IVAN DRAGO

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'Ivan Drago' (; portrayed by Dolph Lundgren) is a fictional character in the movie ''Rocky IV''.
Drago is characterized as an extremely tall and powerful amateur boxing champion from the Soviet Union, as well as a former Olympic gold medalist. He is billed as weighing 261 pounds (118 kg, over 18 ½ stone). Drago's reputation is literally that of a superhuman; He wields a punch of 1,850 psi, which makes him the hardest puncher in heavyweight history, and is shown to be receiving an injection of anabolic steroids during the movie. He is merciless, speaks little, and is a fearsome opponent. Drago is carefully fitted and trained to be a true killing machine, with his heart rate and bodily strength being measured via computers during his workout. This futuristic and highly-artificial form of training is shown to contrast with Rocky's rugged, old-fashioned style of lifting wood in the bitter cold mountains.
Drago's trainers are convinced that he can beat any boxer. Former champion Apollo Creed, now 42 years old, comes out of retirement to challenge Drago to an exhibition match, promoted by Rocky Balboa. Creed arrives in the ring wearing his signature "colors", his stars and stripes boxing shorts. Before the match begins, Drago ominously mutters, "You will lose." In this fight, Drago (22 years old) overpowers Creed to such an extent that he kills him after landing a barrage of punches in the second round. To avenge Creed's death, Balboa travels to the Soviet Union to fight Drago on his home turf in Moscow. Rocky wears Apollo's colors to honor him during the fight.
Unlike Balboa's self-promoting nemesis from the previous movie, Clubber Lang, Drago is a man of few words. His wife always speaks for him during interviews. He is portrayed as very cold-hearted when he comments on Apollo Creed's death: "If he dies, he dies". Drago also is remembered for saying "I must break you" to Rocky Balboa immediately before their match begins. Drago seems to be fighting for his country, this also be why he fought without any mercy, but near the end of his fight with Rocky, his promoter--a Soviet official--insults him, prompting Drago to throw him off the ring and proclaim that he fights for himself. In the end he loses against Balboa, his only defeat.

Contents

Trivia

External links

Trivia

★ Drago appeared in the Flash game "Ivan Drago: Justice Enforcer" which was made in tribute to the Rocky films. In the game, you play as Ivan Drago (as well as other ulockable characters) and fight crime in the streets and eventually you fight Apollo Creed and Rocky Balboa. Most of Ivan's infamous quotes from the Rocky IV movie are in the game as well.

★ In the "Brian Goes Back to College" episode of ''Family Guy'', Brian is training in the arctic weather and shouts out "Drago!". This is a reference to ''Rocky IV'' when Rocky climbs a mountain and shouts out Drago's name. It also includes the song "Hearts on Fire" in the background, one of the songs from ''Rocky IV''.

★ At the beginning of the fight in Moscow, the announcer uses the Russian pronunciation of Drago's name: in IPA, .

★ The Ivan Drago versus Apollo Creed match was an exhibition thus does not count toward either fighters professional record.

External links

★ Ivan Drago on the Rocky Wikia
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