The world of combat sports faced the loss of an iconic character earlier today. The movie ‘Rocky’ serves as an inspiration to many not just in the combat sports world but also in daily life. The storyline of overcoming adversity to achieve life-long goals is something a lot of people resonate with. Actor Carl Weathers played a key role in the movie by portraying ‘Apollo Creed’ the arch-nemesis for ‘Rocky’. The likes of Dana White, Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz recently shared their thoughts after the unfortunate passing of Weathers.
It was reported earlier today that 76-year-old Weathers had passed away in his sleep. His family put out a statement confirming the passing of the star. Needless to say, the MMA community rallied to share their thoughts on the passing. Dana White took to his Instagram story to share an image of Weathers with the caption,
“RIP Carl Weathers”
Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz also joined in by sharing reels related to Carl Weathers on their Instagram stories as well. For the uninitiated, Weathers was born on January 14, 1948, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Weathers initially garnered attention by playing for the Oakland Raiders in the NFL. After a brief stint in football, Weathers decided to try his hand at acting in Hollywood.
In 1976, he landed his most famous role as Apollo Creed in the film “Rocky.” This character—a persuasive and captivating boxing champion—became a representation of tenacity and rivalry in popular culture. Weathers won critical acclaim and cemented his career in Hollywood with his dynamic and impressive depiction of Creed.
A closer look at the man who inspired the movie ‘Rocky’
Muhammad Ali secured one of the most iconic wins in boxing with a eighth round knockout win over George Foreman. The fight labelled ‘Rumble In the Jungle’ took place in Kinshasa. Following his win, Ali was scheduled to take on Chuck Wepner. The American fighter was supposed to be nothing more than a stepping stone in an already illustrious career. Wepner was counted out by everyone and not given even the slightest chance of securing a win.
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Wepner, however, more than held his own, knocking down Ali in the ring and relentlessly going after the champion. The result was still up in the air going into the fifteenth and final round, Ali was able to eliminate Wepner and win the title. The movie ‘Rocky’ was inspired by Wepner and his story.
