Because the original film was released in 1976 during the reign of Muhammad Ali, it is reasonable to assume that, with Ali being considered the quintessential boxer by having defeated some of the best of the time, Creed was based largely on him, although his public image is more in the vein of Sugar Ray Leonard or Joe ...
As Creed, he was flamboyant, charismatic and impossible not to notice — similar to Ali in the 1960s and 1970s. The character was even more difficult to hate next to Rocky Balboa in “Rocky” and “Rocky II.” It was all because of Weather's acting ability to bring an Ali-esque take to the character.
Modeled after Muhammad Ali, the Creed character demonstrated smarts and flare, offering audiences a strong and positive Black character at a time when mainstream movie roles were just starting to break out of stereotypes.
Although Apollo Creed's boxing style was based on Muhammad Ali's, Adonis uses a different style. Adonis has an orthodox stance like his father, yet Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler wanted Adonis style to be "unorthodox". They modeled Adonis' style on Timothy Bradley, a real life boxer from California.
The former NFL linebacker cemented himself in the hearts of numerous boxing fans with his performance as Apollo Creed in the 'Rocky' movies. So, when the first 1976 movie became a huge success worldwide, he and Stallone came together to celebrate a special milestone with real-life boxing legend Muhammad Ali!
That time “Apollo Creed” (Carl Weathers) met Muhammad Ali
What did Carl Weathers pass away of?
NFL linebacker-turned-actor Carl Weathers — most famous for his appearances in “Rocky,” “Predator” and “The Mandalorian” — died Feb. 2 at age 76. According to the death certificate, Weathers' cause of death was atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, also known as ASCVD.
Weathers earned laughs as Chubbs, who had been a star of the professional circuit before he lost his hand in an alligator attack. Even so, his Apollo Creed character cast a long shadow. After the release in 1976 of “Rocky,” which was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won three, including best picture, Mr.
Despite being the face of the Rocky franchise, Stallone chose not to appear in Creed III due to creative differences with producer Irwin Winkler as well as with Jordan, although he is still a producer on the film. According to Stallone, the film had a much darker tone that he didn't agree with.
While the story of his first film was partly inspired by a 1975 fight between underdog Chuck Wepner and heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali (which nearly went the 15 round distance despite the odds), the inspiration for the name, iconography and fighting style came from boxing legend Rocco Francis "Rocky Marciano" ...
Milo Ventimiglia as Rocky Balboa Jr.: Rocky's estranged son, who moved to Vancouver in the period between Rocky Balboa (2006) and Creed and is now a father himself.
Lang is a professional boxer from Chicago, Illinois, and is a one-time world heavyweight champion, having taken the title from Rocky Balboa only to lose it back to Balboa in his next fight. The character is very loosely based on a combination of Sonny Liston, Larry Holmes, and George Foreman.
Ivan Drago is an Olympic gold medalist and a boxing champion from the Soviet Union, who had an amateur record of 100–0–0 wins (100 KO). He is billed at 1.97 m (6 ft 5+1⁄2 in) and 261 pounds (118 kg).
Rocky IV (1985) - Rocky IV also fudges the timeline by making it seem like it starts right after Rocky III but the movie then jumps forward to 1985 when Ivan Drago arrives in the U.S. Apollo was killed by Drago and Rocky defeated the Russian in a fight held in Moscow on Christmas 1985 when Rocky was 38 or 39.
After three films in which he functions as little more than a means to illustrate Rocky's greatness, Apollo is offered the highest of honors: He dies to provide the franchise's white protagonist with motivation and character development.
When Sylvester Stallone created Rocky, he drew from the stories of real boxers — like Rocky Marciano, Chuck Wepner, and Joe Frazier. Frazier in particular was central to the character. He had a cameo in the first movie. ROCKY: A champion in and out of the ring.
Adonis "Donnie" Creed (born Adonis Johnson) is the fictional protagonist of the Creed trilogy — Creed (2015), Creed II (2018), and Creed III (2023) — the follow-up franchise to the Rocky film series. The character is played by Michael B. Jordan in all three installments. Los Angeles County, California, U.S.
While Apollo Creed is a beloved and iconic character in the realm of cinema, it's important to clarify that he is a fictional creation and not a real-life boxer. The character was conceived by Sylvester Stallone, who wrote the screenplay for the original "Rocky" film.
The Super Fight was a fictional boxing match between Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali shot in 1969 and released in 1970. At the time, Ali and Marciano were the only undefeated heavyweight champions in history and fans often debated who would win had they met in their primes.
Summary. Creed 4 is unlikely to feature Stallone due to the direction the franchise is heading. Rocky's absence in Creed III indicates the franchise's shift beyond Stallone's involvement. Stallone's return to the Rocky franchise could revitalize his career and appeal to newer audiences.
Stallone previously paid tribute to their decades-long friendship following news of his death. “Today is an incredibly sad day for me. I'm so torn up, I can't even tell you. I'm just trying to hold it in because Carl Weathers was such an integral part of my life, my success — everything about it.
What did Sylvester Stallone say about Carl Weathers' death?
“We lost a legend yesterday. My life was forever changed for the better the day I met Carl Weathers. Rest in power and keeping punching,” Stallone captioned an Instagram video posted on Feb. 2, before sharing a longer and emotional message in his clip.
Weathers died at his home in Los Angeles on February 2, 2024, at age 76, from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Weathers' body was cremated. He is survived by his longtime partner Christine Kludjian, his two sons, Jason and Matthew, and his grandchildren.
