Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Creed 3!There are plenty of fights and punches thrown in the latest Creed movie, and here is every Creed 3 fight ranked worst to best. The Rocky franchise has always included a few memorable fights in each installment. Audiences have watched as the Creed movies have elevated the cinematic quality of the fights in various ways. Ryan Coogler delivered a memorable one-take fight scene in the first Creed movie, and now that star Michael B. Jordan has stepped behind the camera for Creed 3, the fights have continued to evolve.
Even though the main story of Creed 3 follows Jonathan Majors’ Damian Anderson as he rises from obscurity to the top of the boxing landscape while Adonis Creed is retired, the sequel does not hold back in terms of the number of fights included or how hard-hitting they are. Michael B. Jordan cited anime influences in how he wanted to bring Creed 3‘s fights to the screen. The end result is a series of action sequences that stand apart from every other boxing match in the Rocky franchise. Thanks to the dueling nature of Adonis and Damian’s stories, there are several memorable brawls. Here’s every Creed 3 fight ranked.
9 Amara Creed Fights School Bully
The worst Creed 3 fight is barely a fight at all, as Amara Creed gets into an altercation with a bully at her school. It happens after the bully takes her drawing and rips it in half, which makes Amara so mad she gets up and punches the classmate in the face. This is the only part shown from the fight, but Adonis’ daughter does not have a scratch on her afterward, indicating that the bully did not retaliate. Since so little of the actual exchange is shown, there is not much reason to put this fight any higher, even if it is a way for the franchise to show how similar she is to her father.
8 Young Adonis Fights His Former Group Home Dad, Leon
Another short entry on the list of Creed 3‘s best fights comes through the flashback to young Adonis Creed fighting Leon, his former group home dad. The encounter comes years after Adonis had last seen Leon, and he can’t help his anger get the best of him when he sees the man who used to beat him when Adonis was much younger. The Creed 3 fight is fairly surprising as Adonis lands a flurry of punches that drops Leon to the ground, but it also is short-lived. Despite how important the fight is to Adonis’ life, it is not exactly the most exciting one featured in the movie.
7 Damian Fights Adonis On The Beach
Damian “fighting” Adonis on the beach after he wins the world heavyweight championship barely counts as a Creed 3 fight at all in a physical sense. There is only one punch thrown, as Damian delivers a big right cross to Adonis’ face. What this exchange might lack physically, it makes up for by it being the scene where the facade of Jonathan Majors’ villain finally comes down. It is a turning point for the movie and more of a verbal fight than a physical one, but since there is one powerful punch still included from Damian, it takes a spot in this Creed 3 fight ranking list.
6 Damian Fights Felix Chavez While Training
The precursor to their bigger exchange, seeing Damian and Felix Chavez fight during a sparring session still proved to be quite exciting. Damian becomes frustrated by being the current champ’s human punching bag while training for a title defense. Ultimately, Jonathan Majors’ Creed 3 villain decides to fight back and show Chavez a bit of what he is made of. This Creed 3 fight is a glimpse of the power that Damian still has after all these years, but it also provides a tease of the cheaper shots he’s willing to take in hopes of injuring his opponents.
5 Adonis Fights Viktor Drago While Training
Creed 2 villain Viktor Drago returns in the sequel and is part of a memorable sequence where he fights Adonis during a training session. This Creed 3 fight is fun as it gives the characters a chance for an unofficial rematch, which begins with Viktor once again looking like an overpowering opponent for Adonis. Michael B. Jordan’s character appears to lack the necessary strength early on, but the fight proves to be important as it helps Adonis rediscover his resistance as a fighter. It’s only after this point that Adonis begins to show signs of his old self as a fighter, delivering some big shots, much to Viktor’s surprise.
4 Ricky Conlan vs Adonis Creed 2
The first big Creed 3 fight comes early on when Ricky Conlan and Adonis Creed’s rematch is shown. The movie drops viewers into the fight as it appears Conlan has the upper hand against Creed, but Michael B. Jordan’s directorial style then begins to settle in to show how Creed 3‘s fights will be different. This match is where the first of many slow-motion and close-up shots creep into the fights, as the movie shows Adonis analyzing Conlan’s moves and potential weaknesses. The combination of punches Adonis delivers to win the fight with a knockout is really impressive and establishes a unique feel for future fights to build on.
3 Damian Fights In Regional Golden Gloves Tournament
Creed 3‘s fights begin with a flashback to a teenage Damian Anderson as he fights in a regional Golden Gloves tournament. While this is a rather short fight compared to some others featured in the movie, it is the first glimpse of how powerful Jonathan Majors’ villain is. The knockout punch he delivers is massive and makes it clear that his dreams of being a champion are not that unbelievable. It is very effective at establishing just how skilled of a boxer he was before he spent nearly two decades in prison.
2 Damian Fights Felix Chavez For Heavyweight Championship
The heavyweight championship between Damian and Felix Chavez is certainly one of the best Creed 3 fights. Even before the actual boxing begins, the presentation helps add to the epic feeling. Felix gets an incredible walk-in introduction featuring smoke bombs, connections to his Mexican roots, and a great song choice that really hypes him up as the current champion. Damian’s intro is very different, as he is mostly alone and walks in without much of the fanfare. It helps set up the contrast that exists between the two fighters before the Creed 3 fight even starts.
The brute strength of Jonathan Majors’ Creed 3 villain is on full display as he routinely goes for sheer power with his attacks, while Felix showcases some of the combinations that helped make him the current champion. Felix has plenty of power of his own, as he gets a huge hit on Dame that knocks out one of his teeth. But, Dame’s dirty tactics also come into play here with a few illegal moves, including the huge hit with his elbow. The chess match between them ultimately swings in Damian’s favor as he repeatedly hits Felix’s arm and lands a vicious knock-out blow to take home the belt.
1 Adonis & Damian Fight For Heavyweight Championship
The undisputed best Creed 3 fight is the heavyweight championship match between Adonis and Damian. This is the most emotional fight of the film as the former friends finally meet up and bring years of pain into every punch that is thrown. What makes Creed 3‘s ending fight really special, though, is how Michael B. Jordan showcases the event. It is the most unique fight ever featured in a Rocky movie, as it evolves to take place in what can only be described as a different plane of existence. This allows Creed 3 to change the setting of the fight and strips away much of the actual fight’s theatrics.
Adonis and Damian’s Creed 3 fight is the culmination of everything that the movie has done to this point. It features massive hits from both sides; Damian knocks the wind out of Adonis with a huge punch to the gut, while Adonis knocks out Damian with a brilliant combo. With a few glimpses of Adonis’ past triumphs, it also works as a fight that shows the full journey that Michael B. Jordan’s character has been on. Mix in the unique camera work and psychological component of the fight, and Creed 3 leaves audiences with its most impressive work.
