Mr Burton played Tony `Duke` Evers - a grizzled, no-nonsense trainer who in the first two films supported Apollo Creed, Balboa`s opponent.
In the later films he became the trainer to Balboa, famously played by Sylvester Stallone, helping him defeat foes such as Clubber Lang and Ivan Drago.
The actor - a native of Flint, Michigan - won Flint Golden Gloves light heavyweight titles in 1955 and again in 1957, before fighting professionally briefly.
Co-star Carl Weathers took to Twitter to pay tribute, writing: ``Sad news. RIP Tony Burton. His intensity and talent helped make the Rocky movies successful. #BePeace (sic).``
His former classmate Gerald Moore added: ``It`s just like someone in my own family passed. Whenever we got together we would reminisce on old times.``
Throughout his acting career he had roles in films like The Shining and Stir Crazy.
The star appeared in six movies in the Rocky franchise.
His sister, Loretta Kelley, told MLive that Burton had been in and out of the hospital lately, but hadn`t gotten a diagnosis.
She added that because of his poor health, Burton was never able to see the latest Rocky film, Creed.
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