Creed is good

A big chunk of the third movie is about Rocky losing his identity, then finding it again. Also, don't try to apply too much logic to this stuff. Just try to enjoy it.

Saw Creed tonight with Mrs. OOP. She isn't much for sports movies, but her father loved Rocky. This one was good. Sure, there is a formula in there, but that doesn't mean it isn't an enjoyable movie.

 

Personal growth?
I think Stallone himself once expressed amazement at how Rocky was illiterate in the first one, and seemed to get smarter the more he got punched in the head, by saying something like, "By Rocky V he'll be a member of Mensa."

Also, I love that one of the board's biggest pro wrestling fans is the one nitpicking story holes

 

Been doing some googling of random Rocky characters to read the Wiki bios (always a fun rabbit hole to go down for a while) and apparently there was a 2006 book that came out with "Rocky Balboa" called "Rocky: The Ultimate Guide." It had backstories for some of Rocky's opponents, and postscripts for a few others that's now generally considered canon.
Ivan Drago went on to win the heavyweight championship of the world.
After losing to Balboa (when he was still an amateur) he eventually moved to the U.S. and turned pro. He then went 31-1 with 31 knockouts, won at least part of the title, and retired as champion. It's speculated, but unknown, that in one of his last fights he beat Tommy Gunn for the title (which also, apparently, was Gunn's last pro fight).

I'm ... I'm not sure what to think of this. I always imagined Rocky left his opponents broken and battered husks. Clubber Lang went back to mugging old ladies in Chicago, Tommy Gunn never fought again ... How the hell did Drago turn things around when he was disgraced at home and a genuine villain abroad? Did Rocky's speech not only end the Cold War, but inspire the rest of the world to forgive him for killing Apollo as well?

 

Drago would have been "non-personed" in disgrace in the Soviet Union after losing to Rocky. When the Iron Curtain fell, he would move to Las Vegas and make an " all natural" comeback and also dabble in standup comedy and gag movie roles.

Ludmila Dragaeva would make history when her body, under the effect of Cold War steroids, spontaneously generated male sex organs and she became world famous as one of the world's first non-surgical anatomically-correct transsexuals. He would then change his name to Ludwig Dragking and earn millions as an adult film star.

Clubber Lang would become a celebrity televangelist, making boxing comebacks in between televised bible revival campaigns. Rev. Clubber would become a spiritual mentor for millions and a much sought-after commercial pitchman.

 

They should go full Marvel and put a post credits scene with Drago's son (played by Virginia basketball player Jack Salt in his acting debut) challenging young Creed.

 

I wonder who was the one guy who beat Drago? Maybe a young Mason Dixon?

 

Love this.
I'll never forget seeing Mr. T on the Bible Channel late one night, doing some sort of show, in which he went on a five-minute rant about how the devil is in all of our lives -- with an emphasis on sports.
"If you root for the New Jersey Devils, you're with the Devil. Duke is the Devils. If you root for Duke, you're rooting for the Devil," he said.
So, there you have it, straight from Mr. T. Mike Krzyzewski is Satan personified.

 

Saw it today. Enjoyed it. Little iffy in parts but hit some great notes and the presentation was great. Nice turn by Avon Barksdale/Julius Campbell in a small role too.

 

From what I read, either they were counting his loss to Balboa even though he would have still been an amateur and not a pro, or it came at the hands of the guy who Dixon beat. Or, more likely, some unnamed opponent. If Dixon was around 30 at the time of Rocky Balboa in 2006, he (and presumably his opponent in "Rocky Balboa") would've been in grade school when Drago was fighting. Drago was a beast, but I don't think he stooped as low as to go around playgrounds in Tampa to take out future opponents before they posed a threat.

 

Not necessarily. If Dixon was 30 in 2006, that would mean he was 20 in 1996, which is young, but if he was really good, like a Tyson, he could have been fighting pro by then. Drago could have been, say, 26 in 1985, meaning he would be 37 in '96. Old, but as we've seen with many fighters, not that old. It could have been a Youth vs. Experience fight.

 

True. From the reading, Drago was supposedly 24 when he fought Balboa, so that puts it right in that range.