Afterward Rocky repays Apollo with a friendly sparring match, and the two throw the first punch together.
Rocky 3 opened in US theaters on May 28, 1982, according to Box Office Mojo. The UK release followed on July 22, 1982, and Australia on August 12, 1982, per TMDB. All three dates are reported rather than studio confirmed.
The film sits third in the release order, ahead of Rocky 4, and the full sequence is laid out in Rocky movies in order.
The ending of Rocky 3 is about a debt being repaid, not a title being won. Rocky knocks out a worn-out Clubber Lang in the third round of the Madison Square Garden rematch and regains the heavyweight title. He then honors his promise to Apollo Creed by agreeing to a private sparring session at a gym. The film ends as both men throw the first punch at the same moment.
Why does that final beat land? In my opinion, it is because Apollo spent the second half of the film doing the work Mickey used to do, so the sparring match is Rocky's way of handing the spotlight back. The rivalry from the first film becomes friendship, and that change carries into Rocky 4.
Why was Mick killed off in Rocky 3? The film's own answer is structural. Lang shoves Mickey backstage, the heart attack follows, and Mickey dies soon after the second round knockout. It strips Rocky of the voice that kept him safe, and, as I read it, it removes the comfort that made him soft in the first place. That is also what opens the door for Apollo and Duke to rebuild him with footwork and speed rather than only toughness.
Who was Rocky's hardest fight? In my opinion, Lang is the toughest opponent Rocky faces in this film, because he knocks Rocky out in the second round of the first fight and then puts him on the canvas twice in the rematch before tiring. For the other bouts, see Rocky fights and the Rocky training montage page.
Rocky 3 was filmed in Philadelphia, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps. A bronze Rocky statue by A. Thomas Schomberg was made in 1981, and the first one was placed atop the steps for filming.
Stallone said he cut his body fat to 2.6 percent for the role, on a diet built mostly around egg whites and toast.
Boxers Joe Frazier and Earnie Shavers were considered for Clubber Lang but were rejected over concerns about their speaking voices.
Morgan Freeman auditioned unsuccessfully for the role of Lang's manager, which went to Wally Taylor.
The bronze statue of Rocky was made in 1981, and the first one was placed atop the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps for filming.
At the box office, the film took about $125 million in the US and about $145 million internationally, for roughly $270 million worldwide, according to The Numbers. No production budget is listed by Box Office Mojo or The Numbers. See the full comparison on the Rocky box office page.
Rocky 3 was a hit. It earned about $125 million in the US and Canada and about $145 million internationally, roughly $270 million worldwide, according to The Numbers. No budget is listed, so a profit figure cannot be given.
In Rocky 3, Clubber Lang knocks Rocky out in the second round of their first fight and knocks him down twice in the rematch. In my opinion that makes him the toughest fight in the film.
In the story, Lang shoves Mickey backstage before the first fight and Mickey suffers a heart attack, then dies soon after Rocky loses. The loss leaves Rocky grieving and opens the way for Apollo Creed to become his trainer.
The villain is Clubber Lang, played by Mr. T. He is the top contender who calls Rocky out, wins the title in the second round, and loses it in the rematch at Madison Square Garden.
Rocky 3 reached US theaters on May 28, 1982, the UK on July 22, 1982 and Australia on August 12, 1982. It runs 99 minutes.
As of November 3, 2026, Rocky 3 streams in the US on Amazon Prime Video and Paramount+, among others. In the UK it is on Amazon Prime Video and ITVX, and in Australia on Amazon Prime Video and Stan. Availability changes, so check the providers before you press play.
