‘Creed 3’ Ending, Explained: Why Rocky Balboa Wasn’t Around? Will Amara Star In ‘Creed 4’?

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Michael B. Jordan’s directorial “Creed 3” makes a lot of changes to the entire approach that had been taken since the time Sylvester Stallone was on board. There had been a lot of talk about the reason why Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa was not a part of the franchise he gave birth to. Keeping aside all the controversies and rumors floating in the media, let’s ascertain whether “Creed 3” is able to leave the kind of impact that its predecessors had.

Spoilers Ahead


Why Rocky Balboa Wasn’t Around?

The fans were disheartened when they found out that Rocky Balboa was not a part of “Creed 3,” and there were a lot of speculations about why the makers didn’t want him on board. Keeping the politics of the world aside, let’s try to ascertain what would have happened to Rocky according to the narrative and where he would be now.

In “Creed 2,” after Adonis had defeated Drago and become the world champion, Rocky Balboa thought that it was about time he went back and visited his family. Rocky met his son Robert and grandson Logan. There were a lot of grudges that Robert held against him but seeing him at his doorstep made his heart melt. So maybe Rocky decided to retire from the boxing scene and just wanted to give all his time to his family. A lot of people speculated that Rocky would be in some other part of the country for a fight, but we don’t believe that could have happened. If he had been involved in the sport, he would have been by Adonis’s side when he was going through such a low point in his life. It could also be possible that Rocky Balboa would have passed to a heavenly abode as we know that otherwise, he wouldn’t have missed Mary Anne’s funeral for the world because he was the kind of man who really valued the people who were a part of his life. We hope to see the king return in the upcoming installments of the franchise, as we all know that there can’t be a Creed without Rocky Balboa.


‘Creed 3’ Plot Summary: What Is The Film About?

Adonis Creed was fighting his final fight with Ricky Conlan, who was considered to be the best boxer in the light heavyweight division. Apart from being the last time he set foot in the boxing arena, one more reason this fight was extremely important for Creed was that he had been defeated by Conlan once before. Though it was a split decision, the bitterness of that defeat stayed with Creed, and before retiring, he wanted to prove that he was worthy of the title he held. Throughout the fight, Conlan tries to trigger Creed, and he tells him how he still has the same weak spots. Creed’s coach, Tony Little Duke Burton, did not understand what Creed was trying to do, so in between rounds, he went and told him to take charge of things before it was too late. But Creed was not giving into his impulsiveness but carefully assessing the situation and waiting to checkmate Conlan. Creed was seeing a pattern that no one else was, and he wanted to strike at the right moment with full intensity. Creed assured his coach not to worry, as he had no plan of going out without a bang. Creed knocked out Conlan and became the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. It was the first time in two decades that somebody had been able to achieve this feat, and Creed knew that he couldn’t have asked for more.

Post-retirement, Creed spent all his time managing Felix Chavez, the new star boxer of their gym and was trying to earn big money through him. Creed was planning a fight between Drago and Felix, and he had speculated that it would earn him huge revenue. His career as a manager, the future of the gym, and the future of Felix all depended upon this one fight that was going to happen. Creed had assured Felix that after that fight, he would be given legendary status, and the world would recognize his mettle.


What Happened Between Creed And Damian In The Past?

Everything was going as per plan when one day, a familiar face was waiting to meet Creed near his car. It took Creed a second to realize that it was his friend from childhood, Damian, who had come to meet him. Damian Anderson had been in prison for the last 18 years of his life, and now that he had come out, he wanted to accomplish what he hadn’t been able to back then. There was tension in the air when Creed and Damian sat down to eat in the same old diner they used to go to as teenagers. Creed thought that Damian might have come to ask for some money, and so, without the intention of disrespecting his friend, he gave him some cash to keep and asked him to come to him for whatever he needed. Damian gave the money back to Creed and told him it was not money he was after but that he wanted to pick up where he had left off 18 years earlier. Damian wanted a shot at the title, and he stated that very clearly when he went to Adonis and Bianca’s for dinner. Adonis told his friend that he couldn’t just give any random guy a shot at the title and that he couldn’t make him a contender overnight. Damian told Adonis that if Apollo Creed could agree to fight some underdog, then he too deserved to be at the center stage and at least given a chance to change his destiny.

