We cover the emotional auction of the Balboas’ belongings, Rocky Jr. on the motorcycle, Rocky reconnecting with his old clothes and past, the visit to Andy’s bar and Mighty Mick’s Gym, the powerful Burgess Meredith Mickey flashback (including the Rocky Marciano cufflink), moving back into Paulie’s place, and George Washington Duke’s opportunistic phone call to Adrian.  

00:00 Live Start & Missing Ruben  
01:20 Auction / Garage Sale Scene  
05:19 Rocky Jr. on the Motorcycle  
08:39 Attic / Old Clothes Scene  
12:08 Going to Andy’s Bar  
13:51 Mighty Mick’s Gym  
15:05 Mickey Flashback Begins  
19:14 Cufflink Gift Scene  
20:30 Flashback Discussion & Timeline  
25:34 Moving Back to the Neighborhood  
30:10 George Washington Duke Phone Call  
32:13 Closing & Next Episode Tease  

Ryan and Ruban dig into the shocking revelation that the Balboas have lost everything thanks to Paulie’s power-of-attorney mistake, the shady accountant, and the irreversible brain damage diagnosis.  

We cover Adrian’s powerful performance, the real-lawyer cameo, Rocky in glasses, the cavum septum pellucidum explanation, the emotional “if you love somebody” scene, newspaper headlines, and more. Special thanks to Trisha Morrison for the Tommy Gunn jacket note.  

00:00 Live Start & Recap  
01:39 Adrian vs Paulie Argument  
04:43 Power of Attorney Explanation  
06:51 Father Carmine Chat Question  
09:37 Rocky Statue & Blame Game  
12:48 Lawyer Scene & Real Lawyer Note  
14:16 Rocky in Glasses Trivia  
16:59 Mickey’s Gym Nest Egg  
23:41 Doctor Visit & Brain Scans  
26:49 “Simply Stated… Brain Damage”  
28:18 Adrian’s Emotional Plea  
31:02 Newspaper Headlines & Auction  
32:50 Tommy Gunn Jacket Note  
33:12 Closing Thoughts  

Continuing our Season 5 Rocky V breakdown on Going the Distance! Ryan, Ruban, and special guest Andrew pick up right where we left off at the airport press conference as Adrian announces Rocky’s retirement.  

We dig into Rocky’s reaction, the over-the-top reporters, the limo ride home, the changing Balboa houses across the series, the almost-robot from Rocky IV, Rotten Tomatoes scores, and the sweet (and funny) father-son scenes — including Rocky Jr.’s drawing of his French teacher, the “mushroom” joke, Russian currency, and the goodnight kiss.  

Huge thanks again to Andrew for joining us live.  

00:00 Live Start & Voice Apology  
01:05 Andrew Returns & Recap  
02:50 Adrian Announces Retirement  
04:12 Rocky’s Reaction & Press Pressure  
08:53 Union Cane & George Washington Duke  
10:46 Cindy Roberts Reporter Note  
14:38 Limo Ride & House Continuity  
15:50 The Missing Robot  
16:51 Rotten Tomatoes Scores Discussion  
24:55 Rocky Jr.’s Room & Artwork  
27:51 French Teacher Drawing Scene  
32:51 “Mushroom” Joke & Russian Money  
34:43 Born Again / Better Life Talk  
38:30 Goodnight Kiss & Cultural Notes  
43:17 Closing & Thanks  

This is our Season 5 opener and the first live guest recording as Ryan and Ruban welcome local Rocky fan and boxing enthusiast Andrew to break down Rocky V.

We cover the 1990 box office numbers (far from a flop), teenage theater experiences, how the film deliberately returned to the roots of Rocky 1 & 2 after the spectacle of 3 & 4, the Burgess Meredith/Mickey flashback inspired by Cus D’Amato and young Mike Tyson, the airport press conference, George Washington Duke, and more.

Huge thanks to Andrew for joining us live for this special occasion.

00:12 Intro & Episode 101 / Season 5 Kickoff
00:53 Guest Andrew Introduction
03:04 Rocky V Box Office & “Flop” Myth
06:19 Initial Theater Reactions as Teens
08:52 Street Fight Ending Debate
09:48 Original Ending Where Rocky Dies
12:41 Burgess Meredith / Mickey Flashback
13:28 Cus D’Amato & Mike Tyson Inspiration
16:38 John G. Avildsen Returns as Director
39:43 Timeline & Rocky Jr. Age Issues
41:23 Airport Press Conference Scene
48:53 George Washington Duke Arrival
53:30 Adrian Announces Retirement – Cliffhanger
54:40 Closing & Thanks to Andrew

Join Ryan for an amazing interview with stand-up comedian Joe Matarese!

Joe Matarese is a South Jersey/Philadelphia-area comedian known for his sharp, autobiographical material about family, neuroses, marriage, parenting, and everyday life. He’s appeared on America’s Got Talent (standing ovation), The Late Show with David Letterman, The Howard Stern Show, Comedy Central, Chelsea Lately, and more. He has four one-hour specials available for free on YouTube: Medicated, The Poster’s Wrong, Mullets and Mixtapes, and Almost Sold Out.

His current tour is called “It’s In The Wooder.”

Find everything about Joe here:
Website: http://www.joematarese.com/
Instagram / TikTok / X: @TheJoeMatarese

Robert Doornick, creator of the iconic SICO Robot from Rocky IV, joins the podcast! Robert shares how SICO was designed as a therapeutic tool for special needs children, his connection to Stallone via his autistic son, on-set stories, voice work, future of robotics, and more. A fascinating look at the man behind one of Rocky’s most memorable characters.

Trisha Morrison, widow of Tommy Morrison (Tommy Gunn in Rocky V), joins the podcast for a heartfelt interview. Trisha shares stories from Tommy's room filled with memorabilia, their meeting, his personality, health journey, Rocky V, and legacy. Emotional, honest conversation touching on bullying, faith, and keeping Tommy's memory alive.

Tim Carr, best known as Rocky Jr.'s friend in Rocky Balboa, joins the podcast for a lively interview! Tim shares stories from the Rocky set, working with Stallone, his roles in Species, All My Children (Colton), Homicide: Life on the Street, playing Ryan Leaf, directing, and more. Packed with laughs, listener interaction, and classic acting tales.

Ira Green, powerful Italian rock vocalist known for her fiery covers of “Eye of the Tiger” and “No Easy Way Out,” joins the podcast! Ira shares her musical journey from Pink Floyd and Nirvana to grunge/metal, her emotional story of bullying and growth, appearing on The Voice Italy, her album Rebellion, and how her boyfriend Marco introduced her to the Rocky films. Plus her Philly visit with Mike Kunda and plans for a new Italian-language album.

Robert Tepper, the voice behind the iconic Rocky IV montage song “No Easy Way Out,” joins the podcast for a candid conversation. From his New Jersey roots and early music days to writing the hit, landing it in Rocky IV, the Cobra soundtrack, and life as a Grammy-nominated artist, Robert shares heartfelt stories, Stallone anecdotes, and even teases an acoustic version.