is ivan drago a real boxer

So what transpired between films, and how does that impact Ivan's professional record? It wasnt the most romanticof beginnings, but some time prior to their first trip to America, the statuesque blonde had realized that she was beginning to have genuine feelings for her husband. Ivan Drago was a Russian which was bad enough at time who also killed Apollo Creed. talkSPORT has sat down and consumed 14 hours 55 minutes of pure Rocky movies in one sitting to scientifically assess each boxer. My husband trusted you. By the time of the events ofRocky IV, heis such an American icon that the Soviet Union seeks to strike a blow against the States by sending a champion of their own to defeat him. After Dragolost to Balboa, he was exiled to Ukraine, where he garnered an impressive 31 wins all by knockout. Come join our discussions, post your own battles and kick some ass! By drawing parallels with the perpetually-popularRockymovies, theCreedfranchise has established itself as a worthy successor while still making the changes necessary to keep its sports-drama premise fresh. The boxers in Rocky are nearly superhuman by the time we get to the era of Rocky IV. What's more, he's already racked up a record of 6-0, drawing parallels with the undefeated Ivan Drago inRocky IV. Yup, the role that Dolph Lundgren is most known for isn't the first one, even though most people couldn't name anything he was in before. A forgettable paper champ. His father pushes him too hard, his mother left them, his country only cares about him when hes winning and his only path to a better life is through violence. The one weakness in the mohawked southpaws arsenal is suspect stamina. Please enter valid email address to continue. An American classic, Rocky Balboa represents the prototypical underdog. Is This the End of Star Trek's Golden Age of Streaming? More lines of dialogue in the opening fight scenes and the press conference scenes humanise his character and detract from the stereotype purveyed in the original theatrical cut. Adonis becomes monstrous in his self-pity and injured pride following the fight. Compare that to Viktors post-fight path. The juxtaposition of Rocky as the 'pure' American hero versus the Soviet machine is instead reimagined as a more nuanced warrior vs warrior affair, with the backdrop of the politicising of the fighting being a source of conflict rather than the reason for the contest. Drago is carefully fitted and trained to be the consummate fighter. Viktor knows that none of these people care about him unless hes an effective weapon in the ring. Summoners War RELOADED: A Massive Update is Coming to Summoners War: Sky Arena, IGN's Fighting Spirit Showdown (Ft. Andrea Rene & Blessing Adeoye Jr.), Diablo 4 Helltide Mystery Chest Locations. Apollo Creed was arrogant, and no one believed Rocky would present a credible threat. The epic rematch sees Viktor show his power before ultimately getting stopped when his dad throws in the towel. Rocky and Adonis, on the other hand? Dolph Lundgren, who played Drago in 1985's Rocky IV, is also back for the flick written by Sylvester Stallone and Luke Cage showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker. A fine boxer but Wheeler - unlike the real-life Ward - is clearly a 'gym fighter' who can't replicate his best form when it matters. The audience is then shown a rival fighter who is higher up on the boxing food chain or is shown by his words or actions to be wicked. Have been freelance writing and running this blog since 2013.View all posts by Kelly Konda, his blood was splattering everywhere and some of it even landed on the camera lens capturing the fight. So, can any real world, historic boxers stand up to all the men on this list? If you're behind on your Rocky mythology, Drago killed Adonis Creed's father, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) during a match. Drago is indeed a worthy successor to Rocky's previous adversaries, Apollo Creed and Clubber Lang. Ivan Drago is the real hero of Creed 2 This isn't the boxing movie it thinks it is By Ben Kuchera Dec 3, 2018, 5:22pm EST Barry Wetcher/MGM [2], Ivan Drago is an Olympic gold medalist[3] and a boxing champion from the Soviet Union, who had an amateur record of 10000 wins (100 KO). [5][6] This symbolism is particularly clear in some lines in the film, including the radio announcer who says, "Ivan Drago is a man with an entire country in his corner. You are indeed where you belong. His father is smiling and happy, which is a new experience. Celebrating the films 35th anniversary, Stallone recut Rocky 4 with an additional 40 minutes of never-before-seen footage, eventually retitling the film as Rocky Vs. Drago. Despite Drago only having a single professional fight due to all other fights being amateur bouts, a poll of former heavyweight champions and prominent boxing writers ranked Drago as the third-best fighter in the Rocky film series. Steven Caple Jr. (The Land) will direct the flick which also stars Stallone and Tessa Thompson (Thor:Ragnarok). Driven by his desire to be the best at all costs, Drago focuses on this single-minded manner in which he pursues his goal - and it deprives him of his humanity. In the first Rocky game, Drago is the final encounter in the Rocky IV chapter of the game. Ivan sees what the audience sees; that Viktor is damned no