Who would win in a match between Rocky Balboa and Adonis Creed has been a hotly debated question about the Rocky franchise. Both Rocky and Adonis are the heroes of their respective films, and they've both overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to become heavyweight champions of the world. Creed's legacy is still being written and will be further examined in future films, but it's worth comparing the two's careers and fighting styles and try to predict who would come out on top.
With Rocky being over 40 years older than Creed, a fight between the two could never actually happen. Not even an exhibition match similar to that of Balboa vs Dixon in Rocky Balboa. The Italian Stallion has six films worth of matches to Creed's two, but the best option is to compare the two fighter's boxing careers, their legacies and style to ultimately decide on a victor. After eight films in the Rocky/Creed saga, Balboa retired with a record of 57-23-1 according to the film Rocky Balboa. Adonis is officially 25-1 following the conclusion of Creed II, so Balboa is clearly the more seasoned fighter - but Adonis has a better win-loss percentage.
It's clear after examining the careers of both fighters, that Rocky Balboa would defeat Adonis Creed, due to his track record of taking down undefeated boxing icons. Of Rocky's 57 victories, 54 are by knock out. He defeated some of the greatest boxers in history, including boxing legend Apollo Creed, Clubber Lang, Ivan Drago, Tommy Gunn and Mason Dixon. All five of these fighters were undefeated before they ran into the Italian Stallion. Creed stood at 47-0, Lang 28-0, Drago 31-0, Gunn 23-0 and Dixon 33-0. Rocky knocked out Creed, Lang, Drago and Gunn (albeit in a street fight) and lost by decision to Dixon - but seeing as Dixon was in his prime and Balboa was over 60 years old, it's safe to assume he would have destroyed Dixon in his prime. This isn't to suggest that Adonis' own career wouldn't make him a potent threat. Of his 25 victories, 24 are by knock out, and he's now defeated Ivan Drago's son, Victor Drago, in spectacular fashion at that. Adonis may one day have a legacy similar to Balboa's, but currently his victories don't currently seem to carry the same weight as Rocky's do.
It's also worth noting the fighting styles of the two. Adonis fights similar to boxer Apollo Creed with an orthodox stance, but he's more of a brawler - and he also has a tough chin, just like Rocky. Rocky famously is a southpaw, but can also switch stance and fight orthodox. Balboa is most famous for getting in close and swarming opponents, and of course he also has a jaw seemingly made of iron. While both of the fighters are capable of taking hits, Rocky's capacity to do so appears to be higher, which also places him at a distinct advantage.
Considering everything mentioned above, Rocky Balboa would clearly be victorious, as his career is currently completely unmatched by Adonis. Rocky's fighting style is also superior to Creed's, most notably his almost superhuman ability to take a beating and keep moving forward. This may one day become a closer match after Creed III and future Creed or Rocky films, but as it stands right now, the Rocky Balboa legacy is hard to match.