Sylvester Stallone’s bank account, 29, was nearly empty.

Sylvester Stallone’s bank account, 29, was nearly empty.

He was an unknown actor and couldn’t even pay his rent.

When the power went out, he had to sell his favorite dog, Bootcus.

Stallone turned around crying.

And I made a commitment.

This is the lowest point of my life.

Shortly after that, Stallone saw a boxing match between champions Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wefner.

It was a game in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 24, 1975.

No one thought Wefner would last long.

However, in the ninth round, Wefner brought down Ali.

The fierce game eventually led to the 15th round.

Wefner lost to TKO but he held on.

Stallone saw something in the scene.

It was his life.

That night Stallone started writing scenarios.

I spent three and a half days almost nonstop.

I even sat in front of my desk for 20 hours at a time.

The story of a third-rate gangster boxer challenging the world champion.

The main character Rocky Balboa, Stallone knew it was him.

Finally, the scenario is complete.

The agent carried his scenario to Hollywood to negotiate.

Producers showed interest and the amount gradually rose.

It was money that Stallone had never seen in his life.

However, the production companies set conditions.

The main character has to be played by another actor.

Stars such as Bert Reynolds, James Caan and Ryan O’Neill were mentioned.

Stallone refused.

“Rocky was written by me and I must do it myself.”

Production companies raised more money, asking them to give up their main roles.

But Stallone kept refusing.

“I’d rather burn down the scenario than have someone else play Rocky.”

In the end, the United Artists conceded.

The cost of purchasing the scenario was set as low as $35,000.

It was conditional on Stallone’s starring role.

The first thing he did for a down payment was to get the dog back.

I brought Bootcus back with a good deal of money.

Rocky’s dog in the movie is that dog.

The production cost of the film was minimized to $1 million.

The shooting period is only 28 days.

It was filmed guerilla-style on the streets of Philadelphia without permission.

Since there was no money to hire extras, the general public was mobilized to fill the stands for boxing matches.

Finally, Rocky was released in December 1976.

$1 million in production and $225 million in box office.

It became the biggest box office hit of the year.

He was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Editing.

Stallone, which had a profit-sharing contract, made a significant return.

Stallone said.

“I take rejection as a wake-up call, not as a signal to retreat, but as a signal to get up and keep going.”

The Rocky he wrote was not just a boxing movie.

It was a story that started from the floor and lasted until the end.

It’s not about winning, it’s about holding out.

Rocky loses the last game.

However, he finished 15 rounds.

For Rocky, that was the win.

The same was true of Stallone’s life.

After being rejected dozens of times, I tried until the end and finally got what I wanted.

The lost dog was also recovered.

The world asks us sometimes.

When are you going to give up.

Stallone’s story seems to say this.

Failure is not the end, it is just a course correction, and the problem is not that you fall, but that you don’t get back on your feet.

Forty years later, people think of Rocky as they climb the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The stairs are called Rocky Steps.

Stallone is 79 now, but he still films.

The moment I think it’s the lowest point of my life may actually be the starting point.

He advises like this.

“Going one more round when you think you can’t do it anymore, that makes a big difference in your life.”

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