> Who wrote the screenplay to the 1976 boxing film Rocky?And the answer: Sylvester Stallone. Photo credit: United Images via Men's Health[https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a28494385/sylvester-stallone-ownership-rocky-franchise/].After watching the championship match between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner,Stallone wrote the screenplay for Rocky in just a few days. The movie went on toreceive ten Academy Award nominations, and won for Best Picture, Best Director,and Best Film Editing.Before Rocky, Sylvester Stallone was yet another aspiring actor in New YorkCity. But after being cast in The Lords of Flatbush (1974), Stallone wasconvinced to move to California and find success there. However, the endeavorwas not without struggle, and Stallone hovered near poverty for several years.That is, until the young actor witnessed the iconic Chuck Wepner vs Muhammad Alifight. When there's a match against a great like Ali, the winning bet is rarely placedon the underdog. Yet during this 1975 fight, Wepner delivered a series of blowsin the ninth round that ultimately led to Ali's iconic knockdown. This moment ofupset served as the major inspiration for Stallone's Rocky. Three days later,the screenplay for Rocky was complete. However, the road to Rocky's success was still far from over. On the way out ofa casting call for a role that he didn't get, Stallone struck up a conversationwith producers who were interested in his idea. After reading the script, theywere sold, and offered the actor $330,000 to buy the rights. Poverty-strickenStallone, with only a $106 to his name, refused. In a roll of the dice, heconvinced the producers, instead, to invest $1 million in the film's productionwhile letting him star in the film as Rocky himself. Somehow, the producersagreed.Rocky is a rags-to-riches story of a poor Italian man named Rocky Balboa, anuneducated, kind-hearted working class boxer in the slums of Philadelphia.Rocky's match is against the acclaimed Apollo Creed, the heavyweight boxingworld champ. Inspired by the story, the audiences flocked to theaters to watchthe fictional match, and Rocky became the highest grossing movie of 1976. Thefilm has since earned many sequels, including one released as recently as 2018.Check out the trailer for iconic film below.