10 key Rocky franchise details to remember ahead of Creed 3

Creed III is just around the corner, so here's every important detail about Rocky and Creed you need to remember before seeing Creed III.

Creed III is about to hit theaters, and as the ninth film in the series, there's a lot to remember from the previous Rocky and Creed films. For a series about boxing, the Rocky series has an incredibly dense story, with every character fully fleshed out. So, here are 10 key details from Rocky and Creed's story that viewers will need to remember before watching Creed III.

Creed is a spin-off of the beloved Rocky franchise, which tells the story of the son of the late great world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed. Creed III will be a time of great change for the series, as it will be the first entry not to feature Rocky Balboa. Rocky was the lead character in the first six films and was Adonis Creed's trainer in Creed and Creed II, which means that Rocky's absence in Creed III is a point of no return for the franchise. In a string of critically acclaimed films, the Creed movie still manages to stand out, which means that even without Rocky Balboa, Creed III is still highly anticipated.

10 Rocky Went The Distance With Apollo Creed

Rocky's first encounter with Apollo Creed sets off a domino effect that leads to Creed III, which means the story of the upcoming trilogy will go back to the very beginning of the franchise. In the first "Rocky," little-known Philadelphia boxer Rocky Balboa gets a chance to take on world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed. Although Creed eventually defeated Rocky in the ring, it was only by split decision and Rocky managed to survive all 15 rounds. Although Loki lost the fight, he won the hearts of the audience, catapulting him to stardom and beginning his rivalry-turned-friendship relationship with Apollo Creed.

9 Apollo Creed Died Fighting Ivan Drago

After Rocky defeated Apollo Creed in Rocky II, Creed stayed on and eventually became Rocky's trainer in Rocky III. However, the uber-patriotic boxer returned to the ring for the last time in Rocky IV, which unfortunately cost him his life. In order to defend the national honor, Apollo Creed was killed by the Soviet boxer Ivan Drago. Drago was a brutal fighter, and although Lodge would later defeat him, the boxer remains one of the series' most notorious villains for killing Creed. This moment is integral to the Creed movie, as it explains why Adonis Creed didn't have Apollo in his childhood.

8 Rocky Retired From Boxing (Again)

Due to traumatic brain injury Fighting Ivan Drago, Rocky retired from boxing after Rocky IV. However, events surrounding Tommy "The Machine" Gunn in Rocky V caused Rocky to resume fighting, and he retired again after the events of the film. However, Rocky made another comeback in 2006 at Rocky Balboa, where the 59-year-old boxer returned to the ring to fight "The Line" Mason Dixon. Rocky's third and final retirement occurred after this fight, and Rocky never entered the ring as a boxer again.

7 Mary Anne Creed Adopted Adonis Creed

Jump to Creed timeline, the first Creed movie introduced Adonis Creed as a teenager in a juvenile detention center. Adonis was one of Apollo Creed's children, but due to Apollo's death, his wife Mary Anne Creed decided to track down Adonis. Mary Anne Creed found Adonis in 1998, adopted him and told him who his father was. Adonis Creed started boxing while living with Mary Anne, although at the time he took his birth mother's surname "Johnson". Mary Anne was deeply involved in Adonis' life throughout his adult life, appearing in both Tenet and Tenet II.

6 Adonis Asks Rocky To Train Him

Although Adonis had been boxing for some time, he After losing to "Stuntman" Danny Wheeler, he finally realized he wasn't very good. To improve his fighting skills and step out of his father's shadow, Adonis decides to recruit an old friend of Apollo's: Rocky Balboa. Adonis tracks down Rocky in Philadelphia and approaches the former boxer at his restaurant, Adrian's (named after Rocky's late wife). As a favor to Apollo, Loki reluctantly agrees to train Adonis, and for the first two Creed films, Loki has been on Adonis' corner.

The scene at Adrian's also solves a major franchise mystery about Apollo Creed. Rocky and Apollo engage in a secret third match at the end of Rocky III, but just as the fight begins, the credits start rolling. The winner of this battle is not known until Creed, and Adonis asks Loki who won. Loki reveals that Apollo won the battle, which means that out of three battles, Apollo won two of them.

5 Rocky Is Diagnosed With Lymphoma

Rocky's story is tragic, he has lost friends and family like Adrian, Paulie, Apollo, Mickey and more. Things got even sadder when Rocky was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the first Creed, with the former boxer initially deciding not to seek treatment Treatment because it didn't work on Adrian. However, Adonis eventually convinces Rocky, causing Rocky to undergo chemotherapy. The beginning of Creed II shows Loki recovering from lymphoma, but since he doesn't appear in Creed III, it's theoretically possible that the cancer returned between the two films.

4 Adonis Fights "Pretty" Ricky Conlan

The events of Creed culminate in a fight between Adonis and "Pretty" Ricky Conlan for several important reasons. First of all, this battle was the first time Adonis took on the surname "Creed", finally accepting his father's legacy. Most importantly, the fight was for the world lightweight title, mirroring Rocky's original fight with Apollo. Again, Apollo lost the battle, but the match put Creed's name on the map, and Adonis' newfound fame led directly to the events of Creed II.

3 Adonis & Bianca Had A Daughter

In the first Tenet, Adonis meets a musician named Bianca, who reveals that she is starting to lose her hearing. The two strike up a relationship, with Bianca at Adonis' side. Although Bianca is largely sidelined in "Tenet II," Adonis does propose to her at the beginning of the film, and the two agree to marry. Later in the film, Bianca reveals that she is pregnant, The couple have a daughter named Amara. However, they soon discover that Amara is deaf and that Amara has inherited Bianca's hearing impairment. These two characters haven't been developed much, but hopefully Creed III will fix that.

2 Adonis Beat Viktor Drago & Remained World Heavyweight Champion

Adonis Creed's counterpart in Creed II is Viktor Drago, the son of Ivan Drago, the man who killed Apollo Creed. Although Adonis lost the first fight due to some nasty blows, he was still World Heavyweight Champion due to Victor's disqualification. Adonis Creed and Viktor Drago later played a rematch, with Adonis beating Viktor after Ivan conceded. Viktor and Ivan Drago are being split, meaning their stories are far from over, but it's unknown if they'll appear in Creed III. However, the end of Creed II reveals that Adonis still holds his title, and that he finally avenged Apollo.

1 Rocky Went To See His Son In Canada

Creed II ends on a heartwarming note, with Rocky visiting his estranged son Robert Jr. in Vancouver, Canada. The two have drifted apart since the Rocky Balboa incident, but Rocky decides to mend their relationship after spending time with Adonis and his family. this scene at the end Creed II, so it's unclear how it will affect Creed III's plot. However, it's possible that Loki won't be in Creed III, as he and his son remain in Canada, wrapping up the original Loki film's story perfectly.