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Rob Lowe talks about boxing with Tom Cruise: 'His eyes just went black'

He also described Cruise as "a beast" talking about his incredible physique at a young age.


Daniel Neira
Daniel Neira - Los Angeles
Senior WriterLos Angeles
JULY 16, 2024 12:45 PM EDT

Rob Lowe and Tom Cruise started their careers in Hollywood at a young age. The pair shared the screen during the popular movie 'The Outsiders' and became fast friends with the rest of the cast. Fast forward to their successful career in the entertainment industry, Lowe is looking back at the fun times they had together, including their friendly and "competitive" boxing matches.

During his latest interview on The Rich Eisen Show, the actor revealed that he was 17 years old when he met Cruise, and the pair would work out together. “He’s so competitive that we used to box in the hallway of the hotel we were staying at during Outsiders,” he said.

“So much testosterone. We’re 18-year-old guys stuck on location. So we would have headgear, and we’d have mouthpieces in, but we would legitimately spar," he explained. “I rang his bell, and the next I knew, I woke up — I was coming to, on the floor,” Lowe added “And he, like, completely knocked me out.”

American actors Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Ralph Macchio, Thomas C. Howell, and Tom Cruise on the set of 'The Outsiders'© Sunset Boulevard
American actors Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Ralph Macchio, Thomas C. Howell, and Tom Cruise on the set of 'The Outsiders'

He also described Cruise as "a beast" talking about his incredible physique at a young age. Lowe went on to talk about his experience auditioning and participating in the movie. 

© Roy Rochlin

"All of the L.A. people survived the L.A. auditions, and then the hand-picked people had to go to New York to face the New York version," he said. "So it was me and Tom Cruise and Emilio [Estevez] and C. Thomas Howell." 

"I mean it made me laugh, it was gnarly. But at the end of it, you can't argue with the results. He’s had his eye on the ball since day one,” the actor said about Cruise's success.