The 1970s and ‘80s birthed some incredibly cool movie characters, many of which have since become iconic within popular culture. Luke Skywalker, Michael Myers, Indiana Jones and the Terminator are just a few of the resulting cinematic figures that are now revered by movielovers. Of course, within that group of titans is also Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa from 1976’s Rocky and Daniel LaRusso of The Karate Kid – one of 1984’s hit movies. Balboa and LaRusso were well known for their combat skills, and some fans may wonder who might’ve won had they crossed paths and gotten into a scrap. Well, Daniel actor Ralph Macchio and his co-star, William Zabka, have fun takes on that.
Both of the beloved characters are certainly formidable in their own right. I mean, Balboa has the eye of the tiger, and he was saddled with some tough opponents throughout the Rocky franchise. Then again, Daniel has been in some serious fights himself, emerging victorious with powerful moves like the crane kick and drum technique. It should also be noted that the Karate Kid villains he’s bested are pretty vicious as well.
So with all of that in mind, you can’t help but be curious about where Ralph Macchio and William Zabka stand. They headlined a panel at Fan Expo Dallas this past weekend that CinemaBlend attended and, during it, they were asked for answers. Macchio recalled how he’d been pitched a crossover film between the two hit franchises back in the day. (That project didn't happen because director John G. Avildsen thought it was a "forced" idea.) From there, he delivered some thoughts that may surprise fans:
Initially the idea, I wrote it in this book I had out, that is out that's called Waxing On - if you haven't read it, you get it or listen to it. But yeah, I was pitched 'what if Rocky had a kid and LaRusso had a kid, and they fought at some point?' So who would win fight between Rocky or Daniel LaRusso? Yeah, Rocky was my hero growing up. I'd have bow to Rocky, I think, crane kick or not. You know, that was my hero growing up 1976.
I can honestly understand his view. Just thinking about it, Daniel has the finesse, while Rocky has the sheer strength, which he used to defeat the likes of Clubber Lang and Ivan Drago. It sounds like the actor’s thinking also stems from a bit of admiration for the “Italian Stallion,” and you can’t blame him. While not perfect, Balboa is as noble as he is physically imposing. After being asked to weigh in, William Zabka – who played Johnny Lawrence in the classic karate movie – poked a bit of fun at his character’s longtime frenemy before delivering his opinion:
For sure LaRusso. He somehow would have cheated and got it. There's no way, especially if he had Miyagi with him. . . . That sinister Miyagi. [Laughs.] That's a great question. I don't know. I mean, I think La Russo wouldn't stand a chance.
Not only do the two actors think Daniel wouldn’t win, but they also seem to believe it would be a quick fight. That humorously seemed to comfort one of the acting vets:
Ralph Macchio: It'd be over in the first round
William Zabka: It would have ended the way the movie should have ended. Just kidding. Wow, it's getting really dark in here.
It’s great that the veteran actors seem to share a warm sense of camaraderie, but you can’t help but chuckle when they lovingly rib each other. The fact that they also have such keen thoughts on this fictional battle is also cool. It may not be possible now, but the thought of Balboa taking on LaRusso is just so juicy. (However, a bout between Rocky and Rambo may be a bit closer.)
Regardless of who the better fighter is though, fans will surely continue to love the characters. That enduring popularity is also why fans were so excited to see Rocky and Daniel return more recently in the Creed franchise and Cobra Kai, respectively. It’s somewhat sad that the movie Ralph Macchio was pitched didn’t come to fruition. Still, like him and William Zabka, we can definitely hold on to any theories we may have.
You can stream the first five Rocky movies using a Netflix subscription, which will also get you access to the first five seasons of Cobra Kai. Meanwhile, the sixth installment of the boxing saga is available to Prime Video subscribers, while the Karate Kid trilogy is streaming with AMC+.
