In the pantheon of inspirational sports movies, it's no secret that the Rocky franchise stands
head-and-shoulders above the rest. But how did the Italian Stallion go from underdog
to champion to boxing trainer? Here’s the entire Rocky story explained.
In Rocky, our hero is plucked out of obscurity by heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, who
offers Rocky a whopping $150,000 to take him on. What he wasn't counting on was Rocky having
more heart than anyone else in the game. While Rocky trains for the fight, he falls in love
with Adrian, the sister of Rocky's pal, Paulie. Rocky also befriends Mickey Goldmill, a tough-as-nails
boxing trainer who whips the Italian Stallion into shape. Although Rocky ultimately loses
the fight, he gets the girl and the respect of the boxing community, and Apollo promises
that there won't be a rematch.
"Ain't gonna be no rematch. Ain't gonna be no rematch."
"Don't want one."
That promise doesn't last long. Rocky II sees Rocky Balboa forced to ignore Apollo's request
for a rematch when he learns that fighting again could mean permanent blindness. Thanks
to his rise to fame, Rocky finally gets a little money to his name. This allows him
to propose to Adrian, who reveals she's pregnant shortly after their wedding.
Despite offers for more professional fights, Apollo becomes obsessed over hate mail about
his match with Rocky. He goads the Stallion into a rematch, which Rocky reluctantly accepts
after struggling to find other employment. After the birth of his child, Robert, Rocky
fights Creed and wins. Just like that, Rocky Balboa is the new heavyweight champion of
the world.
Five years after taking the heavyweight championship from Apollo, Rocky's life is pretty different.
After ten successful title defenses, Rocky is rolling in the dough and about to retire
when a young fighter named James "Clubber" Lang accuses him of taking easy title fights.
Mickey reveals that Lang is right about his fights being handpicked, prompting Rocky to
accept Lang's challenge. Before their big fight, Lang confronts Rocky backstage and
shoves Mickey, causing the old man to have a heart attack. Rocky loses the championship
fight but lets Mickey believe that he won, and the boxing trainer dies peacefully backstage.
"We did it, huh?"
"We did it. We did it."
After witnessing the loss to Clubber, Creed takes Rocky to L.A. and teaches him to fight
using a different style of boxing. With Apollo's help, Rocky finds the eye of the tiger and
defeats Lang in a rematch.
In 1985, a Russian boxer named Ivan Drago battles Apollo Creed in an exhibition that
results in the highly-trained Russian killing Creed in the ring. Wanting revenge, Rocky
challenges Drago to a fight, which will take place in Russia. A grieving Balboa is accompanied
by Paulie and Duke, Apollo's former trainer. Over time, Duke solidifies himself as one
of Rocky's best trainers, getting the champion back into shape with a fierce training regimen.
After a hard-won fight, the Italian Stallion knocks Drago out in the 15th round, right
in front of the Soviet premier.
Rocky V finds the champion struggling with retirement and fatherhood. Mismanaged finances
has led to the Balboa family losing their riches, and Rocky learns that he's got a major
brain injury, forcing him to lay down the gloves. Rocky reopens Mickey's gym and lives
vicariously through a young up-and-comer named Tommy Gunn. Unfortunately, the fulfillment
he gets out of training Gunn causes Rocky to neglect his real son. It's up to Adrian
and Paulie to ground Rocky and show him what's important. After a stunning betrayal by Gunn,
Rocky focuses on fatherhood and wins back the affection of his son. Things culminate
in a brutal street fight with Tommy after he punches Paulie in the face. Rocky takes
Tommy on in the streets and sends the young champ packing.
After beating Tommy Gunn, Rocky disappears from the boxing world and opens an Italian
restaurant. However, the biggest change in his life is the death of his beloved wife,
Adrian, from cancer. Rocky's life changes after ESPN broadcasts a computer-simulated
fight between an in-his-prime Rocky and the new heavyweight champion, Mason "The Line"
Dixon. After the simulated fight inspires Rocky to get back into boxing, Dixon's promoters
smell an opportunity to pit the two against each other in a charity exhibition in Las
Vegas.
Rocky goes toe-to-toe with Dixon and manages to go the distance with the young fighter.
In the end, the bout goes to a split decision. Rocky fights hard, but ultimately Dixon is
declared the winner.
Adonis "Donnie" Johnson is born the product of an extramarital affair between his mom
and Apollo Creed. Years later, after being raised by Apollo's wife, Adonis is ready to
follow in his dad's footsteps and become a boxer. However, when no one in California
will train him, he goes to Philadelphia to seek out Rocky.
Much like Rocky was picked from obscurity by Apollo, Adonis is picked by the current
champion, "Pretty" Ricky Conlan, as his last fight before a prison sentence. While Creed
and Rocky train for the match, Balboa reveals he's been diagnosed with cancer.
At first, Rocky refuses to seek treatment, but Adonis encourages him, saying he won't
fight unless Rocky fights. So Balboa decides to battle his cancer as young Creed trains
to fight the champion in Liverpool. In the fight, Creed struggles against his opponent,
but he simply refuses to go down. Just like his new mentor, he loses the match by decision,
but ends up winning the respect of the crowd and the boxing community.
In 2018, three years after Adonis' loss from the first film, he's become a champion, with
Rocky at his side. Just when Adonis' career is taking off, Ivan Drago returns with his
son, Viktor, to challenge him.
An unfocused Adonis loses to the fiercer contender, but spends the movie preparing for a rematch.
Ultimately, Drago ends up throwing in the towel on his son's fight after realizing that
he's been neglecting his son's health for boxing. His sacrifice inspires Rocky to head
to Vancouver to reconcile with his estranged son, while Creed visits his father's grave
with his family.
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