Including the three Creed movies to date, the best fighters in the Rocky series show the kind of talent seen inside the ring in these movies. The heroes and villains of the Rocky series are some of the most beloved and well-remembered characters in cinematic history, with each having their own interesting story and struggle to overcome. With Creed III continuing the franchise, it's time to look back at the boxers of past movies and decide who are the top fighters from the Rocky movie series.
Rocky arrived in 1976, with Sylvester Stallone playing the titular working-class Philadelphian that gets one shot at fighting world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed. The immense financial and critical success of the first movie led to a litany of sequels, with six Rocky films being released in the franchise from 1976 to 2006. However, Rocky Balboa was far from the end of the franchise, with the Creed spinoff starting in 2015. Creed follows the son of Apollo, Adonis, as he is trained by Rocky Balboa to become a boxer in his own right. Both series have plenty of elite boxers, though the best of the Rocky boxers stand above the rest.
12 Felix Chavez
Felix Chavez is introduced as a promising young boxer being trained at Adonis' gym in Creed III. While his record as a fighter is impressive and Adonis sees him as his most prized fighter in his roster, what is seen in the movie itself isn't as impressive. Chavez goes up against "Diamond" Dame Anderson and clearly underestimates the hungry fighter. It cannot be ignored that Dame fights dirty, but Chavez simply looks outmatched and is brutalized by Dame's powerful performance in the ring.
11 Tommy "The Machine" Gunn
Tommy "The Machine" Gunn (played by real-life boxer Tommy Morrison) is the main villain in Rocky V, and while he's good enough to crack the top 10, he's at the very bottom. While he does have a record of 23 wins and 1 loss, it pales in comparison to many of the other boxers from Rocky and Creed. While Rocky V's Tommy Gunn can hold his own in a fight, he has one big weakness: his emotions. He gets enraged and angry easily, punching Paulie and starting a street fight with Rocky. Rocky beat Tommy in the surprise street fight, sending him to jail.
10 Danny "Stuntman" Wheeler
Danny "Stuntman" Wheeler (played by Andre Ward) is a side character in the first Creed and a minor antagonist in Creed II. Despite his relatively small role, Wheeler uses his screentime to prove his boxing ability. Wheeler is actually able to beat Adonis Creed in an unofficial sparring match in the first film, challenging Adonis after he puts his Mustang on the line. However, Creed does come back and beat Wheeler in a rematch in Creed II. Wheeler was the WBC Heavyweight Champion up until his rematch with Creed, and the boxer has an impressive record of 33 wins and 1 loss.
9 "Pretty" Ricky Conlan
"Pretty" Ricky Conlan (played by Tony Bellew) is another boxer from the first Creed movie, only slightly outdoing Danny Wheeler. Conlan was considered the best boxer in the world in the first Creed, holding the title of Lineal Light-Heavyweight World Champion for five years. Interestingly, Conlan is one of the few boxers to actually beat the main character, winning the match in Creed by a split decision. Conlan had a 37-0 record until he was forced to revoke his title after being arrested on gun charges. However, Creed III opens with a rematch between Adonis and Conlan in which Adonis finally beats him in a definitive decision.
8 Mason "The Line" Dixon
Hopping back over to the Rocky series, Mason "The Line" Dixon (played by Antonio Tarver) is the main opponent in Rocky Balboa. Dixon has a 43-0 record, and in his prime was known for being a dirty fighter. Mason Dixon is able to beat Rocky in the end, albeit it's an older version of Rocky, and he only wins by split decision. While mason "The Line" Dixon is a pretty talented fighter, he is 35, making him much older than many of the other boxers in Rocky. If Dixon fought Rocky before his retirement, there's almost no way he would have won.
7 Viktor Drago
Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu) is the son of Ivan Drago and the main villain of Creed II. Drago was a step up from Creed's previous opponents, being as fierce and brutal as his father. However, Creed gets significantly better between the first two films, allowing him to beat Drago in the end. While Viktor Drago has 25 wins in Creed II, he has two losses, both to Creed. One was by disqualification, while the other was a legitimate TKO while fighting for the title of WBC heavyweight champion. Adonis trusts Viktor's skills enough to enlist him to help him train for his fight against Dame in Creed III.
6 Dame Anderson
Diamond Dame Anderson is a boxer who is somewhat hard to pin down as his appearance in Creed III shows his own two fights in his professional boxing career. As a young fighter, he showed incredible talent and had a bright future ahead of him before he went to prison. Once released, he sets out on a determined and relentless pursuit of the career he feels was taken from him, making him the best villain in Creed films. Dame is also hard to judge as he fights dirty, but he is also the most intimidating fighter in the series. He devastates Felix Chavez in just his second career fight, and while he gives Adonis the fight of his life, finesse ultimately overcomes dirty tactics.
5 Clubber Lang
Clubber Lang (played by Mr. T) is an incredibly dangerous opponent, being the main villain in Rocky III. Lang's ego is just as strong as his punches, with his pride causing him to challenge Rocky to a fight. Lang is actually so powerful that he accidentally kills Rocky's trainer, Mickey. Lang's 36-2 boxing record speaks for itself, but the boxer's southpaw is what makes him really dangerous. Rocky was only barely able to beat Clubber Lang in the end, proving just how much of a force the former boxer is.
4 Apollo Creed
Apollo Creed (played by Carl Weathers) appears and is mentioned in every movie, with the boxer being the main villain of Rocky and Rocky II. At the time of the first film, Apollo is the world heavyweight champion that gives Rocky his shot at fame. Apollo is able to beat Rocky in the first film by a split decision, but that wasn't good enough for him. Apollo and Rocky have a rematch in Rocky II, causing Rocky to beat Apollo by knockout and take his champion title. Content with his 47-1 record, Apollo decides to retire and become Rocky's trainer in Rocky III.
3 Ivan Drago
Ivan Drago (played by Dolph Lundgren) is the main villain of Rocky IV and is an even more impressive boxer than his son, Viktor Drago. Hailing from the Soviet Union, Drago is probably the most intimidating boxer in the Rocky series, being so powerful that he kills Apollo Creed in the ring. Before fighting Rocky, Ivan Drago had a record of 100 wins, each by knockout. Armed with his punch that measures in at over 2,000 psi, Ivan Drago is easily the best antagonist boxer in the entire Rocky franchise. However, the series' heroes still edge him out.
2 Adonis Creed
The first protagonist on this list, Adonis Creed (played by Michael B. Jordan) is the main character of all three Creed movies. While he is the son of superstar boxer Apollo Creed, Adonis is able to step out of his father's shadow and carry on an incredibly successful boxing career of his own. While he gets off to a rough start, Creed has garnered an impressive 27-1 record with the help of his former trainer Rock Balboa. Much like Rocky, Adonis worked his way up in the boxing world from the very bottom, starting with street fights and ending with the title of WBC heavyweight champion.
1 Rocky Balboa
The best boxer in the Rocky franchise is undoubtedly Sylvester Stallone's titular Italian Stallion, Rocky Balboa. Rocky is constantly able to defy the odds, beating the most powerful boxers like Drago, Creed, Lang, and more. Rocky's determination, heart, and willingness to learn are what allow him to always come out on top. While Rocky has lost 23 of his 81 fights, Balboa always wins in the end, coming back in rematches against both Creed and Clubber Lang. While Rocky Balboa's boxing career is over, he'll always be remembered as the best fighter in Rocky and Creed.
