Creed 3 and the Rumble in the Jungle

***SPOILER ALERT***

Any collector who was lucky enough to watch Creed 3 in theatres on opening weekend may have spotted an Easter Egg in the early moments of the movie, when a young Adonis Creed gave his friend, Damian Anderson, a Rumble in the Jungle boxing ticket that once belonged to his father. While the legendary fight occurred 28 years prior to this scene, it was a very kind gesture between two young boxers. It was also foreshadowing for the climax of the movie.

In 1974, Muhammad Ali, then 32 years old and still champion of the world, took on George Foreman, a young fighter who was undefeated at 40-0. The fight took place in Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) in front of an estimated 60,000 spectators. After eight rounds of punishing blows delivered by Foreman, Ali pulled off an upset victory with his now iconic “rope-a-dope” tactic—allowing Foreman to exhaust himself before delivering a knockout blow in the eighth round. This fight has been immortalized in popular culture as one of the most iconic boxing matches ever fought; it has even been called “The Greatest Sporting Event Of The 20th Century” by Sports Illustrated. 

Creed 3 sets up a similar storyline - an undefeated Damian Anderson, as the heavy favourite, faces a retired heavyweight champion in Adonis Creed (for context, Ali was the 4-1 underdog in 1974), only to lose in the final round by knockout. The animosity between the two is also reminiscent of the way that Ali and Foreman's relationship was portrayed prior to the fight. 

It may have just been a small treat for boxing fans and collectors alike to see the ticket in the movie, but it also set the stage for a classic Rocky ending! Check out Creed 3 in theatres and look out for the little hat-tip to boxing and ticket collectors!