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Rocky faces the ultimate challenge from a powerful new contender, and must turn to a former rival to help regain his throne as the undisputed fighting champion.

Sylvester Stallone returns to the character which made him famous in this wildly successful sequel. Rocky III starts with the Italian Stallion so famous that his likeness is everywhere, including pinball machines. Fame and complacency soon cause Balboa to lose his title to young thug Clubber Lang ( Mr. T ), who inadvertently causes the death of Rocky's beloved trainer, Mickey (Burgess Meredith), before their first championship bout. After sinking into a depression, Balboa must regain the love and support of his family, as well as the elusive "eye of the tiger," the hungry need to beat the opponent which former foe Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) teaches him during this film's training sequence. In the end, Balboa faces off against Lang for a second time.

Three years and 10 successful title defenses after beating Apollo Creed, with whom he has become great friends, a now wealthy Rocky Balboa is considering retirement. Fame and complacency soon cause Balboa to lose his title to Clubber Lang, who inadvertently causes the death of Rocky's trainer Mickey. Rocky sinks into a depression, and Apollo decides to train Rocky for a rematch against Lang so Rocky can try to win the title back.—Todd Baldridge

In 1980, four years after winning the world heavyweight championship against Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) has had a string of ten successful title defenses. Mickey is in Rocky's corner for all the fights, while Paulie watches from the stands and takes to drinking. James Lang follows Rocky's career. Lang is a fighter himself who continues to train himself hard, waiting for the right opportunity. Lang competes in the lower circuits and has a perfect Knock-Out record.

As Lang improves his ranking, Rocky is busy with his numerous celebrity endorsements. Rocky's manager, Mickey (Burgess Meredith), worriedly eyes a young and powerful James "Clubber" Lang (Mr. T) rapidly rising through the ranks. Lang tells Mickey that he wants Rocky. Lang challenges Rocky for a shot at the title during a TV interview.

Rocky's fame, wealth, endorsements, and celebrity profile have increased, leading him to participate in an exhibition charity event against the world wrestling champion, Thunderlips (Hulk Hogan). Thunderlips is 7 feet tall and weighs 390 pounds. Meanwhile, Rocky weighs in at a measly 202 pounds. Rocky takes it easy for the charity event, but Thunderlips takes it very seriously and proceeds to beat Rocky in the ring. Rocky is shocked and barely manages to draw with him, by removing his gloves and choking Thunderlips with a neck brace.

Paulie Pennino (Burt Young), Rocky's friend and brother-in-law, is jealous of Rocky's success and confronts him that while Rocky took care of Mickey, but he never offered Paulie a job. Paulie complains that when Rocky bought a new house, he invited Mickey to move in with him, but not Paulie. Rocky calls him a lazy bum but does offer him a job as his crew and has Paulie living with him in his house.

Orphaned at an early age, Lang spent most of his childhood on the streets of Chicago's South Side as well as spending time in orphanages and juvenile facilities. As an adult, Clubber was sent to prison for five years for one count of a felony and/or assault charge. While serving his sentence, he discovered his talent as a boxer. Boxing was a way for him to let out his frustration. Lang is another Southpaw.

While unveiling a statue of himself at the stairway by the Philadelphia Museum of Art just prior to announcing his retirement, Rocky is publicly challenged by Lang, now the number one contender. Lang accuses Rocky of intentionally accepting challenges from lesser opponents, and goads Rocky into accepting his challenge for a championship fight.

Mickey initially wants no part of it. Pressed by Rocky, Mickey confesses that he handpicked the opponents for Rocky's title defenses in order to spare him from another beating of the kind that Creed gave him in their rematch. He explains that Lang is young and powerful, and most of all he's "hungry", and that Rocky won't last three rounds because he hasn't been hungry ever since he won the title and became "civilized".

Rocky, now knowing that he never really defended his title against the best opponents, convinces Mickey to work with him for one last fight. Despite his promise to Mickey to 'live in the gym', Rocky trains in a Las Vegas-style environment that is filled with distractions such as merchandise sales, women kissing him during the session, photo opportunities and the works. This time it is Rocky who does not take his training seriously. In contrast, Lang trains with ruthless determination and vigor.

Lang and Rocky meet at Philadelphia's Spectrum on August 15, 1981. Mickey tells Rocky that Lang has never been 15 rounds with anyone yet and advises not to go toe-to-toe with him. Pandemonium erupts backstage, as Mickey is violently shoved by Lang, causing Mickey to suffer a heart attack due to an underlying heart condition, evidenced during Rocky's charity fight with pro wrestler Thunderlips. Distraught, Rocky wants to call the match off, but Mickey urges him on while he receives medical care in the dressing room. Rocky's lack of preparation is worsened by his concern for Mickey, preventing him from fully concentrating on the fight.

The match begins with Rocky (201 pounds) pounding Lang (230 pounds) with several huge blows looking for an early knockout, but he cannot put Lang down due to his own lack of conditioning. Lang quickly recovers and takes charge, dominating Rocky and knocking him out with a hay-maker left hook in the second round, winning the world heavyweight championship. After the match, Rocky tells a dying Mickey that the match ended in a second-round knockout without saying who the victor was. Mickey expires right after he says, "I love you, kid". Rocky, lapsing into severe depression, mourns over Mickey's death.

Stopping by Mickey's closed gym, the forlorn Rocky encounters his former rival, Apollo Creed, who witnessed the match as a guest analyst. Creed offers to help train Rocky for a rematch against Lang in exchange for a future favor which Rocky accepts. Creed says there is fight left in the old horses and they are not ready to retire just yet. Plus, he can make a ton of money by promoting the fight.

Apollo then takes Rocky to the gym where he once trained, Tough Gym (A gym for African American boxers) in Los Angeles. Paulie is very skeptical as the place has no class, plus he is afraid that he will be shot down by some African American street thug. Apollo is infuriated with Rocky's lack of effort, which comes from being demoralized by a combination of Mickey's loss and nightmares of Clubber's knockout.

However, Rocky regains his focus after Adrian (Talia Shire) helps him come to terms with Mickey's death. Rocky admits that he is scared for the first time in his life, and Adrian says that's OK. Apollo and his manager, Tony "Duke" Evers (Tony Burton) infuse Rocky's undisciplined brawling style with more of Apollo's trademark footwork, skill and speed rebuilding him into a more complete fighter. During the training process, Apollo and Rocky become close friends.

After months of training, the rematch takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Apollo lends Rocky (191 pounds) the American flag trunks that he wore during their first match. At the outset of the match, Rocky sprints from his corner, battering Lang (237 pounds) with a level of skill and spirit that no one ever expected.

Rocky completely dominates the first round, leaving Lang enraged and bewildered after the bell. Lang gains the upper hand in the second round, and Rocky adopts an entirely different strategy that bewilders Apollo by intentionally taking a beating from Lang, even getting knocked down twice, all the while taunting Lang that he cannot knock him out.

By the third round, Lang, who is used to winning matches swiftly with knockouts in the early rounds, becomes increasingly furious over Rocky's taunts. He quickly exhausts his energy trying to finish Rocky off with repeated knockout blows, which Rocky blocks or dodges. With Lang rattled and vulnerable, Rocky out-boxes Lang with a flurry of punches, culminating in a brutal knockout to reclaim the heavyweight championship.

Afterwards, Rocky fulfills Apollo's favor - a second rematch with him, but this time in the spirit of friendly competition, taking place at Mighty Mick's Gym with no audience. The film concludes without showing the result but freezes into an oil painting of two boxers simultaneously throwing the first punch, showing two equally skilled athletes.