Adonis Creed vs Viktor Drago, billed as Creed vs Drago was a boxing match for the Heavyweight belt and Adonis's first title defense. With the sudden arrival of the Ukrainian-Russian who was the son of Former Soviet boxer Ivan Drago who killed Adonis father Apollo Creed 32 years ago. Many were worried about the fight due to the outcome of the last fight between a Creed and Drago. Notably, Adonis's longtime trainer Rocky Balboa was no longer in his corner, instead supported by Tony "Little Duke" Evers. The boxing match was promoted by Buddy Marcelle.
The fight was very intense and resulted in Viktor knocking Adonis down while he was on one knee thereby disqualification and forfeiting the match to Adonis who suffered heavy damage from his rib cage. A rematch would later be held in Russia the next year.
Background[]
After winning the Heavyweight belt, Adonis would later celebrate with Rocky and Bianca and would ask to former that he plans on marrying the latter.
Buddy Marcelle, Ivan Drago, and Viktor challenge Adonis
After Ivan's loss to Rocky Balboa, Ivan was disgraced by the USSR (now known as Russia), where he was shamed and kicked out of the country, tainting the Drago name forever. So it would be many years before he would even be able to attempt and correct his lowly regarded 1-1 (1 KO) record during his brief career in 1985. Five years later, in 1990, Ivan and Ludmilla had a son, Viktor Drago. However, due to his disgraced name, Ludmilla divorced Ivan and left him to raise Viktor on his own. However, this was only Russia, for elsewhere, the Drago name, and how the man killed Apollo Creed became the cautionary tale of the boxing, marking his name forever in the history of the sport.
However, due to rules and political complications, Drago was unable to continue his professional career for more than five years after his loss to Balboa. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in late-1991, Ivan fought pro throughout the remainder of the 1990s while raising his son, being able to do so again. During this time, he accumulated a record of 14-0-0 (14 KO), and in 1994, after Union Cane was stripped of the WBA Heavyweight title, Ivan won the vacant championship from the paper champion. However, Ivan never unified the title or fought the very top contenders due to promotional politics, so was stripped of his championship by 1998. Ivan eventually retired. Now forced to live again in Ukraine, where he lived a modest life, Ivan relentlessly trained Viktor to be an even more formidable boxer than he was.
Adonis and Viktor at the weigh-ins
A callout was facilitated by a boxing promoter named Buddy Marcelle, who hoped to capitalize of the fight due to both of the fighter's last names. Viktor had been dominating the Heavyweight Division in Ukraine, stringing together several knockout victories before deciding to arrive in the United States and challenge Adonis. Infuriated, Creed accepts the challenge.
Adonis interview with HBO Sports
However Balboa feared that what happened thirty-two years ago would happen again and refused to be there for Adonis much to his dismay. At the weigh-in, Adonis encounters his father's murder for the first time. When Ivan says that Apollo was much taller than Adonis, Creed lashed out and shoved Drago before his son pushed him back. Before a melee could occur Adonis was diffused.
The Fight[]
Drago hits Adonis rib cage
At the beginning of the fight, Adonis, overwhelmed, rushes into the fight and gets seriously injured. Viktor Drago pummeled him, breaking his orbital bone, ribs, rupturing his lung and giving him a Grade A concussion. Between the bell, Duke tells Adonis that things are getting out of hand and wants to call the fight but Adonis refuses. Drago dominated the 3rd round and near the end of the bell, Drago knocked Creed down to his knees.
Adonis is knocked out
As Creed was kneeling, Drago punched Adonis in the head knocking him out. Due to Adonis already being down, Viktor was disqualified and the match ended. With Creed clearly down, the boxing commission held a meeting order to decide who won the fight and in the end the commission voted for Creed keeping the title.
Aftermath[]
Despite the domination, Adonis wins the fight by disqualification because Viktor punched him when he was down on one knee, knocking him out. Adonis is taken to a hospital to treat his injuries. The boxing world continues to move forward with Viktor establishing himself as the number one boxer in the world, despite not having the championship. His fame also led to him being heavily favored by the Russian government.
Adonis loses all his confidence and enters a shell, blocking everybody else out. The boxing commission began to step on Adonis's toes and inform him that if he doesn't defend the title soon, he will be stripped. Adonis and Rocky would later reconcile and began to train for a rematch with Drago. Their would later be a rematch between the two that would be held in Russia the next year.