'Rocky' director John G. Avildsen dies at 81 from pancreatic cancer

John G. Avildsen, the Academy Award-winning director of the seminal boxing classic "Rocky," died Friday at the age of 81.

Avildsen's son, Anthony, confirmed his father died from pancreatic cancer.

The Oak Park, Ill. native won Best Director in 1976 for his work on "Rocky," which depicts the story of a small-time Philadelphia boxer's rise to greatness.

Avildsen is also famous for directing "Save the Tiger" and "The Karate Kid."