Hand Grenade.. Where does Rocky Balboa fit into the H/W all time rankings??

Just for fun and knocks, I'll give you my opinion of where Balboa and the others rank among the real heavyweights.

First of all, the best fighter of the series even though he was killed off in part IV is Apollo Creed. Therefore, any comparisons about ranking any fighter of the Rocky Balboa series starts with Creed.

Overall, Creed should be ranked in the top five with Ali, Jack Johnson, Joe Louis and Marciano. His record in the movie speaks for itself and Carl Weathers was actually a very good athelete with decent boxing skills. In fact, the stories that I've heard during the filming had echoed high praise for Weathers' skills and potential as a real fighter. Al Silvani, Lou Filippo, Duran and Stallone all commented on the speed of Weathers' jab and footwork. Stallone had much trouble in the fight sequences with Weathers' jab and apparently asked him to slow it down a bit.

Clubber Lang I'd probably rank ahead of Drago based on the fact that he earned his way to the #1 contender status in the movie before he KO's Balboa in the 2nd round. In the real time rankings, Clubber Lang probably sits ahead of Michael Moorer, Ray Mercer and the Tate brothers but after Holmes, Lennox Lewis, Tyson and Holyfield. Clubber's power in both hands was supposedly reminiscent of Foreman, Liston and Earnie Shavers.

Drago really doesn't rank because he's an amateur fighter in the movie and didn't earn status as a legit contender. If anything, maybe ahead of Chris Byrd, Ibeabuchi and the Klitschko brothers. Prime Apollo Creed would have wiped the floor with Drago landing various combos set up from the jab.

As for Tommy Gunn, he doesn't even rank close to the real Morrison, who I'd say is probably somewhere in the top 30 heavyweights of all time.

Mason Dixon doesn't count as far as I'm concered because he's a lightweight, and Tarver hasn't beat a real heavyweight in his career so far.

Enjoy

 

Balboa went off the charts into fantasy land just by surviving the very first of those 'roid-powered, colossal-psi assassin shots from Drago, not to mention 15 rounds thereof. In fact, his implausible transformation from a club-type slugger into a polished technician against Lang lost me well before any title-wresting exhibitions at 50 against the reigning undefeated heavyweight champion.