Sylvester Stallone is well known for his all-action hero image. But the Hollywood actor who once owned an adorable Bullmastiff called Butkus is now attracting further attention after introducing a new giant Rottweiler puppy into his home.
The Rottie, named Dwight after his character in the upcoming American crime drama series Tulsa King, has already become a star and he's perhaps destined to follow in the footsteps of Butkus who appeared in Rocky and Rocky II.
After all, Dwight has taken to the small screen rather well, with the 76-year-old actor sharing a video of them both on Instagram. As he pets his new dog, rubbing his face and patting him, he asks about the best ways of giving his pooch a wash.
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The pair also appear very comfortable in each other's company, with Stallone wondering if Dwight is good with meeting people. “So incredibly happy with my newly acquired four legged friend, Dwight, my character's name from the series,” Stallone went on to write. “Keep punching and keep barking.” Stallone also thanked Dwight's trainer and breeder Dave Smith “and his wonderful wife”.
Stallone certainly appears happy and content, displaying a similar bond to that shown with Butkus all those years ago. The actor got the 140-pound bullmastiff in 1969 when the dog was just six-weeks-old but financial difficulties meant he had to be sold - a position he sought to rectify.
Indeed, when Stallone sold his Rocky script, he bought Butkus back, hence the pooch's ability to star in the next two Rocky movies, making a particular impression in the iconic training sequence.
Sadly, Butkus died of a heart attack in 1981 but he was so fondly remembered, he remained pictured on Stallone's computer desktop wallpaper as recently as 2015.
