The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Wheeler spinoff; Rocky/Apollo romance theory; let Creed win; best franchise reboot
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:18:28Read transcript
- Hottest take: Wheeler deserves his own film or sequel after Conlan breaks his jaw and Adonis inherits the title opportunity.
- Van provocatively imagines Rocky and Apollo as lovers after the private third fight, using their intimacy and Rocky avoiding the widow as interpretive material. This is a joke theory, not a film fact; audience applause is not a ballot.
- Hottest take: Creed and the original Rocky should have let their heroes win; the moral victory already feels like victory, and withholding the title just to create a sequel seems cynical.
- Hottest take: Creed is the best franchise reboot or legacy sequel. Blade Runner 2049, Top Gun:Maverick, Cobra Kai and Nolan’s Batman films are alternatives, with qualifications about single-film sequels versus a long-running franchise.