History Film / RockyBalboa

JustForFun/{{TheOne|With}} where [[HesBack Rocky returns]].

[[TheOneWith The one]] where [[HesBack Rocky returns]].

* DudeWheresMyRespect: Despite being the current Heavyweight champion and undefeated, Dixon doesn't get any respect from the crowd. He ''does'' get it after his fight with Balboa. There's a bit of TruthInTelevision here. There have been many fighters who didn't get the respect they deserve because the guys around are nowhere near their level. Therefore, it creates the illusion that a dominant champion is fighting nothing but bums. In contrast, UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli received platitudes not just because of his tremendous skills, but because of the high level of the other heavyweights around, nearly all of whom he fought and beat.

Meanwhile in the boxing world, the reigning World Heavyweight Champion, Mason "The Line" Dixon, celebrates [[TheAce an incredible professional career]] but is frustrated with his public image. A long record of fast and decisive victories has left fans, pundits, and even his closest managers [[InvincibleHero believing that his opponents were weak]], feeding into a derogatory perception that Mason is a mediocre champion who could not handle [[WorthyOpponent a truly powerful adversary]]. This tension comes to a boiling point when a television show uses a computer simulation to pit a virtual Mason against an in-his-prime Rocky Balboa, leading to Mason's defeat via knockout.

Rocky is inspired by the computer simulation to re-apply for his boxing license so he can tie up the last few loose ends in his life. Although Rocky had only intended to fight in small local events for fun and charity, he is quickly approached by Mason's managers who want to stage a ''real'' version of the computer simulation as a high-profile charity exhibition match. The film follows both Rocky and Mason as they prepare for the bout: Rocky using it to fulfil his dream of one last great match, and help restore his relationship with Robert; and Mason fighting to earn the respect he is owed from the world through a trial-by-fire from one of boxing's most respected champions.

* DudeWheresMyRespect: Despite being the current Heavyweight champion and undefeated, Dixon doesn't get any respect from the crowd. He does get it after his fight with Balboa. There's a bit of TruthInTelevision here. There have been many fighters who didn't get the respect they deserve because the guys around are nowhere near their level. Therefore, it creates the illusion that a dominant champion is fighting nothing but bums. In contrast, UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli received platitudes not just because of his tremendous skills, but because of the high level of the other heavyweights around, nearly all of whom he fought and beat.

* CanonDiscontinuity: All previous movies of the franchise are referenced except for ''Film/RockyV''. This would have been different in the film's original longer cut, which contained a scene where Rocky's brain damage, as diagnosed in ''Rocky V'', would have been disproven in another medical check up.

* DirtyCoward: The guy at Marie's bar antagonizing Rocky and Marie, but the moment Rocky loses his patience and goes after the guy he inmediatly fully apologizes the moment there's a chance Rocky might actually beat him up.
* DudeWheresMyRespect: Despite being the current Heavyweight champion and undefeated, Dixon doesn't get any respect from the crowd. He does get it after his fight with Balboa. There's a bit of TruthInTelevision here. There have been many fighters who didn't get the respect they deserve because the guys around are nowhere near their level. Therefore, it creates the illusion that a dominant champion is fighting nothing but bums. In contrast, UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli received platitudes not just because of his tremendous skills, but because of the high level of the other heavyweights around, nearly all of whom Ali fought and beat.

** Mason spends much of the movie bitter about being disrespected by the general public due to constantly never having gone up against someone who could go the distance with him. After achieving exactly that against Rocky the crowd finally gives him the respect he deserves.
** Rocky does this before the events of the movie, as it gently retcons some of the harsher elements of ''Film/RockyV''. Rocky may not be a millionaire anymore but he's comfortably well off and has the respect of fans again.

* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: In rewrites to the script, it's fairly clear that the writers didn't know what direction to take Mason Dixon's character. Throughout the movie, he pinballs back and forth between an egotistical athlete looking out for his legacy, to an honest boxer fed up with the chicanery and politics in the boxing promotion world, to a primadonna with no respect whatsoever for Rocky and his accomplishments. Surprisingly, it accidentally develops a very three dimensional character.

* OhCrap: After Rocky takes a particularly hard fall, he rises with the support of everyone who's backed him (including the memories of both Adrian ''and'' Mickey) when he gets up bearing a picture perfect "I'm not done yet" face, Dixon backs up a step with an equally perfect "how the ''hell'' did you get up" look.

** The simulated match between Rocky and Dixon was based on the "Super Fight" between Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali. Rocky ends up owning a restaurant, like former heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey did.

