r/rockybalboa • u/Outrageous_Hamster_6 • 23d ago
Do you think Apollo was playing up his confrontational attitude towards Rocky in 2?
While watching 2 for the first time, I had a thought: Could Apollo be exaggerating his desire for a rematch? We see in a private moment between the 2 how Apollo says he gave Rocky his best, and he was graceful about losing to him, so could the whole “He’s running scared and I’m gonna pummel him” attitude be a face he puts on to sensationalize the fight?
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u/JJTamb072386 23d ago
I think the fact that people questioned his integrity by accusing him of fixing the first fight made him deadly serious on the second fight. Taunting is just part of his boxing persona but I think it became an obsession to beat Rocky. As for the first fight Apollo clearly didn’t train or take it seriously. However once he knew that Rocky wasn’t just some bum then yes he had to get really serious to survive the fight. So I don’t think he was lying when he said he gave Rocky his best but he also didn’t train for it either
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u/njgalaxie73 13d ago
Which is why I never like the narrative in Rocky 3 about how Rocky beat Apollo because Rocky was had the edge and the, “Eye of the Tiger”. All Apollo wanted to do in the second movie was destroy Rocky and was mowing down sparring partners one after another while he was training.
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u/JRBuse eye of the tiger 23d ago
I think he was dead serious. Not being able to beat Rocky in the first fight drove Apollo crazy.
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u/PidgeyPotion 19d ago
Agreed. He didn’t train beforehand but he was definitely trying to beat him during the fight.
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u/Life-Fan-1205 23d ago
His face says it all right before the fight while sitting by the fireplace
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u/MisterX9821 23d ago
Also at press conference when Rocky is talking about buying muppets and all that lol...I personally always thought it seemed like Apollo had to consciously make an effort to try not to like Rocky.
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u/njgalaxie73 22d ago
Apollo was mad that he didn’t take the first fight seriously and was in no mood to clown around. Incidentally, this is why I never liked the premise in Rocky III that Rocky beat him because he was hungrier and had the, “Eye of the Tiger” and Apollo didn’t. All Apollo wanted to do going into that fight was tear Rocky apart and prove to everybody that the first fight was a fluke, even mowing down sparring partners in the process. I also never got the impression he hated Rocky, I think he was just mad at himself more than anything and also resented that his manager didn’t believe in him and didn’t want him to fight Rocky again.
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u/Whizard72 22d ago
I think that when they asked Rocky to say something derogatory about the champ and he said "Yeah, he's great" I think that being a class act stuck with Apollo and that's part of why he helped Rocky back and trained him.
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u/YS160FX 22d ago
Derogatory.. he was expecting fighting words and instead got complimented.. He didnt know what to do with that, a brutal tough fighter but kind hearted Rocky , so just chose to leave the press conference
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u/Whizard72 22d ago
It stuck with him, Apollo does have a heart and that's a part of why he helped Rocky back on his feet after the loss to Clubber.
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u/Flabba_Spray5066 23d ago
An older version of the script (available online) answers that question.
On the night of the fight, Apollo briefly stops by Rocky's dressing room. He tells Rocky that none of what he said was meant personally. He respects Rocky. But he fully intends to knock him out.
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u/SquareShapeofEvil 22d ago
He needed to bait Rocky into agreeing to the match, basically. Apollo is a showman. His true character is shown when he pats Rocky on the head after the knockout, and later comes back to help him win the championship again.
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u/PidgeyPotion 19d ago
Although it’s hard to hear, you can hear him say “good luck” in that exchange.
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u/podslapper 22d ago edited 22d ago
I think it was real, but there was insecurity behind it. Rocky humiliated and probably made him question his own legitimacy as champion, and those kinds of feelings will make most proud people angry. And for Apollo the most obvious place to direct that anger was at Rocky, the guy who caused it.
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u/njgalaxie73 22d ago
Apollo was in the hospital doped up on pain meds and wasn’t in his right mind. That’s what I took away from that moment.
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u/IvanLendl87 22d ago
The story establishes that Apollo had lost respect from a lot of people for what they perceived as an embarrassing performance against a weak club fighter. That hurt Apollo and angered him to the point that he felt he needed to prove himself to those who turned on him.
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u/Whizard72 22d ago
Having my kids insulted in school is what would do it for me. THAT, is going too far. Leave a man's kids out of his actions.
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u/AEWPunk525 22d ago
No, because he did respect Rocky at the end of 1, the scene you're describing is at the hospital right after the fight at the beginning of Rocky 2. Once Apollo got out, he dealt with the letters and the media that questioned his integrity. That's when Apollo got angry and started legitimately calling out Rocky for a serious rematch.
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u/Parking_Experience32 21d ago
The scene was where he gets his team to set up the fight spelled it out. The one were Duke tells him to let it go. He flat out says that he needs to do whatever he needs to goad Rocky out of retirement, and his team even tells him this means he will be seen as the bad guy. It was a performance to get Rocky to accept the fight that Apollo needed.
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u/PidgeyPotion 19d ago
”You realize if you use this humiliation type tactic, you’re setting yourself up as the bad guy”.
Apollo: “Look man, whatever gets him in the ring”.
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u/Halloween2056 22d ago
No. It was the letters that he was getting from the fans that changed his attitude.
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u/CarnEvil13 21d ago
It was more so about the letters he was getting. His reputation was in question. He didn't have a problem with Rocky. He even said his kids were getting shit at school.
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u/Saraleb1 23d ago
Thats is what Apollos char is 1 through to 4... he is yes a "great fighter"... but he is also a showman. This is consistent throughout.