Sylvester Stallone Says He Loves Pro Wrestling, Likens It To Action Films

Sylvester Stallone is a fan of professional wrestling, discussing his love of the industry in a new interview. The Hollywood action star spoke with Sports Illustrated promoting his new film Samaritan and talked about his appreciation of wrestling, how he considers it similar to action films and more. You can check out the highlights below:

On being a pro wrestling fan: “I love wrestling. It’s all about getting swept up in the drama … “There’s a passion for that world, big time. People like Bruno Sammartino, those are people that helped forge my personality and my outlook on life. Bruno, Gorgeous George, [bodybuilder/actor] Steve Reeves, [boxer] Rocky Marciano —- especially Rocky Marciano. I love wrestling’s mythic qualities. I made my daughters watch wrestling—I wanted them to watch for the story.”

On likening professional wrestling to action films: “I understand what goes into it. I hear people say it’s not real. Really? Gravity is real. Jumping off the top rope or having 300 pounds landing on you, that’s real. I feel the same way about action films. They’ve been submerged in sort of a dismissive sort of genre. Like, ‘Oh, it’s an action film.’ All I know is I’ve had maybe 31 operations due to action films, so I consider it very real.”

On the dramatic value of wrestling: “Wrestling, it has nothing to do with who’s scoring a touchdown. It’s entertainment. It’s not meant to be ‘The score is now 14–3.’ It’s a morality play, all about the drama. That’s what it’s all about.”