Sylvester
Stallone’s Rocky II (1979) is the
second instalment of the Rocky
movies, which tells the story of an underdog boxer as he rises to stardom
through his sheer determination and resilience. In the first Rocky film, it is the first one that his
background and starting point is shown, which by the end sets him up for a
promising future and career. Rocky
(also played by Sylvester Stallone) is the lucky opportunist who is given the
chance to fight highly famous and successful professional boxer, Apollo Creed. (Carl Weathers) With an
ambitious goal to show the world what he’s made of up against the star, Rocky
trains furiously for the fight. Apollo doesn’t take much notice or push himself
very hard in training as he’s up against a “nobody,” but at the end of the
first film, Rocky manages to withstand the whole bout against Apollo. The fact
he manages to last the entire fight without being knocked out catches
everyone’s attention, and infuriates Apollo, who could only just manage to win
by a decision, after giving this new kid on the block everything he had in him.
So while they approach the fight in the first film newly and unfamiliar with
one another, their views towards each other remain rather relaxed and
sangfroid. However, after their match concludes in this movie, it sets up Rocky II with an escalating rivalry
about to unfold between the two fighters.
With Rocky II taking place shortly after the first film, Apollo is fired up and slightly humiliated after failing to knock Rocky out in their match. He wants to have a rematch to protect his reputation and to remind people that he is the champion, and that Rocky is a nobody. Meanwhile, Rocky is very pleased that he lasted all rounds against the pro and showed the world of his phenomenal resilience and astounding potential. After receiving medical advice from doctors to quit boxing to avoid long term injuries in the future, Rocky decides to retire and live life with his soon to be wife Adrian, enjoying the money and positive publicity that followed from the big fight before. Apollo is full of hate and frustration, while Rocky is prideful and appreciative. Their rivalry at this point is quite one sided, but it has been developing for quite some time since the first film, which has just built history between the hostility that is yet to arise.
Apollo Creed is willing to do whatever it takes to prove to the world that Rocky lasting that long in the match was a fluke, even if it means persistently pestering Rocky for another fight. Internally, Apollo Creed is embarrassed and his ego is beginning to have self-doubts and show vulnerability. He is already the champion and has a lot to lose, including his popularity and belief from others. His motivation to the rivalry comes from hate, jealousy and frustration towards Rocky. To him, Rocky is in his way and has taken something from Apollo internally, which has left him feeling the desperate need to finish things and come to a final conclusion of who was the better man. Apollo is not evil or villainous, he is a human just like the protagonist, only he is in a much different place and feels provoked.
Rocky doesn’t have much to lose at all, as coming this far is the furthest he has been by a lot, plus the expectations from others were already set lower than he has achieved. Getting this far in his career is a huge accomplishment, coming from the underdog background he initially emerged from. Now that he has money, publicity and a set future, his life overall is in a much brighter place than ever before. To retire instead of carrying on his career is a decision that he can make and remain stable after doing so. No matter how hard Apollo pushes, Rocky sticks to his decision and avoids to reciprocate to the rivalry. Possessing a much happier state of mind where his ego is not prioritised, he doesn’t need to involve himself in it.
Despite Apollo Creed’s trash talk and hounding away, it isn’t just this that eventually pushes Rocky to retaliate and step up to face his rival one more time. When Rocky begins to lose control of money and stumbles financially, he is low on options, especially now that him and Adrian have a baby on the way. As Rocky begins to train, the disapproval from his wife holds him back and forms a great sense of guilt in him. After she falls into a coma, Rocky blames himself for it, and remains by her bedside without leaving her. This causes him to come to a halt in his training and drops him into a very low place internally. While Apollo Creed trains with everything he has, Rocky’s momentum has completely stopped. Eventually, Adrian wakes from her coma and gives birth to their son, it is at this point where she finally tells Rocky to go and win the fight. She lifts him up and enables him to gain full momentum in pursuit of training for the rematch. With both men focused and fuelled by motivation to win, the uphill climb becomes steeper and steeper as their time to prepare begins to diminish.
