New York, NY -- Sylvester Stallone is predicting a "Rocky" future for his new reality series, "The Contender," a nationwide search for the best boxing hopefuls.

Naturally, he plans to reference the training methods used in his original "Rocky" films -- such as punching beef in a meat locker and chasing a chicken around -- but don't expect his boxers to recreate his training methods exactly.

Stallone says boxing training methods have changed since the 1970s and he wants to use the most advanced techniques possible.

According to him, that means that "...instead of chasing a chicken, the boxers chase a robot."

Stallone's search for" The Contender" begins April 9 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the show will air on NBC next year.

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