Headscratchers / Creed III

• Given that the opening flashback takes place in 2002 and Adonis unifying the championship is said to have happened 15 years later, that would be 2017 and the main events of the movie are set three years after, which would be 2020. So what does that mean for the chronology of the first two Creed movies, since they couldn't take place in the years they were released because it would conflict with what's established in this film?
  • Creed II previously stated that Rocky and Ivan Drago were standing in the same ring for "the first time in thirty years". Assuming Rocky IV took place in the year of its release, 1985, that would place Creed II's events in 2015, two years before Adonis' rematch with Conlan.
  • Alternatively, the events of Creed II might have taken place earlier in 2017, with the second Conlan fight occurring later on in the year/sometime after.

• Where is the media in all this? The original Rocky movies emphasize that pro boxing is, above all a carnival that's all about the money with energetic press conferences and by having the characters consider their choices in light of how it will play in the press and to the public (this is how Rocky gets his first title shot, Apollo is looking for a great white hope Foil to sell). The closest we get to media activity in this film is a one-on-one interview with Stephen A Smith, who isn't even yelling. How was the media not all over Adonis and Dame's shared backstory from the moment the latter came to public attention? For that matter how can it be a surprise to Adonis's wife that he lived in a group home? There must have been media articles on his life.
  • In both cases, the media would have no reason to know about either Donnie's history with Dame or the fact he lived in a group home. Not only was he under a different surname at the time (Johnson), it's clearly a part of his life he never wanted to talk about so he never brought it to life. Most cover stories of famous people's lives are done with either their involvement or someone close to them. While it was common knowledge Donnie was Apollo's illegitimate son, he was already living with Mary Anne so there was no reason for anyone to assume he had lived in a group home or been in a detention center. And it wouldn't have done Dame any favors to disclose exactly why he of all people got an undeserved title shot due to a pre-existing relationship with the promoter. Stephen A. Smith did mention how Dame had been talking nonstop about their history and badmouthing Donnie so some of it did ultimately come to light; we just didn't see it.