Super Bowl LII Bet Is The Battle Of The Rocky Statues

BROCKTON, MA — Call it the Bet of the Champions, Rocky vs. Rocky, the real Rocky vs. the fake one.

Brockton Mayor Bill Carpenter has challenged Philadelphia Jim Kenney to a Super Bowl wager. If the Patriots win Super Bowl LII, the Rocky Balboa statue on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art must be draped with New England Patriots merchandise on Patriots Day. If the Eagles win, Brockton's statue of Rocky Marciano will wear the Eagles' midnight green on the day of Mayor Kenney's choice.

"What do you say, Mayor Jim Kenney? How about a Rocky vs. Rocky wager on the Super Bowl? I am here at U.S. Conference of Mayors, let’s talk!" Carpenter wrote on Facebook Wednesday.

The bet came at the suggestion of resident Keith Hayes and follows a minor controversy which resulted in Eagles fans getting upset at Minnesota Vikings fans for dressing their Rocky statue in Vikings gear prior to the NFL Championship.

For those of you unfamiliar with Marciano, the Brockton native held the world heavyweight championship from 1952-56 and retired with a record of 49-0. Balboa, on the other hand, is a fictional character who held a fictional championship and fought fictional boxers like Clubber Lane and Ivan Drago.

The Marciano statue was placed outside the stadium named after him at Brockton High School in 2012, on the 60th anniversary of his championship fight against Jersey Joe Walcott, in which Marciano knocked Walcott out in the 13th round. The statue depicts Marciano landing the knockout punch against Walcott in the 1952 match, according to the Rocky Marciano Statue Committee.

The Rocky Balboa statue stands on the Rocky Steps in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the location of the scene in the first Rocky movie where the character runs up the steps to "Gonna Fly Now." The statue was created for a scene in Rocky III and was donated to the city after filming.

Kenney has accepted the wager and has upped the ante as well. The Philadelphia mayor will also put up a keg of “Yards” beer against Brockton's Rocky Marciano wine, according to Carpenter.

Below is the full bet.