ENTERTAINMENTDolph Lundgren Details Tense Behind-the-Scenes Moment With Carl Weathers on 'Rocky IV': 'It Was Real'
Dolph Lundgren revealed the tension between him and Carl Weathers during their 'Rocky IV' fight scene was heightened by their limited time together before filming.
Oct. 1 2026, Updated 2:47 p.m. ET
In an interview with SiriusXM podcaster Doug Brunt, Dolph Lundgren revealed that the tension and Carl Weathers' frantic backpedaling during their iconic Rocky IV boxing match were real because the two actors had met only a day earlier, and Lundgren's intense athletic background made him genuinely intimidating.
Lundgren, 68, and Weathers, who died in 2024, met just one day before filming their pivotal Las Vegas ring sequence.
Lundgren trained twice a day for six months with Sylvester Stallone, 80.
Carl Weathers Stormed Off Set After Incident
Dolph Lundgren went off script while filming a fighting scene with Carl Weathers.
The hulking Swedish actor said he stayed completely in character as the unsmiling, stoic Ivan Drago, making Weathers feel unsafe and question whether the hits were real.
During an intense sequence, Lundgren threw Weathers into the corner of the ring with real, unchoreographed force.
Furious, Weathers shouted profanities, stormed off the set, and announced he was quitting the movie to call his agent.
Sylvester Stallone Helped Settle The Dispute
Sylvester Stallone intervened after the on-set dispute, allowing Dolph Lundgren and Carl Weathers to return and complete filming.
Production halted for four days while the dispute was resolved as Stallone stepped in to broker the peace.
Following the intervention, Lundgren agreed to tone down his aggressive style.
Weathers returned to finish the film, and the two later became friendly at reunions.
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Dolph Lundgren confirmed that Carl Weathers' departure from the franchise was tied to a pay dispute with Sylvester Stallone.
Brunt, who is married to podcaster Megyn Kelly, commented to Lundgren in an interview. “The scene that I referenced earlier with Carl Weathers - I wasn't sure if you said it exactly in the book... It sounded like Carl Weathers wanted a little bit too much money to stay in the franchise, and Stallone just said, ‘Go kick his a-s!’”
Lundgren began, saying, “Something like that, yeah."
'When He Was Backpedaling There, It Was Real'
Dolph Lundgren said he remained fully in character as Ivan Drago while filming his fight with Carl Weathers.
“I think the difference was that Stallone knew me because we'd trained together for five months. We were boxing every day. He knew me, and he knew that I was kind of a big softy, but I looked very tough. And when Carl met me, we were in Vegas already, and we're about to shoot the fight the next day, I think, or two days later. And I was in character because I was scared of messing up,” Lundgren explained.
“I wanted to stay in that character. As soon as I got to the ring, I became Ivan Drago, and I would act just like him. I would just walk around like with my chin up, not show any motion. And I think Carl was looking at me, going, 'Who is this freaking guy? He's gonna kill me!' Like, ‘Where did he find him?’ You know? When he was backpedaling there, it was real,” he admitted.
Lundgren recently released his candid memoir, Fights Worth Fighting: Finding Strength in Struggle, where he opened up about his nearly decade-long private battle with kidney cancer and being declared cancer-free in 2024.
