Muhammad Ali and Rocky Balboa never shared a real ring. But their connection runs deep — in story, spirit, and legacy.
When Muhammad Ali passed away on June 3, 2016, the loss hit hard. Ali wasn’t just a boxing icon. He was a cultural force who reshaped everything around him — including the Rocky franchise. Without Ali, there’s no Apollo Creed. And without Apollo, Rocky would never be the same.
“Fantastic man who I came to know well.… He was the real Apollo Creed!”
— Sylvester Stallone, June 4, 2016
A Real Fight Sparks a Fictional Legend
March 24, 1975. Ali vs. Chuck Wepner. The underdog knocked the champ down. That moment triggered a story in Sylvester Stallone’s head.
“That night I went home and I had the beginning of my character,” Stallone wrote in The Official Rocky Scrapbook.
“I had him now. I was going to make a creation called Rocky Balboa…”
From there, Stallone shaped a man “from the streets” — a brawler with raw heart. But Rocky needed an opponent with polish and presence.
Enter Apollo Creed.
In Stallone’s original script:
“The Heavyweight Champion of the World, Apollo Creed. He is twenty-eight years old. He is tall, smooth-muscled. Black with barely a scar on his light coffee-colored face.”
Everything about Apollo — from the style to the swagger — echoed Ali.
Actor Carl Weathers didn’t just act. He trained like a fighter. And he studied Ali’s every move.
“Weathers told me he got the dancing and the jabbing, the whole style of Apollo Creed, from watching my movies,” Ali told film critic Roger Ebert.
That interview is essential reading for anyone searching what did Muhammad Ali think of Rocky.
Watching Rocky II, Ali laughed:
“That’s me, all right. Apollo sounds like me… Rocky doesn’t act nothing like me. Apollo Creed, the way he dances, the way he jabs, the way he talks… That’s me.”
Rocky Meets Muhammad Ali — For Real
In 1977, Rocky won Best Picture at the Oscars. During the live show, Muhammad Ali surprised Stallone onstage. He crept up behind him and cracked a joke:
“You stole my script! All that was me! I’m the Apollo Creed!”
They sparred for the crowd. It became one of the most iconic moments in Oscar history. And for Rocky fans, it’s the night Rocky met Muhammad Ali — for real.
Later that night, Ali slipped something into Stallone’s pocket. A handwritten poem.
Stallone shared it publicly 25 years later:
“You fought and you worked,
You’re a determined guy.
Rocky is great,
And I love you, Sly.
If you don’t get an Oscar,
Remember please do –
The Greatest will ALWAYS get one
Because I’m prettier than you.”
You can read the full story and watch the clip in our piece on Ali’s poem to Stallone.
Ali’s Echoes: Frazier, Marciano, and Creed
The Rocky series pulled inspiration from more than one real-life fighter. Joe Frazier gave Rocky his grit. The Philly roots. The no-nonsense body punches.
And Rocky Marciano? He “fought” Ali in 1969 in The Super Fight — a simulated match using pre-recorded moves and computer logic. In one ending, Marciano beats Ali. In another, Ali wins. That fantasy bout set a precedent for the fictional blend of reality in Rocky.
From Apollo Creed to Adonis
Years later, a young Rocky fan from Oakland grew up idolizing Apollo. His name was Ryan Coogler. And his film? Creed.
Coogler shifted the spotlight from Rocky to the son of Apollo Creed. A character born from Ali’s image — and reimagined for a new era.
“One time in Beverly Hills, I was sitting outside a restaurant and Ali was coming down the street… Ali goes ‘Apollo Creed!’”
— Carl Weathers, 2015 interview with The Hollywood Reporter
“Last time I saw him was in New York… it was just so bizarre but such fun. He is a great man.”
— Carl Weathers
Tributes From the Rocky Family
When the Champ died, the Rocky cast spoke out.
“Thank you CHAMP. Thank you.” — @MrT
“His name will live FOREVER.” — @TonyBellew
“He was bigger than life.” — @AntonioTarver
“He was a great champion who never dodged any fighter.” — @Stallone
Final Bell
Want to understand Muhammad Ali vs Rocky Balboa as more than a fantasy match? Look at what Ali gave this franchise — a voice, a presence, and a soul.
He inspired Apollo Creed. He shaped Rocky’s world. And he left behind a poem, a punchline, and a legacy that still echoes in the ring.
