| “ | Look, Rocky, you took me as far as you could, but Duke gave me my title shot, you didn't! And if you wanna keep on training me, do it. But if you don't, don't. But it's MY way or it's the highway!! | „ |
| ~ Tommy leaving Rocky. |
| “ | Hey, you don't own me! YOU DON'T OWN ME!! NOBODY DOES!!! I want MY RESPECT!!! | „ |
| ~ Tommy manhandling Duke before proceeding to fight Rocky. |
Thomas "Tommy" Gunn (also known as The Machine and the Clone Ranger) is the secondary antagonist of the 1990 film Rocky V. He was a young boxer who started off as a protégé to Rocky Balboa, but later became his opponent upon leaving him in favor for boxing promoter George Washington Duke.
He was portrayed by the late professional boxer Tommy Morrison.
Biography[]
According to Tommy, he grew up in Oklahoma and had a bad childhood due to his father sexually assaulting him and his mother. He attributed much of his anger in the ring towards his father, even taking the opportunity to take out his father in the ring as revenge for the harsh mistreatment he endured. Gunn turned pro at the age of 18 and earned a record of eight knockouts before he heard about Rocky's success of his fights against Apollo Creed, Clubber Lang and Ivan Drago. Gunn packed up all his belongings and left for Philadelphia, hoping that Balboa would manage and train him.
At first, Rocky is reluctant as he hardly got any experience as a boxing trainer, but took an interest in Tommy's talent, even allowing him to stay in the Balboa residence. As days past by, Rocky helps Tommy win a series of boxing fights, climbing himself into the ranks of boxing history; even Duke takes the opportunity to shower Gunn with luxuries as a reward before promoting him a shot against Union Cane for the title.
Despite the success, Tommy felt extremely resentful of the fact that the public and press are labeling him as "Rocky's Gunn" and "Rocky's Robot", believing that he is living off through Rocky's shadow and that he is not earning any fame on his own. As such, Tommy decides to leave Rocky in favor for Duke, despite Rocky trying to warn Tommy that Duke is leeching off great boxers for his own profit.
During the exhibition match, Tommy was able to defeat Union Cane using Rocky's moves to win the title, but rather than giving credit to Rocky, he instead gives credit to Duke for making the event possible. Unfortunately, this does not suit well with the audience and the press, who jeered Tommy for abandoning Rocky for his own greed, much to Tommy's anger. On Duke's advice, Tommy decided that he should just challenge Rocky to a fight in order to get the respect that he wants.
Tommy then calls out to Rocky for a fight, but Rocky refuses, causing Tommy to start insulting him. Rocky's brother-in-law Paulie tried to defend Rocky by pointing out that Tommy betrayed him to satisfy both his and Duke's greed, but this only incites an angry Tommy to punch Paulie in the face, much to Rocky's distraught. Declaring this as the last straw, Rocky angrily accepts the challenge by saying that his ring's outside on the streets. Duke tried to convince Tommy to save the fight for the arena, but Tommy angrily silences Duke by saying that he does not own him and that he wants to settle it right away.
During the fight, Tommy was able to gain the upper hand against Rocky while beating up several citizens. However, despite the brain damage, Rocky turns the tables by fighting back, defeating Tommy in a knockout, much to the witnessing citizens' delight. Tommy is last seen being arrested by the police for assaulting Rocky and the citizens while Duke ends up being punched by Rocky for harassing him in the first place. Tommy stripped off for the heavyweight title.
Personality[]
Due to a bad history of being abused by his father, Tommy has proven to be a wrathful person in nature and dedicated much of his fights as his rage against his father; even when after taking down his father in revenge for the abuse he poured into, Tommy decided that he would use his rage to rise himself up into the ranks of boxing history, which motivated him to seek out Rocky so that he can become a brilliant boxer like Rocky himself.
However, as time passes by after gaining a series of winning streaks with the help from Rocky, Tommy became very arrogant and greedy, even being so furious at the idea that the press is labeling as "the guy living under Rocky's shadow" and decided to leave Rocky to get more fame for himself. Even when winning the title, Tommy became more furious in nature after the press jeered him for leaving Rocky for his own greed, proving that he does not care what anybody thinks of him. He is also shown to be hypocritical and insincere as he accuses Rocky of being greedy; even when an annoyed Paulie points out that Tommy is the one who is greedy in nature by abandoning Rocky in the first place, Tommy responded by punching Paulie in the face, resulting an angry Rocky beating down Tommy for this.
Trivia[]
- His first name "Tommy" is a possible reference to his actor.
- There was an alternate ending in which after Rocky defeats Tommy, he offers his hand to ensure Tommy that there is no hard feelings. Tommy accepts it before being arrested by the police, and one of the policemen asks Tommy for an autograph, to which Tommy obliges. However, this scene was deleted from the film for some reason.
- According to Sylvester Stallone, Tommy became a third-rate wrestler after the events of the film.
- There was an unproduced movie spinoff about Ivan Drago written by Andrew LeMay in 2005, which mentions Tommy's fate: after the events of the fifth movie, he joined the military but later deserted and became a muslim. According to one of the characters, he’s living in Iraq with six kids and two wives.
- Due to his tragic past of his father abusing him and his mother, and beating his father up, he became just as wrathful as his father. This means that Tommy might represent the Deadly Sin of Wrath. Making it his father's fault.
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