Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Overview... a seemingly super-human, indestructible Soviet boxer. Ivan Drago won an Olympic gold medal for the Soviet Union and now has his sights set on the heavyweight championship belt held by Rocky Balboa. First, Ivan beats Rocky’s friend (and the former champ) Apollo Creed so badly that Apollo dies in the ring, which doesn’t seem to bother the emotionless Ivan much. (“If he dies, he dies,” says Ivan coolly, one of the few things he says in English, or any language for that matter.) Rocky decides to fight Ivan on his home Russian turf to avenge Apollo’s death.
Personality... driven and single-minded, but he might not be the complete automaton he appears to be. Ivan is definitely the (very) strong but silent type, training relentlessly with the latest scientific advances. He’s consumed by achievement and victory. But there might be more humanity below the fearsome surface – if anyone can ever get close enough to find out.
Get to Know him in...
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When world heavyweight boxing champ Apollo Creed wants to give an unknown fighter a shot at the title as a publicity stunt, his handlers pick palooka Rocky Balboa, an uneducated collector for a Philadelphia loan shark.
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When he loses a highly publicized virtual boxing match to ex-champ Rocky Balboa, reigning heavyweight titleholder Mason Dixon retaliates by challenging the Itallian Stallion to a nationally televised, 10-round exhibition bout. To the surprise of his son and friends, Rocky agrees to come out of retirement and face an opponent who's faster, stronger and thirty years his junior.
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After Rocky goes the distance with champ Apollo Creed, both try to put the fight behind them and move on. Rocky settles down with Adrian but can't put his life together outside the ring, while Creed seeks a rematch to restore his reputation. Soon enough, the "Master of Disaster" and the "Italian Stallion" are set on a collision course for a climactic battle that is brutal and unforgettable.
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Now the world champion, Rocky Balboa is living in luxury and only fighting opponents who pose no threat to him in the ring. His lifestyle of wealth and idleness is shaken when a powerful young fighter known as Clubber Lang challenges him to a bout. After taking a pounding from Lang, the humbled champ turns to former bitter rival Apollo Creed to help him regain his form for a rematch with Lang.
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Rocky must come out of retirement to battle a gargantuan Soviet fighter named Drago, who brutally punished Rocky's friend and former rival, Apollo Creed. Seeking revenge in the name of his fallen comrade and his country, Rocky agrees to fight Drago in Moscow on Christmas, and the bout changes both fighters -- and the world.
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A lifetime of taking shots has ended Rocky's career, and a crooked accountant has left him broke. Inspired by the memory of his trainer, however, Rocky finds glory in training and takes on an up-and-coming boxer.
