The 1976 American sports drama movie Rocky was written by Sylvester Stallone, starred Sylvester Stallone, and was directed by John G. Avildsen. Burgess Meredith, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Talia Shire are also included. In the movie, Rocky Balboa, an Italian-American small-time club fighter who lives in the slums of Philadelphia and works as a debt collector for a Mafia loanshark, gets an unexpected chance to challenge Apollo Creed for the world heavyweight championship.