Ivan Drago: Drago was a Soviet boxer who was trained to be a killing machine. He was incredibly strong and had a powerful punch. Rocky faced Drago in a 15-round fight in Rocky IV, and it was one of the most brutal fights in boxing history.
Played by the incomparable Dolph Lundgren, Ivan Drago is one of the most infamous villains of the Rocky franchise. The former Olympian with the 2,000-psi punch, Drago was responsible for the death of the aging Apollo Creed in Rocky IV.
Far and away, Rocky's easiest opponent - simply by virtue of the fact that he's not a boxer, has no skill in the ring and really just took to throwing the Italian Stallion all over the place. Sure, he's got the height and weight on the champ, but Rocky should have put him down easily.
Ivan Vasilyevich Drago (Russian: Иван Васильевич Драго, pronounced [ɪˈvan vɐˈsʲilʲjɪvʲɪdʑ ˈdraɡə]; Ukrainian: Іван Васильович Драго) is a fictional Russian character from the Rocky film series.
Ranking Rocky/Creed Opponents from Weakest to Strongest
Is Rocky stronger than Adonis Creed?
After eight films in the Rocky/Creed saga, Balboa retired with a record of 57-23-1 according to the film Rocky Balboa. Adonis is officially 25-1 following the conclusion of Creed II, so Balboa is clearly the more seasoned fighter - but Adonis has a better win-loss percentage.
Apollo not liking being retired and missing the limelight offered to train Rocky to regain his title from Clubber Lang. Initially Rocky wasn't training to his full potential causing numerous outburst by Apollo. It wasn't until Adrian had a heart to heart talk with Rocky that changed his outlook.
Burt Young, the Oscar-nominated actor who played Paulie, the rough-hewn, mumbling-and-grumbling best friend, corner-man and brother-in-law to Sylvester Stallone in the “Rocky” franchise, has died.
Rocky struggles in family life after his bout with Apollo Creed, while the embarrassed champ insistently goads him to accept a challenge for a rematch.
More From Men's Health. "If the fighters wore to remain upright Rocky would prevail," he said. "His body punches and right hooks would eventually beat Rambo… If the fight goes to the ground, Rambo will prevail.
By the end of 1975, Rocky had fought in 64 fights, winning 44 (38 KOs) and losing 20. Rocky was proud that he never had his nose broken in any of his amateur fighting career. His nickname is the Italian Stallion, from his Italian-American heritage.
Rocky wasn't always the better boxer in terms of technique, but his ability to go the distance and take an obscene amount of punishment is ultimately what won him almost every notable fight he was a part of during the series.
“Rocky V” (1990) — Easily the worst of the “Rocky” films. In this installment, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) learns he has some lingering effects from the beating he took at the hands of Ivan Drago.
Thomas "Tommy" Gunn (also known as The Machine and the Clone Ranger) is the secondary antagonist of the 1990 film Rocky V. He was a young boxer who started off as a protégé to Rocky Balboa, but later became his opponent upon leaving him in favor for boxing promoter George Washington Duke.
It was Rocky's 4th loss as an amateur, and the last time he would ever lose a fight in his life. Later in 1948 Rocky knocked out Joe Sidlaskis in one round, then went into the AAU Olympic tryouts in Boston.
Robert Balboa Jr. knows firsthand what it is like to have a world-class fighter for a father and the pressures that come with training underneath him. Rocky never personally trained Robert to be a boxer, as Rocky V instead saw Robert turn to Paulie for training when his dad was too focused on training Tommy Gunn.
James "Clubber" Lang is a fictional character created by Sylvester Stallone for the film Rocky III, which was released in 1982. He was portrayed by American actor and real-life wrestler Mr. T and serves as the main antagonist of the film.
Rocky Balboa, now 60 years old, is retired from boxing and lives a quiet life as a widower, having lost his wife Adrianna Pennino to cancer four years prior. He now runs a small, but successful, Italian restaurant named after her, where he regales patrons with tales from his past.
Rocky's Run Up The Museum Steps Was One Of The First Steadicam Shots. The scene in question is the beautifully shot sequence of Rocky's run through Philadelphia that famously culminated in his ascent up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Though Rocky famously ends with the titular boxer losing to Apollo Creed, the result is actually far more favorable for the Italian Stallion than it may seem. Despite Apollo Creed retaining his title, his victory over Balboa still comes as something of a black mark on his record.
Mickey's Death Makes Adrian More Important To The Rocky Franchise. With Mickey's death, the torch can be passed to other important people in Rocky's life who can offer him guidance, like Adrian.
Clubber is also the first Rocky antagonist to be considered a true villain due to his ruthless and vile nature. Clubber is considered the most vile Rocky villain, largely due to his uncouth behavior. A close second to Lang was Ivan Drago.
Rocky's brawler strategy is what beat Drago. He didn't use the finesse that Apollo and Duke taught him. No fancy footwork or jabs would've worked against Drago. Drago had too long a reach and height advantage for either of those to work.
