Apollo Creed vs Rocky Balboa, billed as The Superfight, was a heavyweight championship boxing match on January 1, 1976 at the Philadelphia Spectrum, between undefeated and undisputed heavyweight champion Apollo Creed and Rocky Balboa. The fight was seen as a public exhibition for the New Year and for the year's Bicentennial. However, underdog boxer Rocky Balboa shocked the audience when he went the whole 15 rounds. Apollo suffered his first ever knocked down in his professional career. Creed won the fight by virtue of a split decision (8:7 for Creed, 7:8 for Balboa, 9:6 for Creed).
It has been called "arguably the greatest sporting event of the 20th century" with Balboa becoming a national celebrity and Creed losing the respect of some of his fans. Most believe that Balboa won the fight and that Creed had either gotten lucky, or the judges were fixed in his favor. There would later be a rematch later the next 10 months of Thanksgiving where Balboa would win the championship.
Background[]
Apollo Creed and Rocky Balboa during a tv press conference
A planned Bicentennial fight against number one contender Mac Lee Green was scheduled for the New Years day of January 1, 1976, which Apollo gladly hypes whenever someone places a microphone in front of him. However, around November 25th, Green hurts his left hand in training and the other top ranked contenders, such as Ernie Roman, Buddy Shaw (ranked fifth), are either busy or don't believe that they can get into shape in time. Duke suggested he should fight Big Chuck Smith or Billy Snow, but Creed thought Smith was too dull, and Snow fouled too much. Unwilling to waste the time, effort and money he's already invested in the fight, Creed comes up with a promotion that will generate huge publicity; he will offer an unknown local fighter an opportunity to battle Creed for the title, in a match in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Rocky celebrates his training
Upon reviewing the local boxers in Philadelphia, Creed is drawn to a club fighter named Rocky Balboa because Balboa is Italian and has a catchy nickname, "The Italian Stallion". Upon setting up the match, no one took Balboa seriously except for few including Creed's trainer Tony "The Duke" Evers. Creed was busy setting up decorations for the fight while Balboa trained with a 1920s-era ex-bantamweight fighter and gym owner, Mickey Goldmill.
The Fight[]
Creed and Balboa exchange vicious blows
On New Years Day, at the start of the fight, Creed entered the arena as George Washington on top of a boat before entering the ring as Uncle Sam. During the first round Balboa was able to knock down Creed for the first time in his career, embarrassing Creed, and the match turned intense. Creed's prediction that he would knockout Rocky in three rounds is quickly erased as the two fighters engage in a brutal match. Creed is able to knock Balboa down a few times, but the fighter kept getting back up, much to the champion's disbelief. Both fighters sustaining many injuries; Rocky suffers his first broken nose and debilitating trauma around the eye, and Creed sustains brutal blows to his ribs with substantial internal bleeding. As the match progresses, Creed's superior skill is countered by Rocky's apparently unlimited ability to absorb punishment, and his dogged refusal to be knocked out. During the 15th and final round, Rocky gains the upper-hand, landing several hits on Apollo. As the final round bell sounds, with both fighters locked in each others arms, an exhausted Creed vows "Ain't gonna be no re-match," to which an equally spent Rocky replies, "Don't want one."
Chaos in the ring after the end of the fight
Multiple layers of drama are played out: sportscasters and audience are going wild; the promoter/ring announcer Miles Jergens announces over the loudspeaker that the match was "the greatest exhibition of guts and stamina in the history of the ring"; Jergens declares Apollo Creed the winner by virtue of a split decision (8:7 for Creed, 7:8 for Balboa, 9:6 for Creed).
Aftermath[]
A picture of the fight at Adrian's
Following the fight, Apollo and Rocky are taken to the same hospital for treatment of their injuries. Apollo challenges Rocky to a rematch in front of the press, but Rocky declines and announces his retirement. Initially, people thought that Rocky won the fight and that Apollo cheated by having the judge give him the win. Creed would later get hate mail from people. So much that it caused him to desire a rematch against Balboa to prove to everybody that the underdog was just lucky. The two would later have a rematch once again in Philadelphia, which would result in Creed losing the fight to Rocky. The fight has been often regarded as one of the most significant boxing matches in the history of boxing as introduced the world to then underdog Rocky Balboa and it gave people the feeling that anyone could go the distance.