of conflict rather than the reason for the contest. Reception Commentaries on Drago often characterize him as a hyperbolic representation of Soviet power in the context of the latter part of the Cold War. This symbolism is particularly clear in some lines in the film, including the radio announcer who says, "Ivan Drago is a man with an entire country in his corner." Others have characterized Drago in contrast to Rocky, the prototypically U.S. hero, and that Drago's defeat represents a crumbling of the Soviet regime. Some, however, have noticed Drago's individualism. Toward the conclusion of the fourth film, when Drago is confronted by a Communist Party functionary, the fighter from the collectivist USSR screams at the top of his lungs, "I fight to win FOR ME!! FOR ME!!!" Drago wants to win, but not for the crowd, not for his nation, not for the communist party, not for the Politburo. He wants to win for himself. In 2004, The Washington Times referenced Ivan Drago in a comparison of the Soviet-U.S. Olympic rivalry of the Cold War: "Nationalism makes the Olympics worth watching. Jingoism makes them worth caring about." The Times's Patrick Hruby noted that without an embodiment of the rivalry like Ivan Drago, the Olympics were not as fun. Russia's "goodwill ambassador" Katya Lycheva of the 1980s objected to the character Ivan Drago, claiming that the film uses him "to vilify the Russian people". In popular culture The ABC podcast Finding Drago explores the influence of Ivan Drago on contemporary writers, fan-fiction novelists and comedians. Todd Noy's 1989 novel 'On Mountains We Stand' chronicles Ivan Drago's recovery and rise after his defeat in Moscow. Legacy Drago's physical appearance has been compared to Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland. Their similarities became subject to a meme in 2022 after the player signed for Manchester City. References Bibliography Rocky characters Fictional characters with superhuman strength Fictional professional boxers Fictional sports coaches Fictional male sportspeople Film characters introduced in 1985 Fictional communists Fictional Soviet Army personnel Fictional Russian people Male film villains Action film villains Fictional gangsters Fictional Olympic competitors