While "Creed II" is a truly moving story, it's based in fiction. Just like its predecessor, "Creed," it is inspired by the "Rocky" franchise rather than real-life events. As viewers may recall, Apollo Creed dies in "Rocky IV," and this is the basis for the "Creed" movies, as previously mentioned. With the help of Rocky, Adonis is able to take the limelight in the boxing world, but in "Creed II," his boxing career is suddenly in jeopardy.
With a new director behind the camera in Steven Caple Jr., "Creed II" gives Adonis the opportunity to avenge his father's death. The now-heavyweight champion of the world is challenged by Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu) — the son of boxer Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), the man who kills Adonis' father. Adonis ultimately accepts the challenge and wins the match, but only due to a technicality.
Viktor throws an illegal headshot, which disqualifies him. This is a default win for Adonis, but it leaves his spirits crushed. The film sees his boxing career hang in the balance as he recovers from the Drago match and tries to find the fire within once again. This develops a touching storyline for Adonis, as the first movie sees him encouraged and inspired by his father, giving him the fire to fight. Then in "Creed II," this is all stripped away, and Adonis must discover if he really has that fire within himself.
