Paulie, played by Burt Young, is an integral part of the franchise. Ever since the very first Rocky in 1976, he has been by Balboa’s side and his corner man during his matches. He is the originator of that iconic boozin’, abrupt and cynical sidekick character that we see in movies today. The way he fit into Rocky’s life was very interesting. 
On one level, he was a frenemy. He talked trash to Rocky’s face, treated people like crap, was negative about life, was a drunk, and made poor life choices throughout the entire course of the franchise. He really doesn’t seem like a guy you’d want to be around. But above all this, he was always loyal to Rocky. He was the ultimate frenemy.
