American Rhetoric: Movie Speech

"Rocky Balboa" (2006)

Rocky Pleads His Case Before The Pennsylvania Athletic Commission

Audio mp3 delivered by Sylvester Stallone

  Commission Chair: This plenary session of the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission is convened in order to consider the application of Rocky Balboa for the issuance of a discretionary professional boxing license, due to his ineligibility to be licensed as a matter of right. Mr. Balboa, you're welcome here. Since you're representing yourself, we invite you to make an opening statement if you'd like to.

Rocky Balboa: Naw, I was just curious how I did. That's all.

Commission Chair: Alright, well, the medical advisory board has informed us that the battery of tests to which you’ve been subjected -- you’ve passed these tests with flying colors and we congratulate you for that.

Rocky Balboa: Thanks.

Commission Chair: However, this commission, in good conscience, cannot recommend you for a license, and we therefore deny your application.

  Rocky Balboa: Didn’t I do what you asked?

  Commission Rep: Yes, you did.

Rocky Balboa: So I should get a license, right?

Commission Rep: Not exactly.

Rocky Balboa: So why’d you give me all them tests if you was never passing me?

Commission Chair: We’ve got to stand by our decision here and we have to deny your request for a license at this time.

[Rocky gets up to leave, gets halfway out the chamber door, turns and comes back in]

Rocky Balboa: Yo, don’t I got some rights?

Commission Chair: What rights do you think you’re referring to?

  Rocky Balboa: "Rights," like in that official paper that they wrote down the street there.

Commission Chair: That’s the Bill of Rights.

Rocky Balboa: Yeah, yeah, the Bill of Rights. Don’t it say something about going after what makes you happy.

Commission Chair: No, that’s the pursuit of happiness, but what’s your point?

Rocky Balboa: My point is, I’m pursuing somethin' and nobody looks too happy about it.

Commission Chair: But, we’re just looking out for your interests.

  Rocky Balboa: I appreciate that, but maybe you’re looking out for your interests just a little bit more. I mean you shouldn’t be asking people to come down here and pay the freight on something they paid that still ain’t good enough. I mean you think that’s right? I mean maybe you’re doing your job, but why you gotta stop me from doing mine? 'Cause if you’re willing to go through all the battling you gotta go through to get where you wanna get -- Who’s got the right to stop you? I mean maybe some of you guys got something you never finished, something you really wanna do, something you never said to somebody -- somethin'! -- and you’re told "No," even after you pay your dues? Who’s got the right to tell you that? Who? Nobody. It’s your right to listen to your gut. It ain’t nobody’s right to say "No" after you earned the right to be where you wanna be and do what you wanna do.

  Rocky Balboa: You know, the older I get, the more things I gotta leave behind. That’s life. The only thing I’m asking you guys to leave on the table is what’s right....