matter what happens in this fight. Seeing that his son is unable to defend himself and might end up like Apollo, Drago throws in the towel, stopping the fight and allowing Donnie to emerge victorious. Ludmilla in particular charmed the press corp with her ice-cool beauty and fluent command of English. In the end, he retired and channeled his frustration into raising his son to be an even more formidable boxer than even himself. Worked in a video store. [13], Drago's physical appearance has been compared to Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland. The enraged Drago grabs him by the throat, throws him out of the ring, and proclaims he only fights for himself. Still, Balboa ever the gentleman tells Apollos son Adonis that his dad won their unofficial third fight in the gym. Adonis Creed proved himself in the first movie, then finds love and deals with being a first-time parent in Creed II. Please enter a valid email and try again. Rocky IV is a 1985 American sports drama film written, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone. He has everything to lose by going into the ring with someone who can, and maybe even will, kill him. Not only would he physically fit the bill, but Dong would also have a logical narrative place within the (as yet) hypothetical Creed 4. Next:Rocky: Why The Creed Reboot Worked (But Rocky V Didn't). H was about to find himself at the center of a full-scale, all-American extravaganza! Ludmilla appears during a dinner meeting, causing Viktor to storm out in disgust. Drederick Tatum: I think hes a good man. Change). Having raised Viktor himself after Ludmilla divorced him as a result of losing to Balboa, Ivan molds Viktor into a hate-fueled image of his former self, producing a similarly thorough KO ratio, but ultimately finding forgiveness and humanity in his relationship with his son and making peace with his career. Soon, the whole world will know my name. Which is sort of the equivalent of Anthony Joshua having the snot beaten out of him by Eddie Hearn on the mean streets of Essex. Worked in academia for a while. In the video published by the Bleacher Report itshows "The Great Wall" training for his upcoming fight with Roy McCrary that is set for February 27. It also stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Tony Burton, Brigitte Nielsen, and Dolph Lundgren. [9], In 2004, The Washington Times referenced Ivan Drago in a comparison of the Soviet-U.S. Olympic rivalry of the Cold War: "Nationalism makes the Olympics worth watching. All this reminds me of the Simpsons: [4] The film is the sequel to Rocky III (1982) and the fourth installment in the Rocky film series. These characters apparently had more interaction after the climactic fight, but the scenes were cut from the final release of Creed II. It got to be so bad that, towards the middle of the second round, Meehan turned to the ref and yelled, Stop the fucking fight! in his face. His physical attributes and impressive boxing record belie exactly the sort of fighter that Ivan Drago was inRocky IV, and securing Dong for a part inCreed 4would allow for further parallels between theCreedmovies and theirRockypredecessors. With Starfield being the center of the Xbox 2023 Showcase last week, Bethesda gave us a deep dive into one of the biggest games this generation. The choice goes against the entire rest of the movie, and frankly, is a pretty shitty way way to take the choice away from Adonis wife and daughter. The biggest question after the show(s) was: why is it 30fps on Xbox Series X and Series S and not 60fps? And I only thought that happened in the movies. Rocky decides this is a good reason to take the rematch, so were treated to the training montage where the fighter who has have everything prepares to beat on a fighter who seems cursed even if he wins. The heavyweight from Newcastle nicknamed 'USSR' and 'Ivan Drago' had won his first four fights but was . Grew up obsessing over movies and TV shows. When the titular hero Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) decides to avenge his friend, the ensuing fight becomes both a personal vendetta andan embodiment of Cold War relations. But when the two meet as professionals at the start of Creed II, the apprentice has become the master, as the younger boxer stops Wheeler. What else can he do? Niall is also a certified boxing coach, which goes hand-in-hand with his encyclopedic knowledge of the Rocky franchise, and considers himself something of an expert on Batman. Classic case of an impressive record masking an average champion. He is billed at 6ft 5in (1.96m) and 261 pounds (118kg). That was of course in reference to Ivan Drago. Reporter #3: Uh, you know, they do have a mother, Champ? Which is why the inversion of this formula in Creed II is so damned good, to the point where Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu) may be a more interesting character than Adonis Creed, or Rocky, himself. After Drago lost to Balboa, he was exiled to Ukraine, where he garnered an impressive 31 wins all by knockout. Goes from inexperienced hot-head to worthy world champion, with the help of his dads genetics and advice from uncle Rock. The punch that landed Stallone in hospital ultimately remained in the film. Referees sometimes step in to stop matches to protect fighters who are clearly incapable of defending themselves. There