MovieChat Forums > Rocky III (1982) Discussion > Why did Apollo care so much?

Why did Apollo care so much?

posted 11 years ago by melco92
24 replies | jump to latest

I could see why he might be a bit frustrated to see a former champ (the one that beat him, no less) lose his "eye of the tiger", but Rocky was about to retire anyway. Why was Apollo so desperate to get him back in the ring? At that point they weren't friends or anything. To me it felt like he was doing it for himself; like he didn't want to actually fight anymore, but he wanted to get the feel of being on top and in the ring again.

Is this how we were supposed to feel or did Apollo really have more altruistic reasons for helping Rocky?

Reportin' live for Black TV: White folks are dead, we gettin' the f*@# outta here!

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] EpsilonX 11 years ago

I think he
1. disliked clubber and wanted to see him get taken down
2. wanted to re-live his glory days through rocky, who he knew could actually take lang if he tried hard enough
3. wanted the person who took away his title to go out with honor, which would also affect his honor.

[–] Doc110894 11 years ago

Agreed, EpsilonX.

[–] scifi1980 11 years ago

Epsilon pretty much covered it.

At the end of that fight, Apollo clearly disgusted gets up and leaves. By this point in time he had come to terms with himself losing to Rocky and the respect was mutual from both guys. Lang was an arrogant thug punk who had nothing but disdain for both of them. Apollo was disgusted because he knew Rocky basically threw the fight and no way was he going to let Rocky destroy both their reps by being a quitter.

Apollo knew Rocky was a real champ. All he had to do was get Rocky's head back in the game and teach him some evasion tactics and Rocky beat Lang easily to regain the title, when compared to fighting Apollo in the previous 2 movies. Apollo later talked about the sting and the hurt of losing the big one like Rocky just did. With time, Creed came to terms and the bitterness turned into admiration for an opponent who was an all around nice guy that needed help.

[–] !!!deleted!!! (9347176) 11 years ago

Creed came to terms and the bitterness turned into admiration for an opponent who was an all around nice guy that needed help.

I wouldn't call Rocky an "all around nice guy." He might have changed his life over the course of the first two films, which was the point I guess, but Rock was a brutal street thug in his teens and twenties. He hurt people for money then and even after becoming a prize fighter, just for much higher stakes.

-Rod

[–] transmentalist 9 years ago

Rock was a brutal street thug in his teens and twenties

By the time we meet him in "Rocky," he's a loanshark enforcer who can't bring himself to break a deadbeat's thumbs

He's not a saint, but he's definitely not just a street thug anymore

[–] Citation_Needed 8 years ago

You left out the most important one
4. He wanted Rocky to owe him one so he can punch Rocky in the face.

[–] Manth_Sigdaw 11 years ago

Well Apollo Creed was always a cool guy and a real likeable character. Creed talked trash and was a Muhammed Ali type showman, but he was never disprespectful. Creed was a man with honor.

Clubber Lang on the other hand talked trash, and then took it even further by just being downright disprectful and and acting like a dishonorable thug.

I think Creed realized that out of the two boxers, Rocky was the man with more honor. He wanted to help Rocky and help out the man who took his title regain his own honor back.

[–] TorontoJediMaster 11 years ago

Previous posters have pretty much said it all.

Apollo saw Clubber as just a vicious thug who was a disgrace to the sport. Rocky was an honourable opponent who had beaten him fair and square.

Apollo hated the idea of Clubber holding the Heavyweight Championship title, so he decided to train Rocky to take it back. As well, by training Rocky to do so, he -by extension- was winning it back as well.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] jones8557-1 11 years ago

....also isn't Apollo some type of promoter/manager now? He would get serious money when Rocky wins.

[–] stones78 11 years ago

Did Rocky have no rhythm at all when first training with Creed? I'm as white as white can be, but I certainly can bounce on my feet; Rocky looked like he had cement in his shoes.

[–] Tresix 11 years ago

It's also a case that Apollo wouldn't want a man like Lang to hold the title. As Apollo said to Rocky "You and I held the greatest title in the world." As has been said in the previous posts in this thread, Rocky and Apollo are honorable men while Clubber is a straight-up thug who hits men when they're down.

"There will be blood. Oh, yes! There will be blood."-Jigsaw; "Saw II"

[–] mfoley84 10 years ago

I liken his wanting to help Rocky akin to an early version of wanting to get back into the ring/spotlight in Rocky IV. Obviously Apollo did a much better, more effective job in this movie, but I think he wanted back in the spotlight even before the events of Rocky IV. He wanted to be back in said spotlight, but wanted to equally help Rock get his confidence back. "The edge".

As sappy as this sounds, I think after Rocky gave him his first ever loss, via knockdown--no less after 15 grueling rounds, Creed felt an uncanny connection/psychological infatuation of sorts with Balboa. He also wanted to, as already mentioned, teach that punk Lang a lesson in respect. And again, what better way to do it for Apollo than to put his stamp on it.

[–] acirluster 9 years ago

I think there was definitely a connection between the two that goes back further than when Apollo began training Rocky. After all it was Apollo who picked this guy out of a list of hundreds of unknown boxers and gave him a shot at the big time simply because he liked his nickname. For that reason I think Apollo always viewed Rocky as his protégé of sorts, and he felt a responsibility to protect his own reputation by making sure that the guy he personally hand-picked to eventually become the Heavyweight Champion was able to reclaim his title.

[–] CapitanJusticia 9 years ago

Excellent point! Rocky owes Apollo for giving him his million to one shot. That's why it was nice to see Rocky training Apollo's son so many years later.

[–] stevenackerman69 9 years ago

Well, Apollo was there for Rocky's "final" fight. He wasn't treated well by Clubber and saw Rocky lose in a bad way. He felt that it wasn't a good way to go out. He sort of mentions this to Rocky in the scene at the gym.

[–] llll2000 9 years ago

i think a combination of apollo wanting to live through rocky, thinking he had something left while he was finished, as well as he really didnt like creed and wanted to see him be beaten.

[–] Hendry_William_French 9 years ago

- Apollo's retired so it's something to do, a challenge.
- Clubber disrespected him.
- He likes Rocky.
- He's a shrewd business man - can make a killing on being associated with Rocky.
- Enjoys saying "he's hookin', he's hookin'"
- There is no tomorrow.

Motown, get your Detroit jukebox jheri curl ass in this chicken sh!t chop-chop, ASAFP!

[–] Dirty-Barry 9 years ago

Enjoys saying "he's hookin', he's hookin'"

👍

[–] Hendry_William_French 9 years ago

One of my favorite parts 

"he's hookin'" - The Apollo Creed story.

Motown, get your Detroit jukebox jheri curl ass in this chicken sh!t chop-chop, ASAFP!

[–] MarkAntney 9 years ago

To add to the other comments or sum them up if you will,...Rocky EARNED a high level of Respect from Apollo from their fights.

I know it's just a movie but what other real Peers could a person like Apollo have, boxing wise?

A real life scenario I can compare it with (ironically VERY similar in style/race,...) Bird and Magic.

I saw an ESPN or HBO Special on them and both claimed they really didn't like each too much until years later,..if I recall correctly?