The panel split among Rocky repeatedly rising, the Soviet crowd turning on Drago, and Gorbachev’s standing ovation.
In the discussion (7)
- Rocky taking a Christmas fight in Russia for no money without telling Adrian was nominated.
- Rocky climbing a purported 20,000-foot mountain in a light jacket and running boots was nominated.
- Rocky surviving roughly 75 knockdowns was nominated.
- The Soviet crowd turning on Drago was nominated.
- Gorbachev giving Rocky a standing ovation after the speech was nominated.
- One choice was Rocky repeatedly getting up after implausibly many knockdowns.
- The Soviet crowd cheering Rocky became the shared leading objection to plausibility.
No consensus: the combined training sequences, Drago–Rocky round two, and the larger fight/entrance sequence each received support.
In the discussion (12)
- The two training sequences together were the advance favorite and one final choice.
- Creed’s “Living in America” entrance was nominated for James Brown, Drago’s confusion, and Apollo’s showmanship.
- The full Drago–Creed fight was nominated, including the nicknames, glove touch, “throw the damn towel,” and “if he dies, he dies.”
- The “you can’t win” confrontation with Adrian was nominated.
- The Lamborghini “No Easy Way Out” montage was nominated.
- Duke’s “Apollo was like my son” training speech was nominated.
- The first old-school-versus-high-tech training sequence was nominated.
- The second training sequence, with the mountain climb and “no pain,” was nominated.
- Round two of Rocky–Drago was nominated for “he’s cut,” the tackle, and “he’s a man.”
- Round fifteen was nominated for Drago’s collapse, the crowd turn, and “he’s chopping the Russian down.”
- Rocky’s final speech and Gorbachev slow clap were nominated.
- One host chose the nine-minute training and Adrian sequence; another chose the second round.
Drago’s minimal dialogue, Rocky’s clothes, Paulie’s arc, the training contrast, montage density, opening credits, and Ivan Drago himself were praised.
In the discussion (14)
- Drago’s six terse English lines remain iconic.
- Rocky’s oversized jacket was praised.
- Rocky wearing Cobra-style aviators to Apollo’s funeral was enjoyed as a specific mid-1980s choice.
- Rocky’s Hugo Boss sweatshirts and Scorpion-like robe were praised.
- Paulie’s arc from threatening brother-in-law to essential cut man was praised.
- Adrian’s snake-shaped watch was singled out as exceptionally gaudy.
- The natural-versus-steroids training montage remains effective despite its irony.
- James Brown’s credit as “The Godfather of Soul” was enjoyed.
- “Living in America” was reported as Brown’s first top-40 single in eleven years and the last of his career.
- The film’s high-tech sports equipment looked ahead of its time.
- Nearly 32 percent of the movie was reported to be montage.
- Apollo’s later-unacknowledged son aged well because it enabled the Creed continuation.
- The exploding Soviet and American gloves made the opening credits immediate and memorable.
- Ivan Drago’s lasting screen presence was chosen as the strongest aged-best element.
Splintered patriotism, recycled footage, TV-delivered bad news, robot sexual jokes, reduced death impact, poor officiating/training, accents, continuity, and the Stallone–Nielsen relationship were discussed.
In the discussion (15)
- The film’s uncomplicated patriotism felt less relatable in 2020.
- Opening another sequel with recycled footage from the prior Rocky was criticized.
- Characters discovering major news by accidentally seeing it on television felt dated.
- Paulie’s sexualized robot dialogue was the central robot problem.
- The robot itself was defended as essential mid-1980s texture and as a nod to Stallone’s son.
- The hastily made Sports Illustrated and magazine covers looked sloppy.
- Apollo’s death has less shock on repeat viewings than it did in 1985.
- Drago repeatedly hit Apollo after the bell without sanction.
- Rocky’s pre-fight coaching gave Apollo no useful boxing advice.
- Rocky froze with the towel while Apollo absorbed extra punishment.
- Brigitte Nielsen’s Russian accent was criticized.
- Adrian initially refusing to accompany Rocky to Russia was criticized.
- The anonymous color commentator was treated as a weak replacement for a recognizable boxing voice.
- Apollo’s boxing gloves disappear between cuts before his exchange with Drago.
- The Stallone–Nielsen relationship and rapid marriage/divorce became distracting production context.
No casting what-if was found; Peter Cetera’s rejected “Glory of Love” end-credit song was preserved as adjacent production history.
In the discussion (2)
- The hosts explicitly reported finding no casting alternatives.
- “Glory of Love” was written for this ending before being rejected and used in The Karate Kid Part II.
Michael Pataki, who plays Drago’s handler Nikolai Koloff, was the choice.
In the discussion (1)
- Pataki was recognized from Night Shift and many other character roles.
Carl Weathers was selected, affectionately, for going all in during his limited remaining screen time.
In the discussion (1)
- Weathers was praised for dialing up every scene before Apollo’s death.
The panel split between Marianne Creed and James Brown, with each receiving a strong case.
