Hey Rocky fans! I just received a set of Rocky Series III figures from Ringside Collectibles, and as usual will share with you all my imagery, and thoughts/opinions on the new batch of figures!

Rocky Balboa(Victory Over Clubber)











The early thoughts on this figure are simple- Where's the robe!? Jakks has been very generous in the first two series giving us robes for Rocky in series I, and both Rocky and Apollo in series II. In series III, the robe is not there. Whatever the reasoning is, it does leave me with a bit of disappointment, but it doesn't take away from what is still a great figure. Most casual fans identify Rocky with the red/white/blue flag trunks, so I would consider this as the iconic version of the Italian Stallion. Rocky is featured in the stars and stripes trunks handed down to him by friend and former opponent Apollo Creed. Unlike Apollo in series I, the stars go all the way around, and up the sides of his trunks. Also notable is the fact that Rocky has a new head sculpt, which is more angular looking than the previous Rocky heads, as it should be. Sylvester Stallone looked very different in Rocky III than he did in the previous two films. Another small detail I like is the fact that Rocky's skin tone is darker, and more tanned looking. If you remember, Rocky goes out to the west coast to train on the beach with Apollo, so the darker skin is certainly a nice touch. While the lack of the robe is a disappointment, its hard to pass up this figure for that reason alone. If you are desperate for the robe, you can use the one from the Kay Bee three pack.

Overall: 9/10(would have been a perfect 10 with the Robe)

Clubber Lang(Loss To Rocky)











I might as well get it out of the way for this figure too. There is also no robe included with Clubber Lang. Its a little more disappointing as there is no alternative way to get Clubber's robe, but as I mentioned with Rocky- it doesn't take away from a fantastic figure. This version of Clubber Lang is not only one of the best figures in Series III, but one of my personal favorites in the entire line thusfar. Clubber is depicted in his black trunks from his loss in his rematch against Rocky Balboa. His head sculpt shows a look of anger and frustration which we saw often in the fight, and works perfectly for this figure. Like Rocky, this figure would have been perfect with the robe, but it shouldn't prevent you from adding the 'Southside Slugger' to your collection.

Overall: 9/10(would be 10/10 with the robe)

Thunderlips "The Ultimate Male"















Thunderlips. Now here is a figure that was done properly. Not only does he include his cape, but also his hat. Thunderlips wasn't the most important character in the Rocky series, but he is a character that stands out in his brief appearance in the third Rocky film. Played by then WWF superstar Hulk Hogan, Thunderlips is clad in white wrestling trunks with red boots. He features a red and white cape with "Thunderlips The Ultimate Male" on the back, accompanied by a huge pair of silver lips. You may see my score below and feel I am being picky when scoring this figure lower than perfect when I post a review of the Ringside Rocky/Thunderlips 2 pack shortly.

Overall: 9.5/10

 

Rocky Balboa(Loss To Clubber)











Jakks has done a great job with the battle damaged Rocky figures thusfar. The Battle damaged Rocky head sculpt is one of my favorites they have done in the entire line, and the figures always turn out top notch. Much like the previous two battle damaged Rocky's, this figure features Rocky in his trademark attire after he just took a beating. This one seems to feature heavier damage around Rocky's right eye than the previous two.

Overall: 10/10

Rocky Balboa(Training)











Training has always been a big part in the Rocky films, and Jakks has done a great job acknowledging that. We received training Rocky's in both series I and II, and a nice third version here. Rocky is wearing black shorts, and a black tank top as he did in one of the many training sequences in Apollo's gym in Rocky III to find the "Eye of the Tiger." This figure also features a new head sculpt, which looks very nice on this figure.

Overall: 10/10

Clubber Lang(Street Gear)











This version of Clubber Lang is from when the then heavyweight challenger approached Rocky at his statue dedication ceremony. While another great figure of Clubber, this figure is also missing a detail that would have been great to have- the dangling feather earrings which Clubber was wearing at the time. However, its a small detail, and this is still a great figure to add to your collection.

Overall: 8.5/10

 

 

 

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