Rocky Balboa is one of the most iconic sports cinema characters of all time. Sylvester Stallone created a true underdog, plucked from nothing, who then went on to go toe-to-toe with the movie’s Heavyweight Boxing World Champion, Apollo Creed. Starting off as an antagonist, Creed would become a source of motivation for Balboa, in addition to a close friend, adding a deeply personal edge to the events ofRocky 4after his in-ring death at the hands of Ivan Drago.
Apollo’s son Adonis Creed, played by Michael B. Jordan, represents the franchise’s present (andperhaps even the future), with his three spin-offCreedmovies. The trilogy has been consistently fantastic, treating fans to brilliantly choreographed action and iconic dialogues with a big heart at its core. While it may not be held in the same esteem as theRockyfranchise just yet, theCreedtrilogy has still delivered some wonderful, memorable moments.
10Adonis' Botched Proposal
Rocky had Adrian, Adonis has Bianca. Played with verve and styleby Tessa Thompson, Bianca is a talented musician dealing with progressive hearing loss. With a strong personality and unerring moral compass, she is a source of support and even an avenue for growth, offering contrarian views to help Adonis grow.
One of the sweetest moments in their relationship takes place inCreed 2after he wins the WBC World Heavyweight Championship. While Bianca is doing her nighttime routine, facing away from Creed, the newly crowned champion delivers a sweet, awkward speech as part of his proposal. The only problem was that Bianca’s hearing aid was not on, so when she turned around and saw Adonis down on one knee, she slammed the door shut. After eventually coming out, Adonis eventually popped the question once more, and this time, he got the answer he was looking for.
9A Broken Adonis in the Hospital
Another moment fromCreed 2,but not nearly as sweet or heartwarming. Fraught with emotional turmoil, Adonis went into his first match with Viktor Drago woefully unprepared, with his mind elsewhere. The massive Russian would dominate and brutalize the champion, but an errant punch would ensure Adonis remained champion via disqualification.
The vicious beating would leave Creed hospitalized, making for one of the most powerful scenes of the film. He would also go through significant emotional turmoil, having failed to avenge his father. In the past, we have seen Rocky and Creed himself take tons of punishment in the ring, but seldom did viewers get a chance to see the protagonist almost completely broken. This section of the movie is pivotal and serves as a catalyst for him to reconcile with Rocky and eventually ascend to a higher level as a fighter.
8The Winner of Rocky vs. Apollo III Is Revealed
The thirdRockyfilmends on a cliffhangerfreeze-frame. After finally overcoming Clubber Lang with help from foe-turned-friend Apollo Creed, both men have a private fight that serves as a tiebreaker. As they gear up to land the first blow, the frame transitions into an oil painting before the credits roll.
For decades, fans were left wondering who won the fight, and they finally got their answer in the firstCreedfilm. Soon after Rocky agrees to train Adonis, he reveals that Apollo is the man who won. It is a sweet, melancholic moment as Rocky reminisces over past glories and a close friend, while Adonis feels just a little more connected to his father. It also serves to prove just how important Apollo had been to Rocky’s career, by transforming him into a truly elite, skilled fighter.
7The First Training Montage
Pretty much every sports movie has a training montage, it’s essentially a prerequisite. The ones intheRockyfilmswere all iconic, from Balboa running through the streets of Philadelphia to training in subzero temperatures in Russia. So, going into the firstCreedfilm, most viewers were curious to see if the film would live up to what came before it, and it did not disappoint.
Intercut with scenes of Adonis taking care of Rocky as he undergoes chemotherapy, the young fighter pushes himself beyond his limits, both physically and mentally. The score also builds slowly, interspersing modern hip-hop with old-school beats as Adonis races through the streets, followed by ATVs and dirt bikes.
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6Dame vs. Adonis
The past can rarely be put to rest. Adonis Creed found that out the hard way when Dame Anderson, a close friend from Creed’s dark past got out of prison and put himself on the path to claiming the life he should have had. While the entirety of their final fight is fantastic, there is one sequence in particular that stands out.
