The massive legacy of the Rocky film series must have weighed heavily on director Ryan Coogler when he made Creed, a spin-off and sequel to the boxing saga. But just as his protagonist Adonis come ...

Carl just gave off that kind of aura ... you probably could knock out Apollo Creed, but do you think you could beat Rocky?' " The look on Earnie's face was one of sheer helplessness.

I would say how they differ is that Ippo Makunouchi is much younger than Rocky Balboa or Adonis Creed, so there's a lot of difference in the way the story is told as more of a coming-of-age tale.

The plot of the film states: "When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy resurfaces, the face-off between ... of the Creed franchise. It is also the ninth film of the Rocky universe ...

The sports drama series has grown to feature nine films, including six in the original Rocky Balboa storyline and three spinoffs about Adonis Creed. The first six movies tell the story of ...