Philadelphia Overrun With Rocky Balboa Spottings

On a day that fell somewhere between 'The Surreal Life' and Improv Everywhere, Philadelphia hosted 1,000 Rockys, a dancing woman dressed as Apollo Creed in 'Rocky IV,' and a cheese steak-eating contest all under the watchful eye of radio host/pugnacious pugilist Danny Bonaduce on Sunday.

We're gonna wait and let that sink in for a second before continuing.

And we're back. The event was held to celebrate the release of 'Rocky - The Undisputed Collection,' the first time all six films featuring the most beloved boxer in film history have been released on Blu-Ray (We'll let the fact that organizers called all six films "powerhouses" slide since overall, the series is classic.)

As you can see in the video below, the quintessential rags-to-riches tale of a poor loan shark lackee that becomes an incoherent millionaire with a robot maid is augmented by a re-enactment of the famous "steps climb" in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, excessive eating and children punching things. God Bless America.



Rumors of Philly's Russian immigrant population being injected with steroids and forced to run in unitards have been unverified as of this posting.

While the event was drenched in both Rocky and Philly lore, here are five additional things we wish the event had:

--Tony Burton (AKA Apollo and Rocky's trainer Duke) looking on at the overstuffed, bloated faces of the cheese steak contest participants and yelling, "This is supposed ... to be ... an exhibition!!"

--A now-33-year old Sage Stallone re-enacting his best scene in 'Rocky V' with the mulleted, one-earring-wearing bully.

--A contest on who can deliver the line "Let's start building some hurtin' bombs" from 'Rocky Balboa' the best (Check 1:40 in on the trailer for inspiration.)

--An awkward wedding proposal a la 'Rocky II' where the man tells his potential bride, "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind marrying me very much."

--A stirring performance by Robert Tepper of his montage classic 'No Easy Way Out' from 'Rocky IV.' He can't be very busy these days, right?

With the release of all the films on Blu-Ray, this gives us a good opportunity to ask: what was the best Rocky film and why? Leave your answer in the comments below. My vote: the original was the best made movie but 'Rocky IV' was the most fun.