Seen in: Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky V, Rocky Balboa, Creed
The dingy red brick façade is still recognizable here, though the area looks somewhat different now – and even more run down.
The building which stood in for Mighty Mick’s boxing gym never actually was a gym of any kind – all interior scenes of the gym were shot across the country in Los Angeles at the boxer’s haven, Main Street Gym (now demolished).
The old three-story building was constructed back in 1910, standing even before Mickey Goldmill’s era of professional boxing. It has changed hands a few times throughout the years, and in the early 2000’s, it was a Dollar Plus market.
What’s really cool is – on the Front Street side of the building, a small portion of the mural painted for Rocky V is still visible – a pair of red boxing gloves.
THE STORY OF THE GYM
Upon Mickey’s death in Rocky III, the gym was willed to Rocky and Adrian’s son, Robert, and the location is revisited in 1990’s Rocky V when a down-and-out Rocky returns to his old stomping ground to renovate the place and bring it back to life as a boxing gym.
Here, he trains his protege Tommy “The Machine” Gunn, and trainer Jimmy Gambina works with Robert Jr.
Fifteen years later in 2006’s Rocky Balboa, Rocky and Paulie visit the exterior of the gym to find that the old sign is crumbling and in disrepair – evidently by this time, Rocky is no longer actively involved in the operation of Mick’s and is more concerned with running Adrian’s Restaurant.
This is confirmed in Creed when Rocky finally re-enters the gym to find it fully renovated and functioning as a modern 21st century boxing gym, now operated by Rocky’s longtime friend (or frenemy), Pete Sporino, father of Leo “The Lion” Sporino, who Adonis Creed fights.
MIGHTY MICK’S SIGN
The recognizable “Mighty Mick’s Boxing” sign featuring a likeness of Burgess Meredith as Mickey was painted by the studio differently for each of the Rocky movies and was affixed above the door only during filming. Learn more about the different variations of Mickey’s sign through the years.
FILMING FOR CREED
In early 2015, Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan journeyed to this famous spot where some brief exterior scenes were filmed here for Creed, showing an all-new version of the Mighty Mick’s sign in yellows and blacks hanging over the door.
Interior scenes of Mighty Mick’s were shot elsewhere in Philadelphia over at the Must Fight Boxing Club (504 Edgmont Ave, Chester, PA 19013) for Creed. (Click to read about filming at Must Fight.)
From Mighty Micks gym last Sunday with my beautiful Lisa! #rockybalboa #burtyoung pic.twitter.com/dNpZLlNCfF— Burt Young (@burtyoungartist) June 21, 2015
