There are few franchises as long lasting — or as heavy-hitting — as the Rocky saga. Launching in 1976 with the Best Picture-winning Rocky, written by and starring Sylvester Stallone, the boxing series ...

Because “Rocky” went on to create a legacy of indelible characters and make over $1.7 billion at the box office, people remember cheering the big fights at the end of the films. But the first “Rocky” ...