Despite its focus being on a fictional, Cold War-themed contest, Rocky IV was inspired by a real-life boxing match between an American and a German Boxer held almost 50 years before its release in 1985. The Rocky sequel was made when the Cold War was in its 40th year, and it wouldn’t end for another six. Directed and starring Sylvester Stallone, the film depicts the tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union at the time through its characters Rocky Balboa and Ivan Drago.
Apollo Creed’s heartbreaking death in Rocky IV during his match with Ivan Drago displayed just how severe tensions were between the two countries, as Rocky Balba then had to avenge his fallen friend and defeat the Soviet soldier known as the “Siberian Express.” While Rocky IV continued Stallone’s fictional franchise, there was also some truth behind the film. The sequel’s plot was actually based on two boxing matches that took place in real life nearly a decade before the Cold War began.
Rocky IV Was Inspired By Joe Louis Vs. Max Schmelling
In 1936, American boxer Joe Louis went up against German boxer Max Schmeling at Yankees Stadium in New York City. The undefeated Louis was looked at as a symbol of the liberated Black man because of his success in the sport. Unfortunately, Louis lost his first match against Schmeling, a former heavyweight champion whose career at the time was thought to be in decline. Schmeling proved Louis and boxing fans wrong by winning the match. Apollo Creed’s defeat in Rocky IV parallels this loss, though unlike Apollo, Louis wasn’t killed and instead challenged Schemeling to a rematch in 1938.
Rocky IV seems mostly inspired by the second fight, as this was when tensions between the U.S. and Germany began to rise. By the spring of 1938, Germany had taken over Austria, and the media on both sides propagandized the clash of America and the Nazis in the ring, even though Schmeling made it clear he was not on Adolf Hitler’s side by denying Hitler’s “Dagger of Honor” award. The boxers returned to Yankees Stadium for their second fight, and this time, Louis came out victorious.
In Rocky IV, it was Rocky Balboa who defeated Ivan Drago in the ring in the second match, as Apollo had died during the first East vs. West showdown. Louis’s victory in the second match seems to have been the inspiration behind Rocky’s victory. In both cases, it was a return to glory for America in their hero’s defeat of the representative of an adversarial foreign power.
A 2002 Movie Depicts The True Story Behind Rocky IV
While Rocky IV may be the more popular movie inspired by the Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling fights, it isn’t the only one. In 2002, Hoop Dreams director Steve James released Joe and Max on the cable network Starz! The biographical drama depicts the factual story of the bouts between Louis and Schmeling instead of the fictional story that Sylvester Stallone delivered in Rocky IV. Joe and Max even showed that despite their fights and the tensions between the U.S. and Germany, the boxers eventually became friends and remained close until Louis’s death in 1981. The true story certainly played out differently than the plot of Rocky IV.
