▁Cre ed ' s ▁il leg it imate ▁son , ▁the ▁handlers ▁of ▁world ▁light ▁heavy weight ▁champion ▁" Pre tty " ▁R icky ▁Con lan , ▁who ▁is ▁forced ▁into ▁ret irement ▁by ▁an ▁imp ending ▁prison ▁term , ▁offer ▁to ▁make ▁Don nie ▁the ▁latter ' s ▁final ▁ch allen ger — prov ided ▁that ▁he ▁change ▁his ▁name ▁to ▁Ad on is ▁Cre ed . ▁Don nie ▁bal ks ▁at ▁first , ▁wanting ▁to ▁for ge ▁his ▁own ▁legacy . ▁However , ▁he ▁eventually ▁agre es . ▁While ▁helping ▁Don nie ▁train , ▁Rock y ▁lear ns ▁he ▁has ▁non - H od g kin ' s ▁l ym ph oma . ▁He ▁is ▁initially ▁unw illing ▁to ▁under go ▁chem other apy ▁because ▁it ▁wasn ' t ▁enough ▁to ▁save ▁Ad rian ▁from ▁o var ian ▁cancer . ▁Don nie ▁persu ades ▁Rock y ▁to ▁seek ▁treatment ▁and ▁continues ▁training ▁while ▁Rock y ▁re co vers . ▁In ▁a ▁battle ▁rem in is cent ▁of ▁Apol lo ▁and ▁Rock y ' s ▁first ▁fight , ▁Don nie ▁f ights ▁Con lan ▁in ▁Con lan ' s ▁h omet own ▁of ▁Liverpool ▁and ▁surpr ises ▁almost ▁everyone ▁by ▁going ▁the ▁distance ▁and ▁pushing ▁Con lan ▁to ▁his ▁limit . ▁Con lan ▁wins ▁by ▁split ▁decision , ▁but ▁Don nie ▁wins ▁the ▁respect ▁of ▁Con lan ▁and ▁the ▁crowd , ▁with ▁Con lan ▁calling ▁Don nie ▁the ▁future ▁of ▁the ▁light ▁heavy weight ▁division . ▁Return ing ▁to ▁Philadelphia , ▁Don