If the Rocky movies had been realistic, their action would have played out very differently. The Rocky franchise is undeniably one of the most beloved sports drama franchises in all of cinema. Sylvester Stallone's iconic turn as the perpetual underdog is something that has been capturing the hearts and imaginations of audiences for generations, and that legacy will likely continue for years to come thanks to the franchise also helping to launch the feature film career of Michael B. Jordan in the role of Adonis Creed.
The Rocky movies set their human drama against the backdrop of the boxing world. Despite this, there are many times that the franchise's story has stretched logic and plausibility impossibly thin. For example, Rocky Balboa isn't even a particularly good boxer, yet the franchise sees him climb to the heights of the sport despite the fact that he rarely (if ever) properly defends himself against the punches of much larger opponents. Of course, that's a big part of Balboa's charm and underdog status, but it also separates the movies from any semblance of reality.
The Rocky franchise's inability to adhere to the rules of reality becomes more evident with each sequel, but from the very beginning, things would have been different if the movies were realistic. Rocky's apparently superhuman ability to absorb punishment ranks highly on the list of unrealistic aspects of the franchise, as does his unlikely comeback fight in Rocky Balboa. Though the suspension of disbelief is a part of what makes the Rocky movies so enjoyable, applying the rules of logic to their stories (and their action) changes them considerably.
Balboa Vs Creed 1
In 1976's Rocky, Apollo Creed is the heavyweight champion of the world. He's fast, powerful, and skilled. So skilled, in fact, that he's finding it increasingly difficult to find anyone who actually wishes to face him in the ring. This is actually a very plausible scenario, as it's known to regularly happen in boxing, with fighters seeking to avoid taking a beating and tarnishing their boxing records. However, the fight between Balboa and Apollo Creed would not play out the way it does in the movie if it were more realistic.
The most realistic outcome would be that Rocky suffered a TKO defeat at the hands of Apollo Creed. He shows remarkably little defense in their first fight, and absorbing that sort of punishment would typically result in the fight being stopped by the referee or the boxer's corner. This is backed up by the true story that inspired Rocky, in which relative unknown Chuck Wepner took Muhammad Ali 15 rounds before suffering a late knockout defeat at the hands of the more skilled champion.
Balboa Vs Creed 2
Though Rocky II's ending seems less plausible than the first film's, it's actually slightly more realistic than it seems. Rocky, the tougher but less skilled fighter, is losing the fight on points heading into the last round, but the pride of the champion results in a shocking knockout victory for the underdog. This is something that is known to happen in boxing, making Rocky II's general outcome relatively plausible. However, if the film was more realistic, Rocky almost certainly wouldn't have collapsed from exhaustion in the ring, and even more certainly wouldn't have struggled to his feet in such dramatic fashion. However, other than the finer details, Rocky II's ending is actually fairly realistic, especially taking into account the psychological impact of Creed's narrow victory in the first film.
Balboa Vs Lang 1
Exactly how realistic Rocky's first fight with Clubber Lang is could be debated. The result of the fight itself - Rocky knocked out in a shocking upset in the second round - isn't impossible, but it's not in keeping with his characterization. Rocky III tries to sell that Rocky being distracted during training leads to the defeat, but this actually wouldn't happen in the way the film depicts. Rocky's distraction would realistically lead to him being poorly conditioned, and that would still likely lead to his defeat. However, the more likely outcome of the fight would be that Lang would have to work much harder to secure his victory, as even after losing his trainer, Rocky Balboa's distraction wouldn't make him less able to take a punch, even if it was a major distraction.
Balboa Vs Lang 2
Of the two fights shown in Rocky III, the climactic one is the more unlikely of the two. The more realistic version of this fight is not the overwhelming and swift victory for Balboa that the film depicts, but a more closely fought bout. Though Balboa's newfound speed and agility aren't impossible, it's unlikely to be as dramatic an advantage as Rocky III claims, and Balboa deliberately taking Lang's hardest shots as a form of psychological warfare would have almost certainly ended in an embarrassing knockout. However, the most likely outcome of the fight considering Balboa's new abilities is a tactical points victory for Balboa, and not the dramatic knockout of Clubber Lang that Rocky executes in the film.
Apollo Creed Vs Ivan Drago (Exhibition)
Rocky IV's first fight is perhaps the franchise's most dramatic, as it sees former champion Apollo Creed beaten to death in the ring. If the Rocky movies were realistic, this wouldn't be anywhere near as likely to happen. Although such tragedies do occur in boxing, there are usually obvious steps taken in order to protect the fighters. The more realistic version of events would see Creed at least partially able to defend against Drago's attacks, and Rocky would have taken his responsibility to his friend more seriously and stopped the fight earlier, potentially saving the life of the former champion. Apollo Creed's death isn't an impossibility, but if the fight was more realistic, those involved would have been more proactive in protecting the fighter.
Balboa Vs Drago
The impossibility of Balboa's victory over the much larger Ivan Drago might seem obvious, but it's actually not entirely unrealistic, as such results often occur in the world of boxing. However, Rocky IV's ending would not have happened as it did if the movie adhered to the rules of logic. This is primarily because Rocky shows no real signs of any defensive abilities whatsoever, instead soaking up the punishment of the much larger and stronger man. Realistically, a smaller boxer fighting a large opponent would slip and weave their way to the inside, landing precision shots to the face and body of the bigger fighter. As Rocky opts for no such approach, his victory in Rocky IV is unrealistic - instead, he would have suffered a brutal knockout early in the fight as a result of his choice not to employ even the simplest boxing defense.
Balboa Vs Gunn (Street Fight)
The climactic fight of Rocky V is different from the others in the franchise, primarily because it takes place outside of the ring. Despite retiring from boxing due to a severe head injury, Rocky allows himself to be goaded into a street fight with his hotheaded former protege, Tommy Gunn. The most realistic version of events is decidedly tragic - taking a punch from Gunn would likely have ended Rocky's life then and there. However, assuming Rocky was able to survive the fight, both Balboa and Gunn would have been arrested for their public brawl, meaning that Rocky IV's realistic ending would be tragic for Rocky one way or another.
Balboa Vs Dixon (Exhibition)
Rocky's final movie, Rocky Balboa, sees him face Mason "The Line" Dixon - the undisputed heavyweight champion - despite his advancing years. It's one of the most inspirational movies of all time, as it sees Balboa battle against time in order to recapture the glory of his youth, but it's also distinctly unrealistic. Though their fight is billed as an exhibition, neither fighter holds much back. The most realistic outcome of the fight between Balboa (aged somewhere in his late 50s) and Dixon (in his prime) is a one-sided beatdown. In fact, the only way that Rocky would have realistically survived the match-up without any medical complications was if Dixon pulled his punches throughout and strung Balboa along.
The movies of the Rocky franchise aren't known for their realism, and applying the rules of reality to their stories would make them far less enjoyable. Ultimately, Rocky's ability to overcome adversity despite being a major underdog is what makes his movies so compelling, even if it does also make them incredibly unrealistic. Though it's easy to dismiss the Rocky movies' fight scenes as particularly implausible, that shouldn't take away from the magic that they capture.