are rumors thatCreed 3will continue this tradition, withJonathan Majors potentially playing Clubber Lang's son, and so seeing that trend continue on toCreed 4isn't outside the realm of possibility. The names are legend: Ivan Drago, Rocky Balboa, Apollo Creed, Adonis Creed, Spider Rico (OK, maybe not him). CollegeHumors Spot-On 30 for 30 Parody | We Minored In Film, Follow We Minored in Film on WordPress.com. Standing at 7 ft tall with an 84-inch reach, Taishan Dong is one of the largest figures in boxing. She had been assigned to Ivan when it became obvious that she had caught his attention, and she was more or less instructed to cut short the courtship period so that he would not be distracted from the task at hand. Training brings him no joy, but winning torments him even further. Mr Ts mean, moody, motor-mouthed Clubber is so scary that we pity the fool who steps into the ring with him. Niall Gray is a features writer for Screen Rant covering just about every film- or TV-related topic he's loosed upon. and our Creed wasnt shy about this. Trained and managed by Rocky, Gunn deserted him for brash Don King clone George Washington Duke, before the mulleted slugger won the heavyweight crown. [8], Some, however, have noticed Drago's individualism. A fine boxer but Wheeler unlike the real-life Ward is clearly a gym fighter who cant replicate his best form when it matters. Admittedly, Dixon had to deal with a broken hand, but its a poor showing against a man pushing 60 (also, Sly looks in better physical shape than the then-active fighter Tarver). Though he takes a keen interest in the sci-fi, fantasy, and horror genres, Niall watches everything and anything, and his secret shame is consuming the many forgotten movies of questionable quality from the '90s and 00s. The 100-0-0 record he held ahead of . Thats how Rocky works. The 100-0-0 record he held ahead of coming to America (also all by knockout) doesn't count towards his professional record since they were amateur fights, and his defeat of Apollo Creed is similarly discounted because it was an exhibition. While Drago's record proves him a strong opponent, hismost formidable challenger was his own inner turmoil. Drederick Tatum: Yes, but I would imagine that she would die of grief. Learn how your comment data is processed. His father stopped the cycle of pain and violence. For the longest time, I thought there was a scene in Rocky IV where after Apollo Creeds funeral the slain boxers widow, dressed all in black, confronted Rocky, Why didnt you throw in the towel? Related:Creed 3 Already Has One Big Advantage Over The First Two Movies. How many fights did Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) win and lose in theRockysaga? Neither Rocky nor Adonis wrestle with this much. Drago exhibits no remorse, coldly stating "if he dies, he dies", claiming he will soon "defeat a real champion". Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. But he had been interested very interested in the opportunity to develop as a boxer and prove himself a greater champion than the man who had inspired him to take up the sport in the first place, Rocky Balboa. A Real Boxer Will Play Ivan Drago's Son In Creed 2. Viktor Ivanovich (Ivanovych) Drago (Russian: ; Ukrainian: ) is the secondary antagonist of the 2018 film Creed II. What is Ivan Drago real name? Drago : [after "killing" Apollo in the ring] I can not be defeated. Has to dramatically get up off the canvas in the final round to save his title after being knocked down by the inexperienced Adonis, before heading off for a stint in jail. Maybe if Drago said that in Rocky IV it would have been in Russian and no one would have understood. Viktor Drago was the son of disgraced professional Soviet boxer Ivan Drago and . (LogOut/ 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. That seems unrealistic to me, and yet I'm hearing Internet rumors about mixed martial arts fighters and boxers coming close to . Probably didnt get the date with Adrian he dearly wanted after that. A Real Boxer Will Play Ivan Drago's Son In Creed 2. . If you had done the right thing, he would still be alive, and my children would still have their father. She then slaps him, and while someone rushes to console Rocky and defend his choice the Italian Stallion mumbles something loosely translating to, Quick, lets cut to a 4-minute montage of me driving around town while remembering everything thats happened in the movie so far!. What boxer in real life, past or modern could take on and beat Ivan Drago from the Rocky movies? On December 25th, 1985 Rocky Balboa defeated Ivan Drago by KO and shortly after returned to the United States. Adonis mother (Phylicia Rashad) is too smart to tell him not to take the fight, and his wife (Tessa Thompson) also wants to avoid being the woman in his life that tells him not to do the thing he loves. This is the section of Creed II that proves the hardest to watch, as it follows a broken fighter who risked too much for too little reward, and what happens when he shuts out everyone he cares about after they tried to give him good advice. Viktor Drago, the bad guy in Creed II, is the son of Ivan Drago, the Russian fighter who acted more like a Terminator than a human boxer in Rocky IV. His Rocky III rematch sees Lang floor Rocky again, but punch himself out to let Slys slimmed-down fighter