Sylvester Stallone is relishing filming the belated sixth ROCKY installment because he wants to bring the series to a triumphant close.

The 59-year-old actor shot scenes for ROCKY BALBOA in the ring before the middleweight World Title clash between boxers JERMAIN TAYLOR and BERNARD HOPKINS in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday (03DEC05).

And Stallone insists he is drawing inspiration for his performance, which sees Rocky make an unlikely boxing comeback, from people's reaction to his decision to don his boxing gloves one last time.

He says, "I am drawing on a lot of my feelings that are in synch with many people's feelings about facing the last chapter of their lives and how they want it written.

"Rocky goes through the scepticism of trying to go against the tide, to go against Common sense."