14 Rocky Quotes to Bring Our Your Inner Badass

There’s no doubting that Rocky Balboa is one of the greatest legends of all time. Like, seriously. He’s one of those dudes that you’d just love to get a beer with if he was, you know, a real person. Hell, we love him so much that we even made tees about the dude. Movie character or not, Rocky has had some great quotes that inspire us and bring out our inner badass. Here are some of our favorites.

“Every champion was once a contender who refused to give up.”

This is one of our favorite Rocky inspirational quotes. This one tops our list because it’s a great reminder of the importance of perseverance. Whether on the frontlines, in the gym, or at work, there’s always a circumstance in which we have to keep on keeping on. This quote is an awesome reminder of that.

“All I wanna do is go the distance.”

Don’t we all? This is one of the more straightforward Rocky quotes, and we can’t help but relate to the feeling of wanting to be more and do more.

“I stopped thinking the way other people think a long time ago. You gotta think like you think.”

All of history’s biggest badasses became badass thanks to their unique way of thinking. Would Rocky Balboa be a fucking follower? Of course not. Keep that in mind next time you’re tempted to blend in with the sheep.

“You know, I think you try harder when you’re scared.”

Ever been scared shitless? (If you say ‘no,’ you’re fucking lying.) We’ve all been in situations where we are scared out of minds, but you’ve gotta be like Nike and just do it.

“Ya know, they always say if you live in one place long enough, you are that place.”

Rocky inspirational quotes aren’t all about perseverance; sometimes the best Rocky quotes are about broadening your perspective. If your town’s old back roads have become all too familiar, it may be time to go out and explore new places. After all, “the world is your oyster”… or some shit like that.

“Nobody owes nobody nothing.”

AKA, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. (But you already knew that.)

“If I can change and you can change, everybody can change.”

Who said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?

“Now, if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain’t you. You’re better than that!”

You hear that? Don’t be a coward. Cowards fucking suck –– and Chivers don’t quit.

“Every once in a while a person comes along who defies the odds, who defies logic, and fulfills an incredible dream.”

There’s nothing wrong with being vulnerable and admitting that you have a dream. No, not MLK Jr.’s dream… we’re talking about your dream. This is one of our favorite Rocky quotes because it’s a reminder that even if the odds are against you, you never give up.

“Until you start believing in yourself, you ain’t gonna have a life.”

If it’s not overwhelmingly clear by now, Rocky believes that you should get off your ass and get after it. But step one? You’ve gotta believe in your own damn self.

“You can’t learn anything when you’re talking. That’s a fact of life. As long as you’re talking, you’re not listening.”

It’s easy to tell someone else to shut the fuck up, but sometimes you’ve gotta look in the mirror and realize that you are the person who needs to shut the fuck up. It’s really as simple as that.

“You see this guy staring back at you? That’s your toughest opponent. I believe that’s true in the ring and I think that’s true in life.”

TL;DR? Don’t be your own worst enemy.

“I believe there’s an inner power that makes winners or losers. And the winners are the ones who really listen to the truth of their hearts.”

Like many of the Rocky quotes on this list, this might sound cheesy as fuck. And perhaps it is. But there’s no denying the truth behind this statement. Go after what you want and be who you want to be. Anyone who doesn’t like that can fuck off. Politely, of course.

“Success is usually the culmination of controlling failure.”

This quote wasn’t said by Rocky directly, but instead by the legendary actor who portrayed him: Sylvester Stallone. Failure can be intimidating but falling short of your goals is even worse. Don’t be that guy.

It’s never a bad time to push the boundaries and embrace your inner badass. We’re talking about pushing the boundaries with self-growth, yes, but perhaps also pushing the boundaries of full beer chugs every now and then. It’s called balance. (Plus, you can bet your bottom dollar that our boy Rocky likes a good fucking full beer chug.)

In honor of this legendary movie character, we created Rocky Balboa tees for both men and women. And if there’s one thing you should remember from all this, it’s that when in doubt ask yourself: What Would Rocky Do?