Inside the Windmill Fight: How Sylvester Stallone’s Stunt Double Brought Tulsa King’s Season 2 Showdown to Life

When Sylvester Stallone’s Dwight Manfredi throws down in Tulsa King, the action doesn’t just happen — it’s built, rehearsed, and executed with painstaking precision. At the heart of that effort is Freddie Poole, Stallone’s longtime stunt double, who has been by the actor’s side for over a decade.

Poole, who first doubled Stallone in 2012’s Bullet to the Head, has grown from a quiet newcomer to one of the star’s closest collaborators. “In the beginning, we barely spoke to each other, to be quite honest,” Poole recalls. “It was new, right? So I was sort of on proving grounds. But now, we bounce ideas off of each other. I enjoy collaborating with him because he’s brilliant… I just have a lot of admiration and respect for him.”

That mutual respect is evident on Tulsa King, where Poole not only doubles Stallone but also serves as stunt coordinator and second-unit director. His work has earned him back-to-back Emmy nominations for Outstanding Stunt Coordination in Comedy Programming.

Building a Fight Worthy of “Bigfoot”

Season 2 pushed the boundaries of the show’s action, nowhere more so than in the episode “Tilting at Windmills.” The scene features a brutal windmill farm brawl with the hulking new character Bigfoot, played by professional wrestler Mike “Cash Flo” Walden.

“The director wanted me to showcase Bigfoot’s physical capabilities,” Poole explains. “He did all of his own action. He was great.”

The sequence, which sees Bigfoot manhandling foes with sledgehammers, crowbars, and sheer brute strength, required two full shooting days — one with the main unit and one with Poole’s second unit. To make it possible, he began with detailed previsualizations, collaborating with the art and props departments to choreograph the geography and ensure every weapon was both convincing and safe.

“We had a full day of rehearsals on a soundstage,” Poole says. “Each cast member came in individually to work with the stunt team on their portion. That way, they had personal focus and attention before we ever hit the actual location.”

Precision Behind the Chaos

When cameras rolled, preparation paid off. Poole worked closely with cinematographers to maximize camera angles and with special effects to time set destruction. After wrap, he stayed in the editing room, creating rough cuts on-site to ensure the action flowed seamlessly.

“Having the on-location previz as a blueprint simplified the process as we were able to create an edit that was nearly shot-for-shot,” Poole explains.

Despite the heavy stunt involvement, the actors themselves — including Stallone at 79 — were front and center. “Everybody had a double on set, but we had direction to show as much of the actors’ faces as possible,” Poole says. “Sly will still step in and do what he does and what he’s known for.”

Looking Ahead to Season 3

With Season 3 premiering September 21 on Paramount+, Poole hints the action is only intensifying. “It’s going to be even bigger and better than anything we did in the previous two seasons,” he promises.

The upcoming season expands the cast with Robert Patrick, James Russo, and Samuel L. Jackson joining Stallone. For Poole, it’s another chance to raise the bar: “I’m excited for everybody to see what we’ve come up with.”

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