The crowd disappears, and a hush falls over the ring, with both men circling each other. Years of resentment and anger melted the world away for Dame and Creed, as they unleashed a series of haymakers on each other. It is a perfect representation ofCreed 3’s story as a whole. The bright lights, the title, and all the interviews are nothing more than bells and whistles, this is truly a war of attrition between former friends.
5Adonis Creed: Prizefighter in a Onesie
TheCreedfranchise has been consistently great up until the point, because the films have found a wonderful balance between hard-hitting action, stirring emotional beats, and tender moments between characters. The films must also becommended for normalizing ASLand making it an important part of Adonis' story. His wife is losing her hearing, and his daughter, Amara, is deaf.
Viewers get to see what Adonis is like as a parent, as he trades his business suits for a bright pink onesie to have teatime with Amara. It is a sweet scene, as behind the ferocity of a fighter, there is the gentle hand of a father. It also drives home the message that when Adonis does eventually step into the ring with Dame, he is fighting for a lot more than just himself.
Related:All of Rocky Balboa’s Main Opponents, Ranked By Strength
4Rocky Reconnects with His Son
Rocky Balboa,the final film in theRockyfranchise isn’t just about an aging boxer coming back for one last night under the spotlight, it is a story about the relationship between an estranged father and son. Viewers have loved Rocky for decades because he is far from perfect; he makes mistakes and has regrets, but he always tries to do his best.
Over the course of that film, the father and son reconcile to a degree, but Rocky Jr. isn’t much of a factor in the first twoCreedfilms. That changes one of the final scenes of the second film as Rocky heads to Vancouver to make peace with his son and meet his grandson as well. Family is the main theme present inCreed 2,and while there was controversy when it was revealed Rocky would not be a part of the third film, his character could not have received a better ending.
3Dame & Adonis Reconcile (Kind Of)
Creed 3tells the story of two paths. One was a hard, tough life faced with setbacks, tribulations, and a lengthy prison sentence. The other was an ascension to glory and building a legacy. If it hadn’t been for a pivotal moment in Adonis and Dame’s youth, Dame could have very well been living Adonis' life.
After losing to Creed, both men meet in the locker room and put their issues to rest. It is a powerful, emotionally resonant exchange between two actors at the top of their game. Viewers can feel the shared history between both men and the fraternal love between them that had been twisted into something ugly by jealousy and resentment. Seeing them reconcile to an extent is fitting, as while they have made peace, the chasm between them is simply too wide to ever fill.
2Ivan and Viktor Go for a Run
Creed 2excels when it gives viewers insight into the Dragos' lives and their motivations. Ivan wants to make up for his defeat to Rocky on home ground and hopefully win his wife back, and Viktor is not much more than a pawn in his father’s machinations. This is reflected in the rigorous, almost violent training the younger Drago undergoes, as well as the exchange both men have with Ivan’s mother, who left him after he lost.
As the film progresses, Ivan struggles to let go of the past but eventually does, throwing in the towel to protect Viktor and letting go of everything that happened earlier in his life. The final scene sees both men jogging together, which is in stark contrast to earlier, where Viktor ran alone, while Ivan followed him in a car. It is a short scene that represents the culmination of Ivan’s journey as a fighter, and the beginning of a new one as a father.
1Rocky Makes Adonis Face Himself
Most people were understandably skeptical going into the firstCreedfilm. Not just because it was a spin-off, but there was also trepidation over how Rocky as a character would be treated in the film. Everyone’s concerns were quickly put to rest as Stallone delivered as the old stallion showed a promising young fighter the ropes.
In a film with anumber of memorable quotes, none are more poignant than when Rocky makes Adonis face the mirror and tells him that’s the toughest opponent he is going to face. It is a window into Rocky’s psyche, a mindset he hopes to pass on to Adonis. But more than that, it represents all theRockyfilms as a whole, as the titular character repeatedly overcame his own doubts and fears to achieve things beyond his wildest dreams. It was a message to every underdog out there, that the only one standing in your way is you.