earn his revenge. Kept in isolation and living a life that consisted of little else than training as a boxer, Ivan Drago had begun to lose his sense of self. February 26, 2015 / 2:20 PM Drago is a Soviet superman and Rocky still manages to beat him. [11], The ABC podcast Finding Drago[12] explores the influence of Ivan Drago on contemporary writers, fan-fiction novelists and comedians. Rocky learned that if Adonis wants to fight, he should never quit, even if Adonis health is at risk. My blood pressure went up to 260 and I was going to be talking to angels. Drago visits Rocky in his restaurant to tell him how Rocky cost him everything, and threatens to avenge his loss through Viktor, telling Rocky, "My son will break your boy.". Many viewers and critics have suggested that Drago was meant to symbolize the U.S. perception of the Soviets: immense, powerful, and emotionless. If a punch thrown by Rocky IV. Apollo wins that by split-decision but loses another war in the rematch, having lost his eye of the tiger. And what more to make Rocky the underdog than to give his opponent every unethical advantage? Fact is anyone steps into a ring tryna fight like they're in a Rocky movie is getting whooped on points and losing on every judge's card because no real boxer is going to stand there and let them hit them like Rocky would. He also appears in the 2018 film Creed II, in which he is the main antagonist and serves as the trainer to his son Viktor. Proving his craft in the boxing ring was everything. Broke Up In 1986, 8 Huge Movie Franchises With Zero Good Movies, Fast & Furious Hobbs Spinoff: Every Confirmed Cast Member & Character So Far. Reporter #2: Drederick, ah, what do you think of Homer Simpson? For more information, please see our Ivan Drago's professional record stands at 31-1-0. ? Drago hugs Viktor after the fight, assuring him that it is okay and that he is proud. Donnie knocks Viktor down twice in the round, causing a number of Viktor's supporters, including Ludmilla, to leave the fight. Their similarities became subject to a meme in 2022 after the player signed for Manchester City.[14]. Her sold purpose was to make him feel good about himself, and to reinforce how important all of this was not only fro them as a couple, but for the Soviet Union itself. [Lundgren] pulverized me. The first thing we shot [was] my entrance, [Lundgrens] entrance, and the introductions and then I got really injured during the fight and I had to be flown into intensive care to California from Canada, revealed Stallone. She is much more articulate than Drago, who seldom talks, and always speaks on his behalf at press conferences and interviews. soon I fight Rocky Balboa, and the world will see his defeat. Drago enters professional heavyweight boxing in the beginning of the movie. The perfect fighter, Rocky calls him in Creed. Rocky Film Tour The Stallone Zone Icons in Art. Unlike the match with Apollo, Drago comes out on the offensive and pummels Rocky for the first round and much to the second, until Rocky manages to causes a deep cut below Drago's right eye. During the weigh in, Drago taunts Donnie, telling him he is much smaller than Apollo was. Plus, Drago could have made that decision on his own, resisting his immense roid rage and thinking, Apollo, my American comrade, you dont look so good. TheRockyfranchise spin-off has largely achieved its success on its own merit, thanks in part to the gentle shift of the franchise's established dynamic and its more modern depiction of the boxing world. Brutalises champion Adonis Creed in their first fight, but ill-discipline costs him when hes DQd for punching his fallen foe. That could have happened here. He first appears in the 1985 film Rocky IV, in which he is the central antagonist and rival of Rocky Balboa and is also responsible for the death of Apollo Creed after brutally defeating him in their match. While plot details are still under wraps, it sure sounds like Adonis will take on lil' Drago in Creed 2. Dolph Lundgren starred as the now iconic Russian boxer, Ivan Drago alongside Burt Young, Talia Shire, Carl. Way not to be Ivan Drago. My memory was playing tricks on me, clearly conflating the famous Jaws scene where Roy Schreider is slapped by that grieving mother with this remarkably brief funeral scene in Rocky IV: Maybe Apollos widow should have slapped Rocky, though, because in the dilemma of to throw in the towel or to not throw in the towel he picked the option that ends with everyone at a funeral. Marvellously portrayed by Michael B Jordan, whos good looking, rich, can act, is successful enough to make you wish a KO1 by Jake Paul on him. This turns out to be a fatal mistake, as Drago lands a final savage punch that knocks him out, but fatally injures him, resulting in his death minutes later as he was cradled by Rocky. Appearing in: Rocky IV. Creed II is effectively the eighth movie in the Rocky series, but these ideas have been plundered so often in sports films that it feels like weve been taught the lesson countless times: Believe in yourself, do your best, put your soul in order and theres nothing you cant do. When he's not writing for Screen Rant, Niall also writes for Corner of Film (where he also hosts a podcast) and sporadically dabbles in fiction with a focus on dark comedy and horror.

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