Stallone Went to Cleveland to Put Punch Into ‘Rocky’

Sylvester Stallone realized he needed more than an acting class to be convincing as the indomitable fighter Rocky, so he called on Richie Giachetti for help.

Giachetti, a Clevelander, is what Hollywood credit lines call a technical adviser. Stallone, whose “Rocky IV” hit the theaters last week, says the 45-year-old Giachetti is a knockout at teaching knockouts.

“He took a rock and polished it into a diamond,” Stallone said in a recent interview. “Richie taught me how to collect my feet, how to throw my weight into the hook, the right hook. And to kind of like step into my punches. And Richie’s specialty is, he is very conscious of the footwork and the jab. I think he’s really extraordinary. He taught me more about boxing than anybody.”

Giachetti and Stallone met in 1978 when Larry Holmes, managed by Giachetti, took the heavyweight title from Ken Norton.

Stallone and Giachetti would see each other at the fights, and each time, Giachetti says, Stallone would question the former Golden Gloves champ about the inside world of boxing.

Giachetti has trained five world champions, including Holmes and welterweight Aaron Pryor. For “Rocky IV,” he helped choreograph the boxing scenes as well as train actor Dolph Lundgren, who plays the Soviet fighter.

A former kick-boxing champion from Sweden, Lundgren stands 6 feet 5, which is 8 inches taller than Stallone. One problem for Hollywood was making the two seem about the same size.

“You don’t want to make (Sly) look small,” Giachetti said. “So he threw body punches and not as many to the head as previously.

“Basically, it was getting him (Stallone) not to throw the same punches. Lot of times he didn’t like to jab. He’s a converted southpaw. He’d throw a lot of hooks. I’d get him to work off the jab. As an inside fighter, he’s real tough.”

Besides helping Stallone with his films, Giachetti has also been helping the movie star with his boxers.

In 1981, Stallone asked Giachetti to move in with him in Los Angeles and train Lee Canalito, a heavyweight whose record is 18-0. Canalito, who is under contract to Stallone, was to be the next Great White Hope.

“His dream,” Giachetti said of Stallone, “is to have a white heavyweight champion . . . a real-life Rocky.”