Boxer Rocky Balboa enjoys the wealth he has as world-champion. He only fights against easy opponents. Then he is challenged by the arrogant Clubber Lang. Rocky accepts the challenge to proove once more that there is only one world-champion. But Lang wins and becomes the new champion. Nobody believes in Rocky anymore, except one man: former world-champion Appolo Creed. And Creed tries to the stimulate his fighting spirit and get Rocky back in top-form.