Sylvester Stallone stars as Rocky Balboa in the third instalment of the popular boxing franchise. As world champion, and having achieved ten wins in three years, Rocky has become over-confident and allowed complacency to set in, resulting in a humiliating defeat by Clubber Lang (Mr T). Meanwhile, Rocky is devastated when his trusted trainer Mickey (Burgess Meredith) dies. Determined to reclaim his reputation, Rocky unexpectedly turns to his old adversary Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) for help.