In the discussion (2)
- Marianne Creed was praised for perfectly selling love, confusion, and terror in a few reaction shots.
- James Brown was chosen by another host for a complete vintage performance and Apollo fist bump.
A mid-1980s Arnold Schwarzenegger as Ivan Drago was proposed and rejected as too famous and too competitive with Stallone.
In the discussion (2)
- Arnold’s accent and star power made him an intriguing proposed Drago.
- The Stallone–Arnold rivalry likely made the proposed casting impossible.
Research covered real punches and injuries, the Weathers–Lundgren dispute, Italian dubbing, shooting locations, and Tony Burton’s chess strength.
In the discussion (9)
- Stallone and Lundgren agreed to hit each other for real.
- Lundgren’s chest punch caused Stallone’s heart to swell against his breastbone.
- Stallone’s blood pressure exceeded 200 and he was airlifted from Canada to a Santa Monica hospital.
- Carl Weathers nearly left after Lundgren threw him too hard.
- Filming stopped for four days while Stallone brokered a reconciliation.
- The Italian “I break you in two” translation became a common phrase.
- The Russia training scenes were filmed in Wyoming.
- The Moscow fight was filmed at Vancouver’s PNE Agrodome.
- Tony Burton was a strong chess player who reportedly beat Stanley Kubrick on The Shining set.
Stallone’s 1985 global stardom was the clearest apex; Cold War cinema, Dolph Lundgren, Warner Wolf, Barry Tompkins, Vince DiCola, sit-ups, wet-blanket wives, robots, and montages were also assessed.
In the discussion (14)
- Rocky IV plus Rambo: First Blood Part II made 1985–86 Stallone’s apex.
- Rocky IV was considered a Cold War movie apex candidate, with Red Dawn preferred by one host.
- Dolph Lundgren was treated as an apex case.
- Survivor’s apex remained Rocky III because “Eye of the Tiger” was the larger phenomenon.
- Warner Wolf’s local influence and “let’s go to the videotape” catchphrase made this an apex case.
- Barry Tompkins was treated as being at his announcing apex.
- Vince DiCola was treated as an apex case.
- The hayloft and fire-lit sit-ups were called an apex for movie sit-ups.
- The Russian anthem lost to The Hunt for Red October and earlier wrestling or game uses.
- Adrian was argued as an apex sports-movie wet-blanket wife.
- Tony Burton was treated as an apex case for Duke’s expanded role.
- The robot lost the 1980s-robot apex to alternatives including Terminator and Johnny 5.
- The film’s foreboding synthesizer music was considered an apex case.
- Rocky IV was selected as the apex for 1980s movie montages.
Possible charges for Drago, Paulie’s sobriety, Soviet eligibility, the deleted title-belt scene, broken chronology, and lack of ringside doctors were questioned.
In the discussion (7)
- Whether Drago could face manslaughter charges for Apollo’s death was debated.
- Paulie’s apparently improved control of his drinking was left unexplained.
- A Soviet heavyweight would not have been allowed to box professionals during the Cold War.
- The deleted boxing-board scene left Rocky’s title surrender unexplained.
- Apollo’s stated five-year retirement conflicts with the timing of Rocky’s marriage and rematch.
- Rocky Jr. ages implausibly across Rocky IV and Rocky V.
- The exhibition inexplicably lacked a visible fight doctor.
“Throw the damn towel!” was the unanimous choice.
In the discussion (1)
- All three hosts selected the same line.
A ten-episode Netflix remake was rejected; Quibi was joked about instead.
In the discussion (1)
- The panel did not want a serialized remake.
Questions covered exhibition rules and betting lines, the mountain, Ludmilla’s swimming career, bromance history, an Adrian plane-crash rewrite, scorecards, and punch statistics.
In the discussion (8)
- How many rounds was the Creed–Drago exhibition supposed to last?
- The hosts estimated betting lines for Creed–Drago, Rocky–Apollo, and Rocky–Drago.
- How high was Rocky’s mountain and how would he return safely?
- Was Ludmilla a steroid-using champion swimmer?
- Was Rocky and Apollo’s relationship the original movie bromance?
- Would the movie improve if the KGB shot down Adrian’s flight to Russia?
- What was the score heading into round fifteen, given all the knockdowns?
- Reported punch counts underscored how unrealistic the final fight was.
The bloody “throw the damn towel” towel became the preferred collectible; the snake watch, Cobra aviators, robot, gloves, trunks, robe, and treadmill were alternatives.
In the discussion (3)
- The snake watch and Rocky’s funeral/Cobra aviators were proposed.
- The bloody towel was the strongest choice if it could be authenticated.
- The robot, gloves, trunks, James Brown robe, and treadmill were other candidates.
Ivan Drago/Dolph Lundgren won; “America” was raised as an alternate before the panel converged on Drago.
In the discussion (2)
- Dolph Lundgren’s unproven arrival and indelible villain performance were the main case.
- The United States was proposed as a thematic winner, but Ivan Drago became the shared final answer.
Most Delightfully and Ridiculously Improbable Moment
