Rocky Balboa is one of the toughest fighters in the history of cinema. The heavyweight pugilist has experienced his fair share of crushing defeats and triumphant wins since bowing in 1976. He’s fought his best friend, two scary wrestlers, a steroidal Russian national, his street-fighting mentee, a dude named Spider, and many more.
Of course, some of Rocky’s most trying battles have come outside the ring with the loss of loved ones. But we’ll save that for another day. In the meantime, let’s climb back into the ring. Check out the 10 Best Fights From the Rocky Series, Ranked below!
10 Rocky Vs. Tommy Gunn (Rocky V)
While this showdown is about as senseless as Rocky V overall, the visceral nature of the fight is truly memorable.
Rocky spends the first half of the film training his street-wise new mentee, Tommy Gunn. But when Tommy becomes too cocky for Rocky’s help, the Italian Stallion is forced to teach the student a hard-hitting lesson. Taking place outside of the boxing ring, the scrappy street fight culminates with Tommy Gunn eating several knuckle sandwiches to go with a slice of humble pie!
9 Rocky Vs. Thunderlips (Rocky III)
While it may induce more chuckles than cheers, Rocky’s comedic showdown with Hulk Hogan is too good to ignore.
The scuffle occurs during a fundraising event, which takes a tense turn when Thunderlips puts Balboa square in his sights. Rocky is launched across the room like a ragdoll as Thunderlips subjects the heroic heavyweight to a slew of wrestling moves. In the end, Balboa gives Thunderlips a dose of his own medicine when he chokes him out with sleeper hold.
8 Rocky Vs. Clubber Lang 1 (Rocky III)
The only “fool” we may pity is Rocky himself after taking on Clubber Lang for the first time. Yikes!
Few foes are as formidable as Mr. T playing the smack-talking Clubber Lang. Unfortunately, Rocky lost the battle in more ways than one. Not only does Rocky get thoroughly defeated by Lang, but he also loses his trainer and father-figure, Mick (Burgess Meredith), immediately afterward. Talk about a gut-punching TKO! Fortunately, Rocky will get his chance to avenge his name and honor Mick in the rematch.
7 Adonis Creed Vs. Gabriel Rosado (Creed)
In the Rocky offshoot Creed, Balboa trains Adonis Creed, the son of his deceased best friend, Apollo. Creed’s first professional match versus Gabriel Rosado is an absolute show-stopper!
What makes this fight so memorable is the way it is choreographed and filmed. Captured in one continuous take, the impressive Steadicam shot whirls around the ring to give a head-spinning sense of immersion. The raw uncut intensity adds to the visceral nature of the bout as Creed attempts to tally his first victory. Rocky films have been accused of phony looking fights, but there isn’t a single sense of artifice when Creed and Rosado go toe to toe.
6 Rocky Vs. Mason Dixon (Rocky Balboa)
Keeping with the theme of gritty realism over macho absurdism, Rocky’s long-awaited comeback vs. Mason Dixon is one of the better matches of the franchise.
What makes the fight so compelling is it reminds us what a true warrior Rocky is after 16 years away from the big screen. It also helps that Rocky faces off with real life boxer Antonio Tarver, who plays the brash and smack-talking nemesis, Mason Dixon. With no love lost, Rocky must prove he isn’t over the hill and that can still mix it up with the young guns. Still an underdog after all these years!
5 Apollo Creed Vs. Ivan Drago (Rocky IV)
It isn’t the level of competition, but the devastating outcome that makes the Creed/Drago bout so unforgettable.
Rocky’s best friend Apollo Creed faces an upcoming Russian fighter named Ivan Drago. Apollo has a spectacularly patriotic entrance into the ring while adorned in red, white and blue trunks. However, exuberant smiles turn into heartbroken frowns when Drago pummels Creed to death. The worst part? As Creed’s cornerman, Rocky fails to throw in the towel in time to save his friend’s life. The guilt weighs on his conscious until he’s afforded a shot at redemption.
4 Rocky Vs. Clubber Lang 2 (Rocky III)
Revenge is a dish best served with a cold left cross! Nobody knows this better than Clubber Lang, the frightening madman who thrashes Balboa early in Rocky III.
In the rematch, Clubber gets his just desserts. In the climactic finale, Rocky returns to rare form as he jukes, jabs, sidesteps and uppercuts his way to a hard-fought victory. What makes the result so satisfying is how detestable Lang is to begin, and how much we want to see him go down. In the triumphant final moment, Rocky puts Clubber on his butt with a savage right hand. And no, we don’t pity the fool!
3 Rocky Vs. Apollo Creed 1 (Rocky)
Few cinematic fights have ever been as dramatic as Balboa/Creed Part 1. Indeed, the massive underdog Rocky is given very little chance of upsetting the top-ranked Apollo Creed.
During a vicious back-and-forth battle, it’s almost impossible to predict who’ll come out on top. Rocky is up one minute, down the next, with both fighters put to the absolute limit of their physical capabilities. In the heart-pounding final moments, the epic match ends with both fighters knocking each other down, unable to get up before the bell. The fight ends in a draw, which, in a way, is a major victory for the underrated Italian Stallion.
2 Rocky Vs. Ivan Drago (Rocky IV)
Draaaagggo! In a major metaphor for the Cold War relations between the US and Russia, the legendary clash between Rocky and Ivan Drago is also a satisfying revenge tale.
Aside from the geopolitical skirmish, Rocky travels to snowy USSR to take on the man who killed his best friend. And do so behind enemy lines! Drago ended Apollo Creed’s life inside the ring, but Rocky vows to uphold Creed’s honor by avenging the hulking steroidal Russian. Trading realism for sensationalism, the brutal and bloody bout ends with Rocky defeating his foe, while also winning over the Russian crowd.
1 Rocky Vs. Apollo Creed 2 (Rocky II)
The rematch between Rocky and rival Apollo Creed is the best fight of the Rocky series for several reasons.
Firstly, it proves that Balboa has what it takes to become a heavyweight champion. Secondly, Rocky gets satisfying revenge from the first showdown, which ended in a draw. But the real reason the harrowing bout between the two equally matched titans is so great is what transpires outside of the ring. Following the fight, Rocky and Apollo become best friends who remain in each other’s corners for the rest of their lives. In defeating Drago, Rocky avenges a friend. In defeating Apollo, Rocky earns a friend!
