What If Apollo Creed Had Survived In Rocky IV?
If Apollo Creed had survived his fateful bout with Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, the entire franchise would have been completely different. Carl Weathers' iconic antagonist from Rocky and Rocky II successfully shifted from villain to hero in Rocky III, where his friendship with the franchise's titular fighter began in earnest. The pair's relationship was quickly established as one of the most important in Rocky's life, with former rival Apollo serving as his best friend and trainer in one of the best on-screen pairings of the sports drama genre.
Carl Weathers made the character far more than just a boxer. Apollo Creed was the Rocky franchise's best fighter, but he was also its greatest showman, delivering unforgettable spectacles in each of his fights within the franchise. Perhaps the greatest of all was his ring walk in Rocky IV, which he made dressed as Uncle Sam dancing his way to the ring to James Brown's «Living in America.» However, the ensuing fight marked the short and brutal end to Apollo's career, with Soviet sensation Ivan Drago viciously beating Apollo to death in the ring.
Related: Rocky IV Ruined The Best Things About Balboa's Movies
Had Apollo survived the pair's fight, the trajectory of the franchise would have been incredibly different. If the one-sided beatdown hadn't ended in Apollo's death, the stories of Rocky Balboa's last few movies would have changed considerably, and the spin-off Creed franchise could have been incredibly different. As Apollo Creed was a huge inspiration to the boxing world in the Rocky universe, his survival could have allowed him to continue to shape the sport for years after his fateful loss to Ivan Drago had he not died in Rocky IV.
One of the biggest plot points in Rocky IV is
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