Apollo Creed

Apollo Creed is a fictional character from the Rocky franchise, played by Carl Weathers. He appeared in the first four Rocky films. Creed is the main antagonist in Rocky and Rocky II, and one of the protagonists in Rocky III and Rocky IV. Sylvester Stallone, the writer and star of Rocky, said "[Jack] Johnson served as the inspiration for the character of Apollo Creed." Protagonist Rocky Balboa—Creed's rival in Rocky and Rocky II—faces underdog odds, but he views Creed with respect, pointedly refusing the prodding of a reporter to trash-talk Apollo Creed, even after he publicly taunts Balboa by remarking "he's great." In Rocky, Creed cleans out his division of serious challengers but decides to fight Balboa for the fan spectacle as well as for the implied symbolism of fighting a man with an Italian background. In the sequel film Rocky II, Balboa and Creed find themselves evenly matched in the ring, becoming friends in Rocky III. Creed had many nicknames, including "The King of Sting," "The Dancing Destroyer," "The Prince of Punch," "The Count of Monte Fisto," and most prominently "The Master of Disaster."