Rocky the best underdog movie ever.....

The original Rocky is one of the best underdog stories to ever hit the big screen. Subsequent Rocky movies got cheesier as the series progressed and only serve to show that there are unheard of talents in nearly every endeavour, and, if given the chance, they are capable of greatness of their own. In a way, Rocky is a ridiculous story. Heavyweight fight fans probably can't remember a time when Lennox Lewis or Evander Holyfield rolled into town and handed an unknown fighter a shot at the title.
It just doesn't happen-anymore.
Perhaps the historical justification for Rocky Balboa's shot at the title goes back to Joe Louis's reign as champ. Sometime after he avenged his loss to Max Schmelling, Louis took on a list of dubious challengers that became known as "The Bum of the Month Club." The champ pretty much had his way with these lesser fighters, but if he would have lost along the way, it would have made for a real-life Rocky story. Oddly enough, the "Bum" fights ended as Louis took on Light Heavyweight champ Billy Conn. The bigger Louis was a huge favourite, but he nearly lost his title. His saving grace was that the smaller, underdog fighter got cocky in the later rounds and fell victim to Joe's power and size.
With this in mind, Apollo Creed comes to Philly looking for a fight, and the only thing Balboa has going for him is a catchy nickname: The Italian Stallion. Rocky is something of a reluctant hero: deep down he knows that he doesn't have a chance against the world champ, and his only goal is to last the full fifteen rounds. However, in the meantime a string of victories comes together for one of life's losers: he finds love, wins over the tough Philly sports fans, and nearly shakes up the world with a near miss against Creed. The result is one of the most beloved heroes of film lore.
Stallone is something of a boxing aficionado, and my guess is that he was familiar with Joe Louis's career. Louis is remembered as one of the greatest heavyweight champions in boxing history, and anybody fighting him had a tough hill to climb. There is also something to be drawn from the Louis/Conn title fight. Like Billy Conn, Rocky Balboa was the lighter man and a huge underdog. There's part of the foundation for the movie. Joe Louis didn't have a dynamic personality, so the "flamboyant" Apollo Creed seemingly had a little Muhammed Ali in him. In the end, boxing history makes this unlikely hero a distinct possibility. Boxing is the most brutal of one-on-one sports, and anything can happen. In this case the "bum" had a puncher's chance and made the best of it.