I think this is a feats-we've-seen vs feats-implied kind of fight.
As has been stated, we the audience have never seen prime Apollo.
We have, however, seen that Rocky has 80's action star durability and strength, as his final bout with Drago and even his wrestling match with Thunderlips shows. Here's another key point: Rocky also has the training from Apollo's camp from Rocky III and adopted Apollo's fighting style to make it his own against Clubber Lang.
So, we have an implied Muhammed Ali vs a boxer that has his own power-stamina laden fighting style + the speed and agility style of his opponent + is nigh-superhuman when it comes to the durability and strength physical stats department.
Honestly, I think this one conclusively be given to Rocky unless one argues from speculation and conjecture.
The Drago fight was also mindset. That was intensely personal. Every fight Rocky came out on top had him desperately wanting to win. In the first and 6th movie, his plan was to simply go the distance/last until the final round.
In the third movie he never expected a challenge from Clubber thus took training lightly, plus he was just angry at him and wanted to pound him.
Another example for mindset assisting Rocky is in the second movie - after getting floored several times Rocky says I am not going down again, and after that Apollo never drops him.
So that off-screen fight Rocky wouldn't be be trying to lose, but won't be trying his hardest either. I mean he came out with just a black eye. Any other fight of Rocky he ends up drenched in blood and covered in bruises.
Plus he won't have anyone giving him tips, motivating him and cheering him either.
Originally posted by HulkIsHulkIn the third movie he never expected a challenge from Clubber thus took training lightly, plus he was just angry at him and wanted to pound him.
He was so worried about Mickey, he couldn't focus on the fight.
Plus, he had become "civilized" and temporarily lost the "eye of the tiger", as pointed out in the film.
Originally posted by HulkIsHulk
So that off-screen fight Rocky wouldn't be be trying to lose, but won't be trying his hardest either. I mean he came out with just a black eye. Any other fight of Rocky he ends up drenched in blood and covered in bruises.
Plus he won't have anyone giving him tips, motivating him and cheering him either.
It was always assumed that Rocky won that fight, anyway.
Before "Creed" hit the screens, that is.
Maybe Rocky just wanted to cherish Apollo's memory and felt that he won, even though Apollo himself might've disagreed --- we'll never know the whole story.
This is a old thread but I just seen it.
First off I assume most of you people don't watch real boxing and you didn't watch the series.
Rocky in Rocky 4 wasn't in his prime. No human being's prime is in their late 30's. Rocky was done as a top fighter. Even in Rocky 3 Mick stated he was hand picking Rocky's opponents because Rocky couldn't beat top contenders anymore.
Also we seen in a late 20's/early 30's Rocky fight Apollo and Rocky lost the first fight and was on verge of beating Rocky easier in their second bout. Apollo had to lose for storyline reasons. If Apollo won again where would the series go? Rocky would of lost twice to Apollo already.
Apollo should always beat Rocky if Apollo is trained and actually motivated.