Carl Weathers dies at 76: Sylvester Stallone pays touching tribute to Apollo Creed actor

American actor Carl Weathers died on the age of 76 on Thursday, February 1. Weathers’ household confirmed the news of his demise in a press release, saying he “died peacefully in his sleep.” His demise left followers of the Rocky franchise devastated as Weathers was most well-known for his position as Apollo Creed. Following the news of Weathers’ demise, Sylvester Stallone, who starred alongside him in Rocky movies, paid a touching tribute to his co-star.

Sylvester Stallone’s emotional tribute to Rocky co-star Carl Weathers

Stallone, who portrayed Rocky Balboa, took to social media to precise his grief over Weathers’ demise. In a video shared on Instagram on Friday, Stallone stated, “Today is an incredibly sad day for me. I’m so torn up I can’t even tell you.” “I’m just trying to hold it in because Carl Weathers was such an integral part of my life, my success, everything about it,” he continued.

The Rambo star stated, “I give him incredible credit and kudos because when he walked into that room, and I saw him for the first time, I saw greatness, but I didn’t realise how great, adding, I never could have accomplished what we did with Rocky without him.”

“He was absolutely brilliant. His voice, his size, his power, his athletic ability, but more importantly, his heart and his soul. It’s a horrible loss,” Stallone expressed. “It was probably the last moment we were ever in the ring together, and I’ll never forget it. He was magic, and I was so fortunate to be part of his life. So, Apollo, keep punching,” he added.

Michael B. Jordan, Adam Sandler pay tributes to Carl Weathers

Alongside Stallone, other A-listers who were touched by Weathers at some point in their life poured out tributes for him. Michael B. Jordan, who plays the role of Adonis Creed, the son of Apollo Creed in the latest films of the Rocky franchise, took to social media to express his sorrow. “We lost a legend today,” Jordan wrote on his Instagram tales.

Adam Sandler, who starred alongside Weathers in Happy Gilmore, wrote, “A true great man. Great dad. Great actor. Great athlete. So much fun to be around always. Smart as hell. Loyal as hell. Funny as hell. Loved his sons more than anything. What a guy! Everyone loved him. My wife and I had the best times with him every time we saw him. Love to his entire family and Carl will always be known as a true legend.”