It is the sort of painful moment he has experienced himself while filming the Rocky saga.

So no wonder Sylvester Stallone praised Michael B Jordan for clambering from the canvas after he was knocked out for real while filming the climactic fight scene for hit boxing movie Creed.

The 28-year-old was smacked right on the kisser by former light heavyweight world title challenger Tony Bellew, who played world champion Pretty Ricky Conlan in the film.

Gonna fall now: Sylvester Stallone posted a video of Michael B Jordan getting knocked out for real on the set of Creed on his Twitter page on Wednesday

The Master Of Disaster: He lived up to Apollo’s famous nickname when he ended up sprawled on the canvas

Sylvester tweeted the video, and said: ‘Michael B Jordon (sic), “young creed and “getting KO’d for real! But he got up and did it again! That’s called guts!!’

Michael and Tony are shown practicing the move of the latter throwing a punch while the former dodges it several times before the directer shouts action.

Unfortunately this is the time where the Real Steel favourite messes up his timing, and he weaves face first into the oncoming blow.

His legs immediately crumple and he ends up lying face down in the canvas, much his on-screen father at the end of Rocky II.

Practice swing: Former light heavyweight world title challenger turned actor Tony Bellew threw the same punch a number of times so Michael could dodge it when filming started

You’ve got to roll with it: Michael looked like he had mastered the timing of rolling his shoulder to evade the hit

Kapow: But as soon as the director shouted action his timing was off and he moved face first into the punch

Of course Sly has been the victim of overexuberant  punching on set himself, and was hospitalised after Dolph Lundgren rammed a  punch into his chest while filming Rocky IV, a blow which caused his heart to swell up.

Michael could expect to be on the receiving end of a few digs, given he was stepping into the shoes of one of the silver screen’s most iconic action heroes.

And he admitted he ended up with aching muscles he did not even know he had as he put his body through hell while training to make himself worthy of the Rocky mantle.

Just as dauntingly, as Adonis Creed he had to measure up in a more obvious way with the ripped Carl Weathers, who played his on-screen father Apollo in the first four films of the legendary boxing franchise.

Sly dig: Sylvester was no doubt chuckling when he uploaded the painful moment his pal was KOed

‘Guts’: But he also praised his cash cow for showing the fortitude to get up and keep on going

Twit: The beefcake actor no doubt regrets misspelling his friend’s name in his tweet

The actor had to box every single day as he got ready for his role, while also taking part in a mixed program of weights, plyometrics and body weight exercises as he piled on the muscle in an attempt to look like a light-heavyweight boxer.

He told Men’s Journal: I felt muscles I never knew I had.’

And after he was finally honed when filming began he said he had the same relationship to his co-star Sylvester Stallone as his character Adonis Creed has with his trainer Rocky Balboa.

He said: ‘He’s filled with wisdom. He really helped me find the authenticity in the ring and let me know when I shouldn’t hold back.’

Big Johnson: Michael B Jordan revealed he put his body through hell and it paid off as he was bulked up and ripped when he played Adonis Creed

Huge shoes to fill: His physique had to live up to franchise hero Sylvester Stallone’s and his on-screen father Carl Weather’s

Giving credit: He said trainer Corey Calliet helped him transform himself from the weakling fans know and love

Michael credits his personal trainer Corey Calliet for helping him transform himself from the weakling his fans know and love into someone who at least looks like he belongs in the ring.

Corey said he targeted every muscle group to make him look like a rounded athlete.

He said: ‘I wanted to make him look even more ripped than Apollo, and I think we did that.’

And he said they were delighted when Stallone, who was famed for his ripped body in his 80s heyday, voiced his approval.

Eye of the tiger: Michael admitted he ‘felt muscles I never knew I had’ training for the film

Mentor: And he said Stallone was just as crucial off-camera to him as his character was to Adonis

Corey revealed: ‘He said, ‘Mike looks good.’ That meant a lot coming from him.’

The full rundown on his training schedule, including his six-meal a day eating plan, is available on Men’s Journal’s website.

So far Creed has made $71 million at the box office on a budget of $35 million, and it has scored with critics to, holding a 93 per cent positive score on Rotten Tomatoes.

There are already talks of a sequel, with Michael saying he would be interested in reprising his role.

Jumping to it: Skipping, boxing, weights and plyometrics were all part of his exhausting program

Weakling: He had to transform himself from the man shown here at the premiere of Real Steel back in 2011