Sylvester Stallone is paying tribute to his longtime good friend and “Rocky” co-star Carl Weathers, who died Thursday at age 76.

Talking by way of a video posted to his Instagram Friday night, Stallone recalled his longtime partnership with Weathers, by way of the “Rocky” sequence and their decades-long friendship. The star gave the message whereas standing in entrance of a portray depicting their characters, Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed, squaring off within the ring.

“Immediately is an extremely unhappy day for me. I’m so torn up, I can’t even inform you. I’m simply attempting to carry it in as a result of Carl Weathers was such an integral a part of my life, my success — the whole lot about it, I give him unimaginable credit score and kudos. As a result of when he walked into that room and I noticed him for the primary time, I noticed greatness. However I didn’t understand how nice,” Stallone mentioned. “I by no means might’ve achieved what we did with ‘Rocky’ with out him.”

“He was completely sensible — his voice, his measurement, his presence, his athletic skill, however, most significantly, his coronary heart, his soul. It’s a horrible loss,” Stallone mentioned. “He was magic. I used to be so lucky to be a part of his life. Apollo, preserve punching.”

Weathers starred within the first 4 “Rocky” movies as Apollo Creed, who repeatedly faces off towards Stallone’s titular boxer within the ring. Although Creed dies in “Rocky IV,” Weathers’ legacy within the franchise lived on within the sequel sequence “Creed,” which stars Michael B. Jordan as Creed’s son.

Weathers and Stallone reunited on the 2017 Golden Globes, the place the duo introduced the ultimate award of the evening. “I can’t consider it’s been 40 years since ‘Rocky,’” Weathers mentioned, to which Stallone jabbed: “Yeah, and I can’t consider I allow you to win the combat contemplating I wrote the screenplay.”

A 12 months earlier, Weathers introduced Stallone with an award on the Santa Barbara Movie Competition. “He clearly is aware of that I’m a fan,” Weathers mentioned. “I’ve such admiration and appreciation for all that very first screenplay allowed me … So what can I say besides he deserved the award, and I’ve super gratitude for being part of the entire journey.”

Different stars who labored reverse Weathers through the years took to social media to pay tribute to the late actor, together with Adam Sandler and Pedro Pascal.

“A real nice man. Nice dad. Nice actor. Nice athlete. A lot enjoyable to be round all the time,” Sandler wrote of Weathers, whose shared credit embody “Blissful Gilmore,” “Little Nicky” and “Eight Loopy Nights.” “Sensible as hell. Loyal as hell. Humorous as hell. Cherished his sons greater than something. What a man!! Everybody liked him. My spouse and I had the most effective instances with him each time we noticed him. Like to his complete household and Carl will all the time be often called a real legend.”

Pascal, who starred reverse Weathers in Disney+’s “The Mandalorian,” posted a photograph of the late actor on Instagram with the caption: “phrases fail.” Robert Rodriguez, who directed Weathers within the “Star Wars” spinoff sequence, wrote, “Will miss the good Carl Weathers who I used to be very lucky to work with on a number of events. A really sort and beneficiant individual. His performances have been all the time electrifying and he was additionally a terrific director of each stage and display.”

And Weathers’ “Predator” co-star Jesse Ventura, who would go on to turn out to be the governor of Minnesota, wrote on X: “We misplaced an icon. Carl Weathers was an exceptional expertise, a real skilled, and a pricey good friend. All my sympathies and like to his household. I liked working with him on ‘Predator’ after which celebrating that movie with him at numerous conventions within the ensuing years. Thanks, Carl.”

Born in 1948 in New Orleans, Weathers performed skilled soccer earlier than breaking out as an actor with small roles in Arthur Marks’ blaxploitation motion pictures “Bucktown” and “Friday Foster,” in addition to TV sequence together with “Good Instances,” “Kung Fu,” “Cannon” and “Starsky and Hutch.” His profession perpetually modified when he was solid reverse Stallone in “Rocky,” and Weathers would go on to star alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Predator” and earn a Primetime Emmy nomination for “The Mandalorian,” of which he additionally directed two episodes.

Watch Stallone’s video assertion under.