Viktor Ivanovich (Ivanovych) Drago (Russian: Виктор Иванович Драго; Ukrainian: Віктор Іванович Драго) is the secondary antagonist of the 2018 film Creed II and a supporting redeemed character in its 2023 sequel Creed III. He is a Russian-Ukrainian Heavyweight boxer and the son of retired Heavyweight boxer Ivan Drago and Ludmilla Drago.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Viktor Drago was the son of disgraced professional Soviet boxer Ivan Drago and his wife Ludmilla Vobet Drago born in the year 1990. It's unknown of Viktor was either born in Ukraine or Russia, as the latter of which his father was exiled from after his loss to Rocky Balboa on Christmas in 1985. At some point while he was still a young boy, Ludmilla divorced Ivan and abandoned their son due to the disgraced Drago name, thus Viktor was raised solely by his father. Viktor develops a resentment towards his mother for abandoning him.
By the 2010s, Drago with his father in Kiev, Ukraine and had a modest life. Routinely he woke up early in the morning to train, coached and brutally pushed by his father and without remorse, as he worked towards a pro boxing career, while he had a day job moving slate.
Creed II[]
In 1985, Ivan Drago challenged Rocky Balboa to a boxing match, but instead of Balboa stepping up, Apollo Creed decided to fight the Russian. Drago would batter Creed so badly that he died in the ring. Drago went on to be defeated by Balboa, who took revenge for his friend Apollo. However, 33 years later, he returns to the main stage, training Viktor Drago (Ivan's son).
Viktor challenges Adonis Johnson Creed (Apollo's son), During his first fight, he easily pummels Adonis, but after hitting him while he is already down, Viktor is disqualified. Adonis would later challenge Viktor to a rematch. Their second fight is much more balanced due to Adonis's intense training making him more accustomed to Viktor's aggressive hits. He is ahead of Adonis by points for most of the fight, but due to him never having had to go past the fourth round, he becomes exhausted in the later rounds. In the the 10th round, Adonis turns the tables on an exhausted Viktor, unleashing several hits, leading to him knocking Viktor down twice. However, embarrassed that her son is losing, Ludmilla walks out of the arena, abandoning him again. Seeing his mother walk out on him again, breaks the spirit of Viktor, who loses the will to fight. Adonis continues his assault on Viktor. Realizing that Viktor is about to suffer the same fate that Apollo did, Ivan throws in the towel to save Viktor's life, giving Adonis the victory again.
Afterwards[]
In the following years that passed, Drago continued his career as boxer, establishing himself as a high ranked contender for the heavyweight championship. He and Adonis also managed to set aside the past with their fathers, and even become good friends.
Creed III[]
Viktor is still a very high-ranking, famous and decorated fighter into the 2020's. Adonis, now retired, has arranged a match between Viktor, and Adonis' protégé Felix Chavez. The fight would not happen, however, as Viktor was injured in a seemingly random assault. Hoping to salvage the event, Adonis would eventually convince Chavez to fight Adonis' old friend Damian Anderson in Drago's place. Adonis would later learn that Anderson had in fact arranged the assault on Drago to get himself a chance at a professional fight.
Having recovered from his injury, Viktor would later serve as a sparring partner for Adonis when he challenged Anderson to a fight.
Personality and Traits[]
Viktor is typically seen as a quiet, but a very determined fighter as he lets Ivan Drago (Viktor's father) or his promoter do the talking for him. Having been taught to win no matter what, Viktor is generally unrestrained and wild in boxing matches, using his raw power to knock out his opponents, however this also made him strike Adonis while he was on the mat, causing him to be disqualified. In addition, if ordered by his father, he is willing to break the rules to achieve victory, such as holding Adonis to break his ribs again in their second match.
Upon meeting Ludmilla Drago (Viktor's mother) for the first time, he spoke up against Ivan Drago (Viktor's father), showing disdain for the people who abandoned his father and saying his mother is nothing but a mere stranger to him.
By the events of Creed III, Viktor is on much friendlier terms with Adonis Creed, becoming sparring partners and friends (much like Rocky and Apollo in Rocky III), having put aside the differences with their respective fathers. He even shares some playful banter with him during their sparring session, when asked by Adonis how he was recovering from the assault by Damian Anderson’s friends, saying he’s “strong enough to beat [Creed]”.
Boxing Style[]
Much like Ivan Drago (Viktor's father), Viktor employs his immense strength, power and sheer tenacity to win his fights. In his first fight with Adonis Johnson Creed, even blocking his punches sent Creed back into the ropes. By the end of the fight, Creed had broken ribs, a ruptured kidney and a severe concussion just after three rounds.
However, in the second fight, Adonis exploited Drago's lack of technique to get the better of him and having become accustomed to taking heavy blows, he weathered much better than Viktor's punches. In addition, he lacks stamina in the later rounds, as he had never gone passed the fourth round in a professional fight, making him exhausted by the 10th round, which Adonis successfully exploited to turn the tables on him.
Boxing Record[]
List of Viktor's fights during the series.
No. |
Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Rd., Time | Date | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
28 | Loss | 26-2-0 | Adonis Creed | TKO | 12 (12), 2:56 | 2018 | Moscow, Russia | For WBC Heavyweight title |
27 | Win | 26-1-0 | Anthony Novak | KO | 1 (12) | 2017 | ||
26 | Loss | 25-1-0 | Adonis Creed | DQ | 3 (12), 2:10 | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York |
Boxing Attires[]
Trivia[]
- Since Viktor was disqualified in his first fight with Adonis, he is technically the only opponent in the franchise to fight the protagonist and lose both times.
- Viktor was professional boxer, but only three of his fights were ever shown in film before his first fight with Adonis, so his record at the time was unknown.
Quotes[]
TBD