A heartbreaking dropped the relative realism of the original films, opting instead to have its titular character face off in a Cold War grudge match for the ages. Ivan Drago proved to be one of Rocky's toughest opponents, and their fight was made all the more dramatic by its literal life-or-death stakes.
The early scenes of Rocky IV famously saw the death of Apollo Creed at the hands of Ivan Drago as the two boxers faced off in an exhibition bout. Despite Apollo Creed's staggering amount of self-confidence, the young Soviet boxer was able to easily beat him, using his powerful punches to not just prove himself the superior fighter, but to end Apollo's life in one of the franchise's most tragic moments. Apollo Creed's death prompted Rocky to travel to Russia to fight Drago himself in what proved to be one of the Italian Stallion's defining moments.
However, a fan theory posted to Reddit suggests that not only did Creed know he was going to die, but he actively chose his death at Drago's hands. The theory posits that Creed was too proud to it that he had become too old to compete at the world level, and underestimated Drago until his death was already at hand. Already in the ring and faced with the colossal powerhouse of Ivan Drago, Creed opted to fight until the very end rather than face the sad reality of his situation.
The theory is based mostly upon Creed's own pride - something which is clearly established in the Rocky franchise. Apollo Creed is the Rocky franchise's best fighter, considering his reputation and his broad skill set, although, after his defeat in Rocky II, he retires from boxing. Rocky III then sees him train Rocky to beat Clubber Lang, although the film's ending establishes that he finds it impossible to let go of his pride in his boxing ability. Rocky IV sees Apollo's pride get the better of him, as he steps in against an amateur sensation in the hopes of proving he can still fight. It's not until he's in the ring with Drago that Apollo seems to understand his mistake, but by then, it's too late.
Faced with either publicly itting defeat (and, by extension, his own apparent weakness) or allowing Drago to kill him, Apollo Creed opts for the latter, keeping his pride intact but losing his life. The theory is a tragic interpretation of Apollo's emotional state throughout the Rocky franchise, and that makes it thoroughly compelling. After all, many real-life fighters continue to box well past the point where they should have retired - as boxing is a sport so tied to the athlete's personal psychology, itting defeat even to time itself is practically unthinkable to some.
However, the Rocky IV theory that paints Apollo as one of these fighters has a clear basis within the Rocky franchise. Creed is a distinctly proud man and is also shown to be particularly concerned with his public image, and that only makes this tragic theory about Rocky's Apollo Creed all the more heartbreaking. Though it's practically impossible to either confirm or disprove, the theory that Apollo Creed knew Drago was going to kill him in Rocky IV is backed up by an airtight argument about the fictional boxer's characterization.
