Hollywood veteran Sylvester Stallone has provided a glimpse of the ‘lethal’ boxing gloves he used in his Oscar-winning Rocky films, reminiscing about the 'tougher' era when people were not as reliant on technology as they are today.
“They don’t even allow these today because they’re so dangerous, but that’s what they used when I did the film. They’re barely six ounces, they’re Reyes and they’re literally lethal. So, I still have them because it’s a time when people were tougher. Sorry, they were,” the 77-year-old actor-filmmaker says in a video he shared on Instagram on Tuesday.
Elaborating on the crippling effects of the growing dependence on technology, Stallone lamented, “Life is just getting easier and easier. It’s wonderful? I think not. I think when we force ourselves into tough situations, that’s what the human creatures are supposed to do. They’re not supposed to have wheels on their suitcases. They’re not supposed to have lawn mowers with engines that pull them along.”
The Rambo actor also regretted how the rise of artificial intelligence has undermined the value of human intelligence. "With AI, you can practically put your brain in a jar and let the machine handle everything,” says Stallone in the video.
Referring to the time when he essayed the role of boxer Rocky Balboa, the actor says, “I cherish these moments, I cherish hard work even though I hate it.”
“I know...it’s like strong medicine, tastes horrible going down, but it makes you feel better,” Stallone signed off.
The first film of the Rocky franchise released in 1976 and was followed by the sequels Rocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985), Rocky V (1990), and Rocky Balboa (2006). Stallone wrote and directed four of the five sequels, which revolve around the boxing career of Rocky Balboa.
Stallone is currently appearing on TMZ’s Arnold & Sly: Rivals, Friends, Icons, where he and his rival-turned-friend Arnold Schwarzenegger open up about their competitive spirit, box-office clashes and eventual reconciliation. Their rivalry emerged during the 1980s and 1990s as they vied for dominance in the action-movie genre.
