Rocky Balboa has been champion for three years. He has defeated 10 challengers and has become a little complacent. Not the right time for the next "comer" to appear -- a vicious, very dangerous boxer named Clubber Lang. Rocky's manager Mickey takes a look at this behemoth and advises Rocky to hang it up. Rocky realizes that he must find a new fighting style and turns to the ex-champ Apollo Creed for help. Creed transforms Rocky from a power boxer into a fleet footed master of the ring.