Ranking the Boxers in the Rocky Universe

In anticipation of Creed II, I thought it appropriate time to evaluate all the major fighters featured in the Rocky Movies (Rocky I-V, Rocky Balboa, and Creed). Here is my definitive ranking: 

9. Mason “The Line” Dixon
(Rocky Balboa)

While he had become champion at some point, his struggle to defeat a 61-year old Rocky Balboa (who was coming back from a 20-year retirement) costs him any credibility.

8. Union Cane 
(Rocky V)

Critics called him a “paper champion” who got the belt despite having never beat Balboa. They were right, and he quickly surrendered the title to Tommy Gunn.

7. Tommy Gunn

(Rocky V)

Maybe he is a better fighter that his reputation, but his reputation is that of a loser. He had a meteoric rise to the top, and beat Union Cane to become heavyweight champ. But his decision to abandon Rocky Balboa as his trainer spelled the beginning of the end. After his loss to the 41-year old, retired Balboa in a street fight, Gunn was done.

6. "Pretty" Ricky Conlan

(Creed)

Conlan is one of the toughest to rank, given we’ve seen so few of his previous fights or his training. His rise to light heavyweight champion and split decision win over Adonis Johnson (Creed) put him here.

5. Adonis Johnson (Creed)

(Creed)

Notwithstanding his split-decision loss to Conlan, Johnson has the look of a future champ. He deserved to win the fight with Conlan, has the pedigree and skills to get better, and is the youngest fighter on this list. With time (and perhaps with a viewing of Creed II), he may rise in these rankings.

4. Ivan Drago

(Rocky IV)

Drago may be the most overrated boxer in the Rocky universe. He had tremendous punching power, and was incredibly hyped—thanks to the Soviet propaganda machine. But his strength was due in some part to steroid use, and a government sponsored training regimen. His win over Apollo Creed—killing Creed in the ring—was impressive; but Creed was 43 and had been retired from boxing for nearly 9 years by the time of the fight. His also nearly went the distance with Balboa, but was knocked out by the smaller, quicker Rocky (though Balboa was already 40) in the 15^th round.

3. Clubber Lang

(Rocky III)

Clubber Lang was arguably the most impressive fighter in his rise to the top. He won his first 29 fights, all by knockout. Lang was some impressive, that Mickey tells Rocky “you can’t win Rock, this guy will kill you death inside three rounds…this guy is a wrecking machine”. Lang was intense, predicting “pain.” In the first match with Rocky, Mickey and Lang proved right, as Clubber dominated Balboa, knocking him out in round two.

But it’s the rematch that cost Lang a higher ranking on this list. Balboa got a second fight with Lang less than a year later. Balboa used a new strategy, capitalizing on Lang’s intensity and anger, and exposing his lack of stamina. Balboa—never considered a great mental fighter—outsmarted Lang with a “rope-a-dope”-like strategy. Balboa’s third round KO was the end for Lang, who seems to have quit fighting immediately thereafter. Lang may have been the best boxer on paper, but didn’t have the heart of Balboa.

2. Rocky Balboa

(Rocky I-V, Rocky Balboa)

The protagonist of the Rocky movies is the most difficult to rank. He lost a whopping 23 fights (more than all the others on this list combined), many of those to journeymen fighters. He was never considered a great in-ring tactician, nor was he the most impressive athlete. He was never even considered a contender, until getting a random chance at the title against Apollo Creed.

Still, Balboa is considered one of the greatest champions, and has three of the most impressive wins. He shocked the world by going distance with Creed in his first title opportunity. He first won the title from Creed in a rematch a year later, handing Creed his first defeat. He knocked out the previously unbeaten Clubber Lang to earn the belt the second time—a remarkable comeback from their first fight. And he knocked out Ivan Drago and single-handedly ended the Cold War.

What Balboa lacked in physical gifts, he made up in heart, being able to take a beating and keep on going.

1. Apollo Creed
(Rocky I-IV)

There is a reason why Rocky was such an underdog—Apollo Creed was better than him. Creed was 48-0 before losing the title. He beat the younger Balboa in the first fight, and nearly won the rematch, before an improbably 15^th round KO by Balboa. His only other loss—resulting in his death—was at age 43, after an 9-year hiatus from boxing. Notably, Creed also took the third, unofficial fight with Rocky, as admitted by Balboa to Adonis Johnson years later.

Winning two out of three fights from Balboa is good enough to top this list. He was better physically, a better in-ring tactician, and a better showman than Balboa.