May 12, 2026

Creed (2015)

Show Notes

In this week's episode of Born to Watch, the boys step back into the ring for a full Creed 2015 Movie Review, diving deep into the legacy sequel that had the impossible task of continuing one of cinema's most iconic franchises.

The Rocky series is sacred ground for movie lovers, sports fans and anyone who's ever wanted to punch frozen meat in a warehouse while inspirational music blasts in the background. But can Creed escape the shadow of Rocky Balboa and become something more than just another nostalgia cash grab?

Whitey, G-Man and Dan on the Land lace up the gloves to unpack Ryan Coogler's 2015 boxing drama starring Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone and Tessa Thompson. The boys discuss whether Adonis Creed's search for identity mirrors the movie's own struggle to forge a new path while still leaning heavily on the Rocky formula fans know and love.

The crew debates whether Creed should've been a "hit it and quit it" one-off film, with Whitey arguing the sequels may have actually hurt the legacy of the original movie. There's also a breakdown of the emotional parallels between Rocky and Apollo Creed, why sports movies continue to hit men directly in the soul, and whether boxing films are basically mandatory viewing for blokes everywhere.

Dan on the Land brings his own unique "pugilist" expertise to the review after heading straight from boxing training into the recording session. Naturally, this leads to discussions about outlaw dirt bike gangs, whiskey-throttling into barbed wire fences, and whether Michael B. Jordan actually fights like a real boxer or just looks good doing it on camera.

The boys also dive into the film's incredible cinematography, especially the famous one-shot fight scene against Leo Sporino. Dan explains why the boxing choreography in Creed is miles ahead of the original Rocky films, while Whitey questions whether the movie rushes Adonis into world-level fights too quickly without earning it first.

There's a huge conversation about the movie's emotional side, too. Does Creed actually succeed as a character study in the same way the original Rocky did? Was Rocky's cancer storyline genuinely moving or just emotional manipulation? And did the filmmakers wait too long before finally unleashing the iconic Rocky music cues everyone was waiting for?

As always, the episode goes completely off the rails in classic Born to Watch fashion. The boys somehow detour into discussions about awkward TV scenes, The Wire connections, Ryan Gosling in The Big Short, The Hateful Eight, bum jokes, cowboy hats in Cape Town clubs, and why Whitey believes Pretty Ricky Conlan is one of the weakest final opponents in the entire Rocky universe.

There's also a deep dive into Ryan Coogler's career, including Fruitvale Station, Black Panther and Sinners, plus a breakdown of Michael B. Jordan's rise to superstardom. The boys discuss Stallone's Oscar-nominated performance as Rocky Balboa and whether he was robbed of the Academy Award after winning the Golden Globe.

On top of all that, you'll get the usual Born to Watch segments, including Overs and Unders, Hit/Sleeper/Dud, box office breakdowns, Rotten Tomatoes scores, and the famous Critical Thinking segment where the boys tackle the important questions, like whether you can realistically wear a grey tracksuit into a hip hop club.

If you love boxing movies, Rocky nostalgia, hilarious tangents and three Aussie idiots trying to unpack one of the best sports dramas of the modern era, this episode is for you.

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