I'm not a boxing fan by a long shot. But Rocky was not a hero because of boxing and the fact that he could or could not "beat someone up"- he was one in spite of it. His story is obviously a metaphor for the struggles we all face in life; it's not winning or losing that's important - it's the ability to keep moving in all kinds of situations – it’s going the distance. The film became an instant classic and Rocky an American icon due to beautifully subtle, expert character development. Anyone with any kind of empathy at all can identify with Rocky Balboa on some level at some point in this film.
