Creed 2015

In the sweltering summer of 1998, Adonis “Donnie” Johnson, the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed’s extramarital affair, finds himself imprisoned in a Los Angeles juvenile facility. The unexpected visit from Mary Anne Creed, Apollo’s widow, offers Donnie a lifeline - a chance to start anew and leave his troubled past behind. Seventeen years later, Donnie has transformed into a suit-clad professional, but an insatiable passion for boxing threatens to upend his mundane existence. Mary Anne’s stern disapproval notwithstanding, Donnie decides to follow in his father’s footsteps, quitting his job at a securities firm and seeking to make a name for himself in the ring.

Undeterred by the harsh rejection from Los Angeles’ elite Delphi Boxing Academy, where he’s brutally beaten by the gym’s star boxer Danny “Stuntman” Wheeler, Donnie turns his attention to Philadelphia, hoping to reconnect with Rocky Balboa, Apollo’s old friend and rival. Tracking down Rocky at Adrian’s, his beloved Italian restaurant, Donnie asks the former heavyweight champion-turned-trainer to guide him on his own path to glory. Initially hesitant, Rocky eventually agrees to take Donnie under his wing, despite reservations stemming from his own tumultuous boxing history.

As Donnie trains at the Front Street Gym, surrounded by Rocky’s loyal entourage, he also finds himself drawn to Bianca, a talented singer-songwriter with a captivating stage presence. Meanwhile, his burgeoning boxing career gains momentum, culminating in a decisive victory over local fighter Leo “The Lion” Sporino. This triumph, however, earns Donnie the ire of Pete Sporino, Leo’s trainer and the proprietor of Mickey’s gym - a rival establishment that has long sought to supplant Rocky’s iconic Front Street Gym as the hub of Philadelphia’s boxing scene.

As whispers spread about his illegitimate connection to boxing legend Apollo Creed, Adonis Johnson Creed (Michael B. Jordan) finds himself thrust into the spotlight by handlers of world light heavyweight champion “Pretty” Ricky Conlan (Tony Bellew), who is facing a forced retirement due to an impending prison term. The situation takes an unexpected turn when Conlan, still reeling from his brutal pre-fight encounter with Wheeler, offers Donnie the chance to challenge him in his final bout - on one condition: that Donnie change his name to Adonis “Hollywood Donnie” Creed.

Initially hesitant to forge his own path, Donnie eventually agrees to the proposal. As he trains under Conlan’s guidance, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), struggling with his own mortality after a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, learns to confront the fragility of life and the impermanence of fame. Haunted by memories of Adrian’s passing due to ovarian cancer, Rocky is unwilling to undergo chemotherapy, instead choosing to face his mortality head-on.

Donnie’s fight against Conlan takes place in Liverpool, where parallels between the bout and Apollo and Rocky’s iconic first fight 40 years prior become eerily apparent. A poignant gift from Mary Anne - a pair of American flag trunks reminiscent of those worn by Apollo and later Rocky - serves as a powerful reminder of Donnie’s connection to his legendary father. As the bell rings, Donnie pushes Conlan to the limit, ultimately going the distance in a stunning display of grit and determination.

Conlan emerges victorious on a split decision, but it is clear that Donnie has won over the hearts of the crowd and his opponent. In a nod to their shared passion for boxing, Conlan tells Donnie that he is the future of the light heavyweight division - a sentiment echoed by HBO commentator Jim Lampley, who proclaims, “Conlan may have won the fight, but Creed won the night.”

As the credits roll, we find Donnie and Rocky standing together at the iconic “Rocky Steps” outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art, their bond stronger than ever. Despite the challenges they’ve faced, both fighters emerge from their journey with a newfound appreciation for life, love, and the power of perseverance.