Tommy Gunn, nicknamed as the Clone Ranger by the press, fought Union Cane for the Heavyweight title. Tommy was the former protégé of two-time Heavyweight Veteran Champion Rocky Balboa. However, following a dispute, Gunn left Balboa for controversial boxing promoter George Washington Duke. In one round, Gunn knocked down Cane and won the Championship (mostly the Anti-Championship or the Paper Championship).
The fight is considered to be one of the worst and the least popular boxing matches in recent history. Most people were upset and furious at Tommy's decision to leave Balboa for the unscrupulous promoter George Washington Duke. Most notable after Gunn won the belt, the crowds were cheering for the rightful veteran champion Rocky instead of Tommy.
Background[]

Tommy knocks out another opponent
Tommy Gunn, a young 20-year-old fighter from Oklahoma, arrived in Philadelphia to seek out a down-and-out Rocky Balboa, hoping for a chance to be taught boxing greatness from the man himself and Rocky eventually agreed. Thanks to Rocky's managing, Tommy's great talent was sharpened, and Tommy won 14 consecutive fights with great success; the first eight on his own, and between 1986 to early 1989, won the others with the help of Rocky, generating a record of 22-0 in the Heavyweight division and the crowd loved it. However, as Tommy climbed the ladder of success, he took notice that he was almost always praised indirectly through Rocky, such as sports magazine covers referring to him as "Rocky's Gunn", or other media outlets calling him "Rocky's Robot." Then one night on December 25th of celebrating Christmas, Tommy hated living in Rocky's shadow, driving a wedge between the two men -- a wedge that less-than-reputable promoter George Washington Duke exploited by offering Tommy the fame and riches Rocky couldn't. The two men signed a contract on December 31st, the New Years eve of 1991, after the Christmas Holiday party, officially parted ways with Balboa. Gunn soon enough became the number 1 contender to face Union Cane for the championship.
The Fight[]
As the fight was beginning, Gunn's former manager Rocky Balboa was watching the fight with his family and unlike them of cheering for the present champion Union Cane, Rocky was cheering for Tommy to win. After a somewhat short and non-spectacular battle between he and Union Cane, Tommy won with ease, knocking Cane out, and becoming champion, but the crowd rejected him, praising Rocky the rightful veteran champion instead, as Tommy thank the duke George Washington instead of Balboa in the post-fight interview and did not fight with the heart and passion that Rocky did. Rocky was hurt by Tommy's refusal to mention him. So after turning off the TV when Paulie claimed that too much TV is bad for his ears before he becomes deaf, Rocky Jr. shows his father a picture that he drew of them and called him the real champion of the world while Paulie tells Rocky of going to the brewery, because he really needs some company as Rocky Jr. needs to watch TV with his mother Adrian.
Aftermath[]

News Reporters scolding Tommy Gunn and George Washington Duke
The media later criticized him for, he seemingly won the belt with no difficulty or struggle. In that same post-fight press conference, the press claimed an exposing secret that Union Cane was just nothing but a paper champion, because his title reign was manufactured and he never had to defeat Balboa to claim the title as the Duke's boxing game was rigged. And the commentator Stu Nahan teased Gunn and asked him when he would fight a real fighter as a taunt, causing Gunn to storm out of the room in frustration. Gunn expressed his anger and tantrum to the Duke over everyone's crude reaction towards his counterfeit victory, and the latter told him that to get the respect he wants so much, he had to drag Rocky into the ring through any means and beat him. Duke kept insisting that Balboa had to be humiliated and insulted, and goaded into fighting.
Trivia[]
- This fight has another referee named Frank Cappuccino after Lou Filippo from the last 4 movies and Marty Denkin from the 3rd and 4th movie.
- This fight is premiered for New Year's Eve of 1991.