When the match begins, the rivalry is finally ready to be settled. Throughout the boxing rounds, although both men manage to inflict damage upon one another, both manage to stand their ground and keep getting back to their feet. Their rivalry can be seen at its peak in the match, during times when they try to fight after the bell rings for the end of the round. Although the ring isn’t the best place for them to trade words, their efforts and feelings towards the rivalry can be easily noticed, as they exchange blows and release their built up momentum that has stemmed from the very beginning of the rivalry.
Like the fight from the first film, Rocky once again keeps getting back up and taking Apollo’s punches without getting knocked out. It is towards the end of the match, when Rocky keeps receiving heavy blows to the head yet keeps egging Apollo on for more and continues to get up with resilience. Here is a very important part of the rivalry, as there’s an understanding of each other that begins to develop. Apollo begins to see a tremendous amount of potential in his opponent, making him realise that instead of building a dislike for him based on doubt or jealousy, he should have respected him as a fighter and not challenged his capabilities. At this point, both men have proved they are great fighters not only to each other, but to the world too. Both men still give everything they have in order to defeat their opponent, but they certainly are reassured of one another’s skills which will inevitably push them to respect the other person, regardless of the fate of the match. In the final round of the match, Rocky manages to knock Apollo Creed down, but he also hits the canvass due to fatigue and the overabundance of pain that has been inflicted upon him. While both men begin to be counted out, Rocky manages to rise to his fight right at the last moment, ensuring him the glorious victory.
As opposed to the first film, the match this time is ended properly and not by a decision. Rocky wins the match, proving himself to everyone and succeeding in what he initially set out to do. Apollo Creed on the other hand, lost. Despite this, he develops respect for Rocky, and his hard feelings are put to rest as he comes to an acceptance of the truth. Interestingly, the men don’t just part ways with a mutual respect for one another. instead, they become very close and even friends. In the Rocky films yet to follow this one, Apollo Creed appears in them as Rocky’s close friend and trainer, as opposed to his greatest enemy which he had been in Rocky II.
Overall, their rivalry takes time to escalate fully and mutually as they face one another as strangers in the first film. This adds to the strength of the rivalry as the audience get to witness where it all stems from, and gets to perceive them both as human beings and not just good or bad. Rocky and Apollo Creed are not so different, but they are different ages and in different places, and perhaps it is the similarities between them, that cause them to clash so aggressively. After all the friction and fighting, both men come to a realisation and awareness of the other person, which finally allows them full closure to swallow their pride and respect each other as a man and a fighter.
With Rocky II taking place shortly after the first film, Apollo is fired up and slightly humiliated after failing to knock Rocky out in their match. He wants to have a rematch to protect his reputation and to remind people that he is the champion, and that Rocky is a nobody. Meanwhile, Rocky is very pleased that he lasted all rounds against the pro and showed the world of his phenomenal resilience and astounding potential. After receiving medical advice from doctors to quit boxing to avoid long term injuries in the future, Rocky decides to retire and live life with his soon to be wife Adrian, enjoying the money and positive publicity that followed from the big fight before. Apollo is full of hate and frustration, while Rocky is prideful and appreciative. Their rivalry at this point is quite one sided, but it has been developing for quite some time since the first film, which has just built history between the hostility that is yet to arise.
Apollo Creed is willing to do whatever it takes to prove to the world that Rocky lasting that long in the match was a fluke, even if it means persistently pestering Rocky for another fight. Internally, Apollo Creed is embarrassed and his ego is beginning to have self-doubts and show vulnerability. He is already the champion and has a lot to lose, including his popularity and belief from others. His motivation to the rivalry comes from hate, jealousy and frustration towards Rocky. To him, Rocky is in his way and has taken something from Apollo internally, which has left him feeling the desperate need to finish things and come to a final conclusion of who was the better man. Apollo is not evil or villainous, he is a human just like the protagonist, only he is in a much different place and feels provoked.
