Rocky Balboa, the reigning heavyweight champion, faces a powerful new contender, Clubber Lang, and must enlist the help of his former rival, Apollo Creed, to regain his fighting spirit and reclaim his title.

Rocky struggles in family life after his bout with Apollo Creed, while the embarrassed champ insistently goads him to accept a challenge for a rematch. Despite their mutual agreement not to seek a rematch, Apollo challenges Rocky again, but Rocky declines and retires from professional boxing. His girlfriend, Adrian, supports his choice, as do his doctors who reveal that he will require surgery for a detached retina. Meanwhile, Apollo becomes obsessed with the idea of a rematch to prove that Rocky's performance was a fluke. Rocky eventually agrees to the rematch, despite Adrian's disapproval. With the support of his trainer Mickey, Rocky begins training and gets into shape for the fight. On the night of the match, Apollo aims to beat Rocky in no more than two rounds to prove that the first match was a fluke. Rocky, fighting right-handed to protect his eye, is knocked down twice in the first two rounds but manages to stay in the fight. Going into the final round, Apollo is well ahead on points and only needs to stay away from Rocky to win the fight. However, he ignores his trainer's pleas and attempts to beat Rocky by knockout. In the final round, Rocky switches back to his natural stance and unleashes a series of counter punches on Apollo, turning the tide of the fight. Both men knock each other down, but Rocky is able to get up at the count of 9 while Apollo collapses from exhaustion. Rocky wins the fight by knockout, becoming the new heavyweight champion.

Rocky Balboa, the world heavyweight boxing champion, faces a new challenger, Ivan Drago, who is supported by the Soviet Union. Despite reservations, Rocky agrees to train Apollo Creed for an exhibition match against Drago, but the bout ends tragically with Apollo's death. Frustrated by the Soviets' indifference, Rocky decides to challenge Drago himself and travels to the Soviet Union for a brutal 15-round fight. Through intense training and the support of his wife Adrian, Rocky faces off against Drago in a hostile environment and emerges victorious, earning respect and admiration from the crowd.

Thirty years after retiring, Rocky Balboa dons his gloves for his final fight against the reigning heavyweight champ. He meets Marie, a bartender, who becomes a role model for her troubled son. Despite his son's resentment, Rocky is determined to prove himself once more. With the help of his former trainer and his son, Rocky trains hard to develop powerful punches. The fight starts off slow, but Rocky begins to do damage in the second round. After a brutal 10-round battle, Rocky lands the final punch but loses in a split decision. The movie ends with a montage of people inspired by Rocky's journey.

Rocky Balboa, a small-time Philadelphia boxer, gets the rare opportunity to fight the world heavyweight champion and becomes determined to go the distance to prove himself and regain his self-respect. Along the way, Rocky develops a relationship with Adrian, overcomes personal obstacles, and faces Apollo Creed in an epic boxing match that pushes both fighters to their limits.

Reluctantly retired from fighting, Rocky takes charge of Mickey's gym and agrees to train a young protégé who's hungry for success.