Michael "Mickey" Goldmill (April 7, 1905 - August 15, 1981) is a fictional boxing trainer created by Sylvester Stallone and portrayed by Burgess Meredith. April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... August 15 is the 227th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (228th in leap years), with 138 days remaining. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sylvester Stallone (born July 6, 1946) is an American Academy Award-nominated actor, director, producer and screenwriter. ... Burgess Meredith in Probe (1972) Oliver Burgess Meredith (November 16, 1907 – September 9, 1997) was a versatile American actor and is best known for portraying Rocky Balboas trainer Mickey Goldmill in the Rocky films and the Penguin in the television series Batman. ...

Biography

Mickey Goldmill was born on April 7, 1905 to a Jewish family (this was not revealed until the third movie at his funeral in a synagouge). April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination...

He boxed professionally in the 1920s but never gained any measure of fame. Goldmill recalled that he once knocked an opponent out of the ring the same day that Luis Firpo did the same to Jack Dempsey: September 14, 1923. Goldmill claimed that the reason his feat didn't garner any media attention was that he didn't have a manager while Dempsey did. Luis Firpo and his handlers Luis Ángel Firpo, (October 11, 1894? - August 7, 1960), was an Argentine boxer of enormous transcendence. ... William Harrison Jack Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983) was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title between 1919 and 1926, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest champions of all time. ...

Some time after his retirement, he opened a boxing gym in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mighty Mick's Boxing, and began to train fighters. Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area    - City 369. ...

One of the regulars in his gym was Rocky Balboa, a local club fighter who had never realized his potential. When heavyweight champion Apollo Creed gives Balboa an unlikely shot at the title, Goldmill approachs him about being his manager. Based on their uneasy prior relationship, Balboa was initially resistant but ultimately agreed to let Goldmill train him. Robert Rocky Balboa, Sr. ... Apollo Creed is a fictional character from the Rocky film series. ...

While Balboa lost the fight to Creed, he managed to last the full fifteen rounds, a first for any Creed opponent.

When Creed challenged Balboa to a rematch, both fighter and manager were reluctant to step back into the ring with the champion. After much consideration, though, they change their minds and accepted the offer.

For the second fight with Creed, Goldmill utilized unique training methods to help Balboa gain speed. He also converted Balboa from a left-handed fighting style to a right-handed style in an effort to both confuse Creed and to protect an eye Balboa had badly injured in the first fight.

Balboa managed to barely defeat Creed in the rematch and Goldmill had finally trained his first champion.

Goldmill trained Balboa to a series of successful title defenses before both men decided it was time for them to retire.

Controversial challenger Clubber Lang, accused the two of avoiding him. Finally, Goldmill and Balboa agreed to face Lang in a fight both figured would be their last outing.

The matchup was set for August 15, 1981. Shortly before the fight Balboa's and Lang's entourages got into a scuffle and Goldmill was knocked to the ground. He returned to the locker room and when it became apparent that something was wrong, Balboa attempted to call off the fight. Goldmill, however, would have none of it and ordered Balboa to go ahead with the bout. August 15 is the 227th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (228th in leap years), with 138 days remaining. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Balboa lost the fight in a second-round knockout. He returned to the locker room shortly before Goldmill finally succumbed to a heart attack. He was 76.

According to the terms of his will, Goldmill left Mighty Mick's Boxing to Balboa's son, Robert.

Trivia

• Burgess Meredith would reprise his role as Mickey in a flashback sequence filmed for Rocky V. He also appeared in archival footage used in flashbacks in Rocky IV and Rocky Balboa.
• When Sylvester Stallone hosted the premiere episode of Saturday Night Live's 1997-1998 season, then-cast member Jim Breuer appeared as Mickey during Stallone's monologue, chastising his performance and advising him to spew Rocky catchphrases, as that is all audiences care to see. The episode aired shortly after Meredith's 1997 death.