Home / Arts and Entertainment / Dolph Lundgren: Rocky IV Injury Made Sly Stallone Hospitalized
Dolph Lundgren: Rocky IV Injury Made Sly Stallone Hospitalized
28 Nov, 2025
Summary
- Dolph Lundgren revealed he hospitalized Sylvester Stallone during Rocky IV filming.
- Stallone's heart swelled, blood pressure hit 260 after a punch.
- The real injury from the film's fight scene was kept in the movie.
Dolph Lundgren has shared details about the serious injury he caused Sylvester Stallone while filming "Rocky IV." Lundgren admitted he was unaware of the severity at the time, only learning Stallone was hospitalized after returning to Los Angeles. Stallone later recounted in a documentary that his heart swelled, his blood pressure dangerously high, leading to an ICU stay.
The incident occurred during the climactic boxing match between their characters, Ivan Drago and Rocky Balboa. Despite the real-life medical emergency, Stallone decided to keep the footage of the impactful punch in the movie, considering its dramatic significance.
"Rocky IV" depicted a grueling fight where Lundgren's character, Ivan Drago, ultimately defeated Stallone's Rocky Balboa. The film's narrative and the intensity of the on-screen battle have since been shadowed by the actual physical toll it took on Stallone.
