a wedge of uniformed guards knife down the aisle to the ring. many people wish rocky well as he passes.  people also hurl insults. from the expression on mickey's face it is also the greatest night of his life. in the audience are familiar faces from the gym. from the back of the arena a roar goes up.  apollo creed is in a mock boat dressed like george washington. he throws silver dollars. the noise builds to deafening proportions. creed's trainer holds the rope and creed bounds into the ring. he tears off the washington outfit and it is clearly seen that apollo creed is garbed in an outrageous uncle sam outfit.  on his head is a red, white and blue sequined top hat. the robe is sequined red, white and blue. his boxing trunks are red, white and blue silk with stars around the waistband. the boxing shoes match the trunks. on his chin is a pointed white uncle sam beard.
the announcer steps to the center of the ring.  several men in suits stand against the ropes.  paulie is dressed nicely and sits at ringside with a pretty blonde escort. rocky waves at him. paulie waves back and secretly gestures at his date.  rocky smiles and gestures back.
the announcer points and the timekeeper rings the bell.
the commentators beckon to frazier as he exits the ring.
the referee motions to both fighters.  they step to the center of the ring. as the referee explains the rules apollo and rocky stare hard into each other's eyes.  the referee's voice fades and the fighters' expressions fill the screen.  something soulful and frightening is being communicated.
the bell rings.  creed dances forward and boxes rocky as though he considers the man an amateur.
rocky suddenly explodes with an upswing hook to the jaw. creed is dropped. the arena explodes. creed's eyes show disbelief. so do rocky's.
the bell for the second round rings.  rocky rushes out fast and furious. apollo melts out a left hook that raises a goose egg over rocky's eye.  apollo employs footwork that dazzles rocky. he has class. he studies rocky and employs his lightning jab with cutting accuracy. still rocky shuffles ahead, bombarding creed's midsection with hooks.
the round ends with apollo assaulting rocky with blinding combinations and delivering a stupendous right cross that flings rocky into the ropes and shatters his nose.  the round ends.
apollo stands in his corner and jokes with the fans, but he is beginning to show the strain from the body punches.
rocky sits as mickey and benny try to reduce the swelling around his eyes.  the nose is shattered.
the commentators are caught up in the action. they speak rapidly into their microphones.
round three.  apollo comes out dancing. he skips and side- steps rocky's sledgehammer hooks. an expert ring general, apollo uses the ring fully. rocky keeps tearing in and creed meets the bombing attack that cause thick swelling.  near the end of the round rocky fires a penetrating punch to the heart.
the bell sounds. apollo's corner works frantically to close the wound.  the ring doctor inspects the cut.
rocky's face is in very bad shape, not cut, but wretchedly swollen around the eyes.
the commentators shift in their seats.
apollo's corner is in turmoil.  the champion is definitely hurt.
in rocky's corner, things are frantic. his eyes are swollen shut.
at the rear of the arena adrian looks transfixed at the ring. she is caught up in the heat of the battle.
the bell rings for round fourteen. rocky bores in close, but apollo still has spring in his legs. he seems determined to end it this round.  apollo catches rocky flush on the jaw. rocky is staggered. like a wolf, apollo cuts loose with pure savagery. rocky is driven against the ropes and receives a devastating beating from the champion.  rocky is dropped.
the bell rings. apollo's men rush out and guide him to his corner.
rocky no longer resembles himself.  his face has completely been beaten to jelly, but his mood is buoyant.
the bell rings.  apollo moves cautiously out of his corner and circles to rocky's right.
the commentators stare unansweringly at the fighters.
apollo feints and rocky falls for it. the champion unleashes a lethal blow to the side of the head that jolts rocky's mouthpiece into the second row.  rocky sags against the ropes in a crucified position.  the insane crowd leaps to their feet.
rocky's bloody teeth snarl at apollo and he waves him to come ahead and fight toe to toe.  apollo obliges with a weary but effective burst of rights and lefts that have k.o. written on every punch. rocky counters the assault blow for blow.
the bell rings.  the arena explodes with thunderous approval.
the announcer enters the ring with a microphone.
apollo did not expect this and tenses. his corner nervously tries to reassure him. it does no good.
rocky did not expect this either and looks in confusion at mickey, but mickey is frozen with anticipation.
apollo is rigid. fear radiates from his eyes. to lose the crown on this night after the fight he fought would kill him.  a silence has blanketed the arena.
rocky sorely smiles and looks at the waves of cheering fans that circle the ring and reach out towards him.  mickey grabs rocky's hand and raises it. the crowd roars.
apollo climbs out of the ring and the fans crush forward screaming his name and waving red, white and blue banners.
rocky also climbs out of the ring and waves of frantic well- wishing fans rumble forward.  mickey's eyes show mounting apprehension as the fans become abnormally active.
they shove the police aside and clutch wildly at creed. creed's army of bodyguards swing angrily at the crowd but they are soon engulfed by screaming waves of humanity. apollo is suddenly hoisted into the air and is being carried along by a legion of fans.
on the opposite aisle rocky is experiencing the same overwhelming adulation by his fans but does not seem to be frightened by it, like apollo. mickey tries his best to control things but his voice is drowned out in the growing clamor. the fans shove the guards aside and hoist rocky to their shoulders.
rocky's and apollo's fans are aggressively competing against each other.  chanting, 'creed, creed, creed.'
paulie tries to get to rocky but is shoved aside and he starts swinging.
both rocky and apollo are completely at the mercy of the crowd. they are being passed overhead and remain helpless as their bodies float up the aisle on the sea of hands.  the chanting is deafening.
fearful that rocky is in danger, adrian tries to move forward. running headlong into the crowd, she angles through the mass to get to rocky.
she is manhandled and shoved in a multitude of directions, but she keeps her feet.  she sees him. in the distance, rocky floats into view and adrian flattens against the wall and waits for the procession to pass.