Written by: Samuel K. Sloan (Farpoint Media Exec. News Dir.)

In a satirical move, but one that makes a valid point, The Onion has stripped the once downtrodden underdog, Rocky Balboa of all his previous titles as the imaginary boxing Heavyweight Champion of the World.

All this came as a result of the actor who created and played Rocky in six highly successful films recently being caught and charged with possession of the illegal human growth hormone Jintropin at an Australian airport.

Sylvester Stallone, the writer, director, actor and creator of the Philadelphia pug, it would appear, did more than buff-up for the part of Rocky over the years, he was juiced as well on HGH. Not something good for the kiddies to emulate.

“This is a sad day for fictional boxing,” WBA president Gilberto Mendoza said. “Like many moviegoers, I was deeply touched by Rocky Balboa’s story: a street thug from Philadelphia who, when given the chance of a lifetime, was able to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds in the pursuit of his dream. Now we learn that the entire underdog fantasy was based on a lie.”

Well, I’m not that ready to say it was all based on a lie, it is a movie afterall, not real life. But, Stallone is real and his use of the juice is real and that does taint the image of the great character he created since he, in the minds of countless millions across the globe, is the face and body of Rocky Balboa.

I do remember the first time I saw “Rocky” sitting in my car with my wife in 1976 at a drive-in and watching with great thrill to see how this guy, who was an undereducated, street-wise, but good-hearted lug rose to unprecedented heights all because he believed in himself and was surrounded by people who loved him and believed in him too. The feel-good ending to the film was a throw-back to older pre-Vietnam Hollywood and changed the course of moviemaking for the better.

While I appreciate the point that The Onion was trying to make by stripping the fictional titles away from a fictitious character, I must say that for those who have no problem separating real life from fiction, what Sly has done in no way negates the powerful inspiration that his created character, Rocky Balboa, has instilled in people over the last 30 plus years. For Sly’s sake let’s hope his being caught with an illegal substance and convicted for it will be all the wake-up call he needs to kick the juice for good.