After a break from the franchise, Sylvester Stallone returned as the Italian Stallion in the 2006 sequel Creed spin-off sequels.
While Rocky is seen in Rocky Balboa to be struggling with Adrian's death, the movie brushes past some key points and characters from earlier films in the franchise. One such character is none other than Apollo Creed, the iconic showman brought to life in the first four Rocky films by Carl Weathers. Apollo's death in Rocky IV was as shocking as it was unforgettable, and it was a moment that fundamentally changed the Rocky franchise's titular character.
Despite Apollo's death being a defining moment for Rocky, the Italian Stallion seems to have lost sight of this by the time the events of Rocky Balboa come around. An aging, long-retired Rocky mostly spends his days reliving his better memories of boxing life and grieving the untimely ing of his wife, Adrian, and it seems that he's all but forgotten about the lesson he learned from the death of his one-time rival. Moreover, by taking the exhibition fight against Mason Dixon, Rocky effectively undermines his own character development, proving himself a hypocrite in the process.
Throughout the Rocky franchise's first four entries, Rocky V, where his decision to walk away from boxing is tested. Despite the 1990 sequel widely being considered the worst of the franchise, Rocky's resolve remains (mostly) intact.
However, Rocky Balboa sees Rocky make a series of decisions that directly mirror those of Creed in Rocky IV. Not only does he also agree to fight a much younger, undefeated boxer in Mason "The Line" Dixon just as Apollo did, but he also laced up his gloves well past his prime even after seeing first-hand the dangers of doing so. In addition, both fights were exhibition matches - not traditional professional contests - meaning that the fighters' pride was on the line more than their records or titles. All of this directly parallels Apollo's fatal fight with Drago in Rocky IV.
Stallone even subtly acknowledged Rocky's hypocrisy in his decision to kill off the iconic character's beloved wife. Knowing Adrian had always acted as the voice of reason to Rocky, Stallone itted while promoting the 2006 film that he cut Adrian's role in Rocky Balboa not only to give Rocky a sense of loss to overcome but also to prevent Adrian from having to point out the dangerous nature of Rocky's decision to fight. And, while Stallone hasn't yet directly addressed it, Adrian would have been entirely correct.
Despite Rocky's hypocrisy, Rocky Balboa was a powerfully emotional journey and a return to form for the franchise that paved the way for the successful Creed spin-offs. However, the sequel does undermine a few key aspects from the preceding films, particularly those that already addressed the dangers of knowing when to step away from the ring. Therefore, as triumphant as Rocky Balboa may be, it still insults Apollo Creed's death by having Rocky seemingly forget the lesson it taught him.