** Rocky loses the fight by K.O.

** Rocky wins the fight by K.O.

* Bookends: As with the first movie, Rocky didn't win (he lost by split decision), but the point of both matches was that he could go the distance, and he did.

The film was intended to be the true ending to the franchise, serving as a coda to the series -- it even ended with a tribute to the longtime fans of the series by showing them running up the famous steps themselves. Eventually a sequel/SpinOff film called ''Film/{{Creed}}'', with Stallone reprising the Rocky character and focusing on the son of Apollo Creed (named Adonis), was released in November 2015.

* RealityEnsues: Rocky is a former fighter who keeps himself in quite good shape for a man his age, and he goes through a formidable TrainingMontage to get ready to face Dixon... and Dixon beats the crap out of him and makes Rocky look like someone who's stepping into a boxing ring for the first time because Dixon is just so much faster and so much younger, while age and injuries have slowed Rocky and taken away the things that made him a great fighter. Only after Dixon injures himself by badly breaking his hand does the fight actually become a real contest.

* WorldOfCardboardSpeech: Two, one given by Rocky to the athletic board after they refuse his boxing license despite passing all the medical tests they put him through. The second was given to his son when Rocky Jr. calls him out for supposedly seeking the spotlight, where Rocky explains that we can't and shouldn't blame others for our problems.

Meanwhile in the boxing world, the reigning World Heavyweight Champion, Mason "The Line" Dixon, celebrates [[TheAce an incredible professional career]] but is frustrated with his public image. A long record of fast and decisive victories has left fans, pundits, and even his closest managers [[BoringInvincibleHero believing that his opponents were weak]], feeding into a derogatory perception that Mason is a mediocre champion who could not handle [[WorthyOpponent a truly powerful adversary]]. This tension comes to a boiling point when a television show uses a computer simulation to pit a virtual Mason against an in-his-prime Rocky Balboa, leading to Mason's defeat via knockout.

* BoringInvincibleHero: Dixon is seen InUniverse as this so much due to lack of challenge that critics and audiences can't appreciate his achievements.

* EarnYourHappyEnding: Mason spends much of the movie bitter about being disrespected by the general public due to constantly never having gone up against someone who could go the distance with him. After achieving exactly that against Rocky the crowd finally gives him the respect he deserves.

Meanwhile in the boxing world, the reigning World Heavyweight Champion, Mason "The Line" Dixon, celebrates an incredible professional career but is frustrated with his public image. A long record of fast and decisive victories has left fans, pundits, and even his closest managers [[BoringInvincibleHero believing that his opponents were weak]], feeding into a derogatory perception that Mason is a mediocre champion who could not handle a truly powerful adversary. This tension comes to a boiling point when a television show uses a computer simulation to pit a virtual Mason against an in-his-prime Rocky Balboa, leading to Mason's defeat via knockout.

Rocky is inspired by the computer simulation to re-apply for his boxing license so he can finally tie up the last few loose ends in his life. Although Rocky had only intended to fight in small local events for fun and charity, he is quickly approached by Mason's managers who want to stage a ''real'' version of the computer simulation as a high-profile charity exhibition match. The film follows both Rocky and Mason as they prepare for the fight: Rocky using it to fulfil his dream of one last great fight, and restoring his relationship with Robert; and Mason fighting to earn the respect he is owed from the world through a trial-by-fire from one of boxing's most respected champions.

Meanwhile in the boxing world, the reigning World Heavyweight Champion, Mason "The Line" Dixon, celebrates an incredible professional career but is frustrated with his public image. A long record of fast and decisive victories has left fans, pundits, and even his closest managers [[BoringInvincibleHero believing that his opponents were too weak]], feeding into a derogatory perception that Mason is a mediocre champion. This tension comes to a boiling point when a television show uses a computer simulation to pit a virtual Mason against an in-his-prime Rocky Balboa, leading to Mason's defeat via knockout.

Meanwhile in the boxing world, the reigning World Heavyweight Champion, Mason "The Line" Dixon, celebrates an incredible professional career but is frustrated with his public image. A long record of fast and decisive victories has left fans, pundits, and even his closest managers [[BoringInvincibleHero believing that his opponents were too weak]], feeding into a derogatory perception that Mason is a mediocre champion. This tension comes to a boiling point when a television show uses a computer simulation to pit a virtual Mason against a in-his-prime Rocky Balboa, leading to Mason's defeat via knockout.

