Apollo Creed had recently retired from professional boxing when he was lured out of retirement to fight Ivan Drago. It was a fight he never should have accepted.
After spending months sidelined cooking stew and partying with Jesse Venture and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Creed was barely in fighting shape when he took up the challenge. But it was his love of the United States, flashy spectacles, James Brown, and oversized hats that lured him out of retirement.
The fight would take place in 1985 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and it was heavily hyped. The media was on fire. This showdown shared so many similarities with the ensuing Cold War. Which side would win?
Well, in the first battle a cocky and flamboyant Apollo Creed was crushed to death by a barrage of punches thrown by the Soviet in the second round.
It wasn’t Creed’s best bout. He seemed sluggish and over-confident. And outside of a slight offensive in the second round, Apollo was obliterated. His lackluster performance was also capped off by his death.
It was a crushing end to a spectacular career. Unfortunately, the always-talkative Creed was left speechless.
The media paid little attention to the death, and instead put all of their focus on Rocky Balboa. Balboa was planning to fight Drago in Moscow later that year, a bout he would eventually win.
A small charity was set up for Creed’s wife after Apollo’s death. Creed had spent most of his previous winnings on his lavish introduction at the MGM Grand.
The year was 1990, and NASCAR was at one of its all time lows. That is, until Tom Cruise came waltzing out of Hollywood to challenge for the top prize in the world’s semi-fastest sport.
It was during a hiatus from Mission Impossible when Cruise learned that ‘rubbing is racing.’
Cruise trained intensely for the race by competing in small town circuits with low budget sponsors. Harry Hogge, a grizzled veteran of NASCAR, mentored Cruise and remained his crew chief throughout his NASCAR run.
After rising in the polls, Cruise was briefly suspended from the sport after an altercation with Rowdy Burns. Ultimately though, it was Burns’ car that Cruise used in the 500.
Known for its treacherous turn four, Cruise dominated the Daytona Speedway. He won by a hair after a last second move sent his stock car screaming past Russ Wheeler’s Hardees car for the victory.
Wheeler finished second even after his driving coach had warned Wheeler, “to be careful. He might try to slingshot past ya Russ!”
Cruise spent the evening celebrating with his new wife Dr. Claire Lewicki.
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