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The Final Round
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Episode
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3 of season 1
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Director
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Kenneth Gilbert
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Writer
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Original airdate
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March 10, 1978
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Alias
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David Benson
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Location
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Delaware
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Preceded by
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Followed by
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The Final Round is episode three of the live-action TV series The Incredible Hulk. It originally aired on March 10, 1978, on CBS.
Synopsis[]
While traveling through Wilmington (Delaware), David befriends Henry "Rocky" Welch—an aspiring boxer—and his young girlfriend Mary. David discovers that his new friend doesn't have much of a chance to succeed as a prizefighter and that Henry is actually being tricked into trafficking heroin by a seedy boxing promoter. David quickly becomes embroiled in the turmoil and transforms into the Hulk in time to interrupt a boxing match designed to spell the end for Henry.
Cast[]
- Bill Bixby as David Banner
- Jack Colvin as Jack McGee
- Lou Ferrigno as The Hulk
- Martin Kove as Henry 'Rocky' Welch
- Fran Myers as Mary
- Al Ruscio as Mr. Sariego
- Paul Henry Itkin as Wilt
- Ron Trice as Black Mugger
- T. Miratti as White Mugger
- John Witherspoon as Tom
- Tony Brubaker as Bill Cole
- Paul Micale as Man in Audience
- Gene LeBell as Referee (uncredited)
Highlights[]
- The scene in which the Hulk leaps into the ring
- Hulk-out 1: Getting beat up in an alley by some thugs and tied up
- Hulk-out 2: Gagged in a cage above a boxing ring and trying to stop the match
Trivia[]
- The opening scene in the episode is the ending sequence used in "Rock and a Hard Place" and "Dark Side"
- The first occurrence of an often-used scene where the Hulk runs away down a very narrow lighted alleyway (see Gallery)
- Martin Kove is a martial artist in real life; and would go on to greater fame as the malevolent Cobra-Kai sensei John Kreese in The Karate Kid
- This episode is heavily influenced by the film Rocky
- The Jesus painting holding the Communion Host at the opening of Rocky can be seen above the ring in the background
- Paul Micale, the "man in the audience" sitting next to Mr. Mcgee, played Father Carmine in Rocky II, which at the time of airing had not yet been released (June 15)
- Martial Artist Gene LeBell has an uncredited appearance as a Referee in the episode's climax
Gallery[]
<gallery> Running Down the Lighted Alleyway.jpg 1-1 Final Round.jpg|Ending sequence