Adonis and Damian used to live in the same group home before he was adopted by Mary Anne Creed after she got to know that he was the illegitimate son of her husband, Apollo Creed. During this time, a guy named Leon was taking care of both Damian and Adonis in the group home. Leon was a devil, and as Creed put it, no child should ever go through what he did at that group home. Leon tortured them for no apparent reason. They might have been mischievous kids, but they didn’t do anything to deserve such horrifying treatment. Damian had become an amateur boxing sensation back in those days, and people knew that he had a great future ahead. After winning the golden gloves, even Damian started dreaming about that day when he would lift the heavyweight championship belt and show the world what he was capable of. Adonis and Damian were celebrating the latter’s victory when they encountered Leon in front of a liquor store. Adonis lost his cool and started bashing the guy. Things got heated up, and Leon’s companions came to his rescue. Damian took out his gun when the police arrived at the scene and arrested him, and Adonis was able to make a near escape. Damian wrote a lot of letters to Adonis, but Mary Anne never let them reach him as she never wanted her kid to get stuck in the swamp. She knew that to move ahead in life, Adonis would have to forget about his past. She wanted to safeguard him and make him a good man. But that made Damian feel that his friend, for whom he was willing to take a bullet, had abandoned him. When Damian came out of prison, he still had that bitterness inside him. He wanted to tip the scales in his favor and make Adonis feel what he had gone through, even though he was busy making a future for himself.


Why Was Drago And Felix’s Match Forfeited?

Adonis was banking on the upcoming match, and he knew that it would be a great success. But something happened that changed the entire narrative, and Adonis had to think about how to minimize the damage. A random guy attacked Drago at the label party and gave him severe injuries. Drago met a lot of specialists, and they all told him that he couldn’t return to the ring before six months. Adonis realized that the next option that Felix had was to fight an underdog like Damian, as that attracted a lot of crowds. Felix had no option but to accept the offer, as it was the only way he could get paid now. Damian was more than grateful for the opportunity that Adonis had given him. People believed that the fight would end soon, and Damian would be knocked out by the reigning champion in the first few rounds itself. But Damian proved everybody wrong. We could say that Damian’s tactics were not such that he deserved a fair play award. Damian managed to knock out Felix and become the new unified heavyweight champion of the world. Soon after that, Adonis realized that he had fallen prey to Damian’s treacherous plan. The guy named Luis Camino, who had attacked Drago, was hired by Damian. Damian knew that if Drago got injured, Adonis wouldn’t have any option other than to put him up against Felix. Adonis went to confront Damian, and it was then that he learned that Damian had no remorse for what he had done. Damian threatened Adonis and told him that it was just the beginning, and he would ruin his entire life.


‘Creed 3’ Ending Explained: How Did Adonis Win Against Damian?

Mary Anne was Adonis’ support system, and he was shaken after her demise. Adonis knew that damage had been done, and he had to find a way to minimize the damage as much as he could. Adonis decided that he would come back from retirement and get inside the ring for one last time in his life. Adonis went on national television and challenged Damian in front of the entire country. Duke, his coach, knew that it was not an easy thing to do, but Adonis was determined, and he was not ready to back down. They had to figure out a way to defeat Damian, who, at that point, felt like he was invincible. Drago became Creed’s sparring partner, and we got to know that he was not the angry man that he once used to be. The new Drago knew how to control his anger and smile once in a while. Adonis went through an excruciating training process and got ready for the final showdown. The fight started, and every round taught Adonis something about himself. He knew that he had to shed his fears and go after Damian, all guns blazing. The odds were not in favor of Adonis Creed, but he wanted to maintain the sanctity of the legacy his father had left for him and also what he had created for himself. Creed was able to do the impossible and defeat the ferocious Damian Anderson.

After the fight, Creed met Damian, and both of them reconciled with each other. Damian realized that it was not Adonis’s fault, and any kid who would have been in his shoes would have gotten scared and run from the situation. Creed went back to his family, but not before telling his childhood friend that he always had his back.


Will Amara Follow In The Footsteps Of Her Father?

Seeing the ferocity of Adonis and Bianca’s girl Amara, we can safely assume that we will see a female protagonist for the first time in the Rocky/Creed franchise in the coming years. Adonis wanted to teach his kid how to box so that she could protect herself from the bullies, but little Amara’s fascination for the sport went far beyond that. After the last fight in “Creed 3,” Bianca said how the little girl had waited the entire evening to come inside the ring and throw some punches. Creed saw potential in Amara, though Bianca had her doubts about whether she wanted her daughter to play the sport. If Amara takes up boxing as a career, then there would be a paradigm shift in the way people had perceived the Rocky franchise up until now. We think it’s about time we have a female protagonist showing her aggression and fighting against the odds in the ring. As far as “Creed 3” is concerned, we believe that it missed out on the essence that formed a fundamental part of the philosophy of the entire Rocky franchise up until now. We don’t want the franchise to become mundane because it is extremely close to our hearts, and we hope that the production team and the creative people on board will be able to maintain the sanctity of what Rocky Balboa once said about how life is not about victories but about how we take our defeats and keep moving forward.


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Sushrut Gopesh
Sushrut Gopesh
I came to Mumbai to bring characters to life. I like to dwell in the cinematic world and ponder over philosophical thoughts. I believe in the kind of cinema that not necessarily makes you laugh or cry but moves something inside you.

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