A 12-foot, 1,800-pound statue of the character made famous by Sylvester Stallone sold for more than $400,000 in October in SCP Auctions' Fall Premier Auction.
The winning bidder turned out to be Stallone, Sports Collectors Daily reported.
The bronze statue, one of two replicas of the original used in the 1982 film, “Rocky III,” had been located at the San Diego Hall of Champions, which is now closed. It was created by sculptor A. Thomas Schomberg. The original stands near the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The statue was cast in bronze in 1980, and after filming for “Rocky III” ended, Stallone donated the statue to the city of Philadelphia.
There is an engraved gold plaque on the statue’s base that reads, in part: “Rocky Balboa, Created in 1980 for the Movie ’Rocky III’ by A. Thomas Schomberg Edition #2/3.”
A third copy of the Rocky statue was created by Schomberg in 2006 and remains at the Schomberg Studios in Evergreen, Colorado, Sports Collectors Daily reported.
Stallone shared an Instagram video that shows the statue being brought into his home, noting that Rocky would “rise again” and that, “He’s down, but not out.”
Stallone also shared an Instagram post on Christmas Day, posing with Arnold Schwarzenegger in front of the statue.
Stallone is no stranger to sports memorabilia. A 2002 Los Angeles Lakers championship ring given to him by Shaquille O'Neal was sold in the same SCP auction, Sports Collectors Daily reported.
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