Famous Boxer Dog Names

There are few canines that have had such a large impact on their famous owner like Butkus had on his. While Meatball, Adam Sandler’s English Bulldog, appeared in several of his feature films and Zero, Humphrey Bogart’s dog appeared with him in High Sierra, Butkus helped his owner Sylvester Stallone make his career. 

Stallone got Butkus in 1969 when the Bull Mastiff was only six weeks old and yet, as Stallone later described him, he was a “ferocious little devil” who even ate his security blanket. After the event, as a tribute to one of the fiercest players in football history, Stallone and his wife decided to name the dog after Dick Butkus. Of course, this wasn’t the only indication that Butkus had an endless amount of pent-up energy or the character to create memorable stories. In interviews about his companion, Stallone tells numerous tales of Butkus damaging several apartments by flooding them with water because of his penchant for chewing on the tops of giant water bottles and even drawing an ostrich attack while the family was driving through a wildlife preserve.

But Butkus’ greatest influence came in 1971, when Stallone was so poor he could barely afford to go out, and spent much of his time with his dog in the flophouse they lived in over a subway station. During that time, since Stallone could do little else, he decided to pick up screenwriting and used Butkus as a sounding board for his jokes and storylines, alongside of being his dedicated companion — he even attributes credit to his dog for helping to write Rocky’s original screenplay. 

Unfortunately, times got too tough for Stallone and he eventually had to sell Butkus for $40 to a man loitering outside of a 7-Eleven because he was unable to afford food for himself, let alone his monstrous dog. Six months later, the screenplay sold, so Stallone tracked the man down in attempts to re-buy his faithful companion. His new family was reluctant to get rid of him, but knowing Stallone was desperate to get his dog back, they agreed for the sum of $15,000 — of which Stallone claims “he was worth every penny.” 

Butkus went on to be featured in both Rocky I and Rocky II as Rocky’s training partner and was even attributed and credited under his real name in both films. His legacy continued beyond his actual life as well, as he was featured in 2002’s “Rocky: The Game”. Butkus died in 1981 and still receives tributes and affection from Stallone and fans on social media.