Rocky doesn’t have much to lose at all, as coming this far is the furthest he has been by a lot, plus the expectations from others were already set lower than he has achieved. Getting this far in his career is a huge accomplishment, coming from the underdog background he initially emerged from. Now that he has money, publicity and a set future, his life overall is in a much brighter place than ever before. To retire instead of carrying on his career is a decision that he can make and remain stable after doing so. No matter how hard Apollo pushes, Rocky sticks to his decision and avoids to reciprocate to the rivalry. Possessing a much happier state of mind where his ego is not prioritised, he doesn’t need to involve himself in it.
Despite Apollo Creed’s trash talk and hounding away, it isn’t just this that eventually pushes Rocky to retaliate and step up to face his rival one more time. When Rocky begins to lose control of money and stumbles financially, he is low on options, especially now that him and Adrian have a baby on the way. As Rocky begins to train, the disapproval from his wife holds him back and forms a great sense of guilt in him. After she falls into a coma, Rocky blames himself for it, and remains by her bedside without leaving her. This causes him to come to a halt in his training and drops him into a very low place internally. While Apollo Creed trains with everything he has, Rocky’s momentum has completely stopped. Eventually, Adrian wakes from her coma and gives birth to their son, it is at this point where she finally tells Rocky to go and win the fight. She lifts him up and enables him to gain full momentum in pursuit of training for the rematch. With both men focused and fuelled by motivation to win, the uphill climb becomes steeper and steeper as their time to prepare begins to diminish.
When the match begins, the rivalry is finally ready to be settled. Throughout the boxing rounds, although both men manage to inflict damage upon one another, both manage to stand their ground and keep getting back to their feet. Their rivalry can be seen at its peak in the match, during times when they try to fight after the bell rings for the end of the round. Although the ring isn’t the best place for them to trade words, their efforts and feelings towards the rivalry can be easily noticed, as they exchange blows and release their built up momentum that has stemmed from the very beginning of the rivalry.
Like the fight from the first film, Rocky once again keeps getting back up and taking Apollo’s punches without getting knocked out. It is towards the end of the match, when Rocky keeps receiving heavy blows to the head yet keeps egging Apollo on for more and continues to get up with resilience. Here is a very important part of the rivalry, as there’s an understanding of each other that begins to develop. Apollo begins to see a tremendous amount of potential in his opponent, making him realise that instead of building a dislike for him based on doubt or jealousy, he should have respected him as a fighter and not challenged his capabilities. At this point, both men have proved they are great fighters not only to each other, but to the world too. Both men still give everything they have in order to defeat their opponent, but they certainly are reassured of one another’s skills which will inevitably push them to respect the other person, regardless of the fate of the match. In the final round of the match, Rocky manages to knock Apollo Creed down, but he also hits the canvass due to fatigue and the overabundance of pain that has been inflicted upon him. While both men begin to be counted out, Rocky manages to rise to his fight right at the last moment, ensuring him the glorious victory.
As opposed to the first film, the match this time is ended properly and not by a decision. Rocky wins the match, proving himself to everyone and succeeding in what he initially set out to do. Apollo Creed on the other hand, lost. Despite this, he develops respect for Rocky, and his hard feelings are put to rest as he comes to an acceptance of the truth. Interestingly, the men don’t just part ways with a mutual respect for one another. instead, they become very close and even friends. In the Rocky films yet to follow this one, Apollo Creed appears in them as Rocky’s close friend and trainer, as opposed to his greatest enemy which he had been in Rocky II.
Overall, their rivalry takes time to escalate fully and mutually as they face one another as strangers in the first film. This adds to the strength of the rivalry as the audience get to witness where it all stems from, and gets to perceive them both as human beings and not just good or bad. Rocky and Apollo Creed are not so different, but they are different ages and in different places, and perhaps it is the similarities between them, that cause them to clash so aggressively. After all the friction and fighting, both men come to a realisation and awareness of the other person, which finally allows them full closure to swallow their pride and respect each other as a man and a fighter.
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