Rocky II (1979)

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.