Will Ivan Drago actually fight Rocky Balboa or Creed in Creed 2?

Photo by Courtesy of Warner Bros. Picture - © 2015 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc.
Photo by Courtesy of Warner Bros. Picture - © 2015 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc.

After many hints from Sylvester Stallone, it is yet to be fully confirmed if Ivan Drago will be fighting Rocky Balboa or Creed in Creed 2.

The hints started via Instagram by Sylvester Stallone who plays the character of Rocky Balboa in the long running franchise. Stallone posted a picture on the 3rd of July captioning it “Here’s a chance to stretch your imagination … HISTORY WILL ALWAYS REPEAT ITSELF IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER, JUST GOT TO BE READY! … Sins of the Father…. #creed2 # agentnickyc #rockybalboa”

After many further hints like this, it looks like Ivan Drago will surely be back but unknown in which way as of course he will be much older. Could the franchise put another old fighter in the ring? Last time Rocky fought was in Rocky Balboa (2006) as an old retired restaurant owner, losing the match but winning the fans.

In a short paparazzi Q&A, Stallone jokingly said

It wouldn’t be a party without Drago would it? I’m gonna punch him. You know I gotta hit Drago once“.

Now, the more reasonable storyline would be a fight between Adonis Johnson and Ivan Drago’s son. This story seems to be more realistic as Rocky and Ivan Drago would be too old but also because it would become a story of vengeance, as Ivan Drago killed Adonis Johnson’s father Apollo Creed when they first fought in an exhibition match. Of course, originally Rocky did revenge the death of his close friend, but a family war would bring back the tension between the ex-Soviet and the All-American hero.

The question to answer is will the film re-create the political commentary or will it develop on the theme of the American Dream and create some sort of unity between the two nations rather than divide them once again?