Rocky film role for Cardiff fight fans

IT WAS a night that once again put Cardiff firmly on the global map – and the 80,000 fans who came to the Principality Stadium for Anthony Joshua’s world heavyweight bout with Joseph Parker also got the chance to be part of a Hollywood blockbuster.

Before Saturday’s main event got underway, fans were asked to react to several fighters’ names in order to generate crowd noise.

And it has now emerged that the reactions will be used for the upcoming film Creed 2.

The spin-off sequel is the latest installment in the multi-million dollar Rocky franchise and will see Adonis Creed – son of Apollo – fight Ivan Drago’s son in a bid to avenge the death of his father.

Prior to Joshua and Parker taking to the ring on Saturday night, the crowd was asked to react to the British star’s name, as well as ring legend Sugar Ray Leonard and Joshua’s fellow heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder.

In between undercard bouts, a camera crew took shots from the ring with a 360-degree camera.

The legendary Rocky music “Eye of the Tiger” was also played before David Price walked out for his brutal defeat by Alexander Povetkin.

ESPN writer Dotun Akintoye tweeted: “Creed 2 is shooting crowd reaction shots in Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. The ring announcer is shouing out names like Anthony Joshua, Sugar Ray Leonard (who is here) and Deontay Wilder (who is not) for the crowd to react to with cheers or boos. We’re all extras now.”

And crowd member Carys Jones wrote on Twitter: “Just been filmed as an extra for Creed 2!”

Producers of the first Creed movie – which was a critical and commercial success, raking in £123m at the box office – filmed shots at Everton’s Goodison Park in 2016 when Tony Bellew, who starred in the film, was crowned cruiserweight world champion when he KO’d Ilunga Makabu.

The film is due to be released on November 21 in America.