Despite [[SuddenSequelDeathSyndrome losing Adrian to cancer some years prior]] and having a strained relationship (at best) with his son, Robert (Creator/MiloVentimiglia), Rocky has something of a good life -- he has become a living landmark in Philadelphia, [[BrickJoke running his]] [[Music/WeirdAlYankovic own restaurant]] and telling boxing stories to his customers. Over in the boxing world, current reigning heavyweight champion [[PunnyName Mason "The Line" Dixon]] is disliked by pundits and fans alike for his [[BoringInvincibleHero easy fights finished in the first round]]. When a realistic computer simulation pits Dixon against an in-his-prime Balboa -- with Dixon ''losing'' -- publicists see a goldmine of an opportunity in an exhibition match between Rocky and Dixon to improve their client's image. Rocky is unsure of accepting the challenge because of his age and his relationship with his son, but he eventually accepts out of a desire to have one last great fight and rid himself of all of his inner demons.

* AscendedExtra: Lil' Marie (the one who told Rocky "Screw you, creepo!") makes a return in the final film and receives a much bigger part.

* DudeWheresMyRespect: Despite being the current Heavyweight champion and undefeated, Dixon doesn't got any respect from the crowd. He does get it after his fight with Balboa. There's a bit of TruthInTelevision here. There have been many fighters who didn't get the respect they deserve because the guys around are nowhere near their level. Therefore, it creates the illusion that a dominant champion is fighting nothing but bums. In contrast, UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli received platitudes not just because of his tremendous skills, but because of the high level of the other heavyweights around, nearly all of whom Ali fought and beat.

* RealityEnsues: Rocky is a former fighter who keeps himself in quite good shape for a man his age, and he goes through a formidable TrainingMontage to get ready to face Dixon.... and Dixon beats the crap out of him and makes Rocky look like someone who's stepping into a boxing ring for the first time because Dixon is just so much faster and so much younger, while age and injuries have slowed Rocky and taken away the things that made him a great fighter. Only after Dixon injures himself by badly breaking his hand does the fight actually become a real contest.

-->'''Duke''': Let's start building some hurtin' bombs!

-->'''Paulie''': (sobbing) Why didn't I die instead of my sister? I miss my sister, Rocky, I miss her! She never hurt nobody, Rocky!
-->'''Rocky''': I know.

* WorthyOpponent: Mason Dixon,the current champ, is suffering from this; he's so talented at boxing that he made rising to the championship look easy, and his popularity is suffering because the public won't believe he's not being handfed easy fights when he steamrolls everybody dumb enough to climb into a ring with him. Rocky is a true challenge for him, which he relishes.

* BackForTheFinale: Paulie, Duke, Robert (Rocky Jr.), and even lil' Marie and Spider Rico all reunite with Rocky. If it weren't for certain complications, Clubber Lang and Ivan Drago would have reappeared as well. Carl Weathers [[spoiler: wanted to appear as Creed himself, but [[KilledOffForReal for obvious reasons]], Stallone denied that.]]

* AscendedFanboy: One of the fight commentators, Max Kellerman of Series/FirstTake fame, mentioned with some glee that he grew up watching Rocky and never expected to be at one of his matches.
* BackForTheFinale: Paulie, Duke, Robert (Rocky Jr.), and even lil' Marie and Spider Rico all reunite with Rocky in ''Rocky Balboa''. If it weren't for certain complications, Clubber Lang and Ivan Drago would have reappeared as well. Carl Weathers [[spoiler: wanted to appear as Creed himself, but [[KilledOffForReal for obvious reasons]], Stallone denied that.]]

* DudeWheresMyRespect: Dixon has this case hard. He is both talented and hard worker. Yet due to lacks of challenges, people are bored.

* AscendedFanboy: One of the fight commentators mentioned with some glee that he grew up watching Rocky and never expected to be at one of his matches.

* CanonDiscontinuity: All previous movies of the franchise are referenced except for ''Film/RockyV''.

* CanonDiscontinuity: All previous movies of the franchise are referenced except for ''Film/RockyV'', due to Stallone's dislike of that film as well as it being the original FranchiseKiller of the series.

* CanonDiscontinuity: All previous movies of the franchise are referenced except for ''Film/RockyV'', due to Stallone's dislike of that film.

* TheLostLenore: Adrian. Even years after her death, Rocky is shown to still be taking the loss very hard.

* StuffedIntoTheFridge: Stallone explains in the behind-the-scenes featurette that [[SuddenSequelDeathSyndrome Adrian is killed off prior to the movie]], because he believed that if Rocky were too content, then there would be little motivation for him to get back in the ring. Adrian’s death provides sufficient grief and rage to motivate his HerosJourney.