The fight between Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) and Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) inRocky IVis one of the franchise’s best, but it somehow got even better 39 years after the movie’s premiere. Apollo Creed’s fight with Ivan Drago is one of thebest scenes ofRocky IV, and one of the best fights in the entire trilogy. It’s packed with emotional moments, unexpected twists, and the jaw-dropping death of Creed. It’s quite nearly a perfect fight in terms of its actual action and its narrative impact, but it somehow got even better decades later.
TheRockyfranchise experienced a rebirth with 2015’sCreed, and Michael B. Jordan’s time at the helm of the series has retroactively made a lot of Sylvester Stallone’s films even better. From Adonis himself to Dolph Lundgren’s cameo inCreed II, the newer films have done a lot to enhance the originals. Interestingly,Rocky IVbenefited from a completely separate place: an interview Dolph Lundgren recently gave toScreen Rant. His recollections of creatingRocky IVactually made his fight with Carl Weathers even better.
Dolph Lundgren’s Story Of When He Met Carl Weathers Makes Their Iconic Fight Even Better
Interestingly,Dolph Lundgren didn’t know Carl Weathers well while filmingRocky IV, and their relationship got off to an awkward (rocky) start. Lundgren had sparred with Sylvester Stallone and built up a rapport, but the first time he met Weathers was when they were about to film the fight between Drago and Creed.
I was there to rehearse it with him, and he didn’t know me. He just saw this big fricking blonde guy who looks dangerous. He heard this guy’s a karate champion, and he’s never acted before. I think Carl got a little bit like, “Am I really…? Should I really do this? Am I going to survive this fight?”
I was in character a lot around the ring, so I was always Drago. I was walking around like him. In the beginning, we didn’t talk much. There was a little bit of tension there, and then of course in the fight, I ended up beating him up pretty badly. I didn’t really get to know him that well.
Eventually, Lundgren and Weathers became friends at the premiere ofRocky IVand in the years following, but their stiff introduction makes their fight in the film even better. Knowing that the tension between Creed and Drago bled through into real life makes it feel even more palpable in the film.It’s also quite entertaining to know that Lundgren was as physically imposing in real life as Drago was inRocky IV, and that the audience wasn’t alone in being terrified of him and his stature. Additionally, Lundgren’s story highlights why he and Carl Weathers were so important toRocky IV.
Carl Weathers & Dolph Lundgren Helped Turn A Flawed Rocky Sequel Into A Classic
Without Weathers & Lundgren, Rocky IV Would Have Floundered With Critics & Fans
It’s hard to overstate just how important both Carl Weathers and Dolph Lundgren - as well as the fight between Creed and Drago - were toRocky IV. It’s not the best movie in the world, and it’s not even thebestRockymovie.Rocky IVonly has 39% onRotten Tomatoes, in comparison to its predecessor’s 65%, for a reason.Even though it didn’t garner critical acclaim,Rocky IVis still one of the most iconic and enjoyable sports movies ever made. That’s largely because Weathers could comedically deliver the sillier momentsRocky IVwas known for, while Lundgren could hammer down the dramatic moments.
I’ll Forever Be Thankful For Creed For Making My Favorite Rocky Movie So Much Better In Hindsight
Creed is an amazing sports movie in its own right, but I will always be grateful that it made one of my favorite Rocky movies even better.
The fight between Creed and Drago and its explosive result also had a massive effect onRocky IV’s ability to succeed. After threeRockymovies, the eponymous boxer had effectively lost his underdog status, and it was going to be hard for the fourth installment to convince viewers that Rocky was still in for a tough fight. Killing Creed, however, immediately put those worries to bed, and immediately gave Rocky one of his best opponents in the entire franchise. The fact that it’s still getting better nearly 40 years later is a testament to Dolph Lundgren, Carl Weathers, andRocky IVas a whole.
Rocky IV
Cast
Rocky IV sees the return of Sylvester Stallone’s iconic heavyweight champion after his victory over Clubber Lang. When an exhibition match between Carl Weathers' Apollo Creed and Dolph Lundgren’s USSR boxing star Ivan Drago goes wrong, Rocky Balboa puts all his efforts into defeating the Soviet athlete in order to honor his friend’s legacy and exalt America’s patriotic spirit.
