With his outsized personality and ferocious punches, Apollo Creed cast a commanding shadow over boxing in the 1970s and 80s. Even when "the Italian Stallion" was champion, the heavyweight division belonged to him. Meanwhile, like Ahab patiently waiting to reel in his giant whale, Ivan Drago endured years of steroids and training to take down America's boxing icons. He wields a punch yielding over 2000
psi, whereas the average psi for a boxer is 700psi. He is also an infantry
Captain in the
Soviet Army and as seen on his chest, is a recipient of the
Hero of the Soviet Union award. Drago is carefully fitted and trained to be the consummate fighter. His heart rate and punching power are constantly measured via computers during his workouts. His manager, Nicolai Koloff, takes every opportunity to promote Drago's athleticism as a hallmark of Soviet superiority. Motivated by patriotism and an innate desire to prove himself, Apollo Creed challenges Drago to an exhibition bout. Apollo enters the ring in an over-the-top patriotic entrance with
James Brown performing "
Living in America" complete with showgirls. Apollo's misguided training sessions with James Brown's dance crew proves costly to not only him, but to America. This decision by Brown and Creed lead to the Italian Stallion, Rocky Balboa, to not only seek revenge for a friend. This boxing match would end the Cold War as they knew it.
telling him to stop the damn fight. 
