Apollo Creed walks into the ring, wearing Star-Spangled Banner shorts and an Uncle Sam hat. That’s how the fans fondly remember Carl Weathers‘ iconic character, a nemesis-turned-ally for Sylvester Stallone‘s Rocky. A cocky and flamboyant Creed inspired a generation of young boxers, including the likes of Terence Crawford. However, the fans and pros are soaked in grief as the man playing Apollo Creed, Carl Weathers, has left the ring permanently.

Weathers’ manager announced the sad news to the fans as he confirmed the Hollywood actor died on Thursday, February 1. His family also issued a statement mentioning he died “peacefully in his sleep.” Calling him “an exceptional human being,” the statement further read, “He was a beloved brother, father, grandfather, partner and friend.” Weathers’ sudden demise has come as a shock to many, as they recently enjoyed watching him in ‘The Mandalorian’.

Expressing his grief on his Instagram handle, ‘Bud’ wrote, “Rest in Peace Apollo Creed!”. Adrien Broner also paid his respects to the legendary actor as he penned, “RIP #Apollo.”

While the fans associated Weathers with the Rocky franchise, the actor amusingly lied about having any boxing experience to bag the role. Fans might not be aware, but he also played college football at San Diego State University, where he majored in theatre. He would even spend a season in the NFL in 1970 with the Oakland Raiders. Following this, he shifted to the Canadian Football League and graduated with a degree in drama. As fate would have it, Weathers would don the boxing gloves and become a household name later on.

Carl Weathers: The Apollo Creed legacy that put him on the map

Weathers once recalled how one role puts one on the map and defines their career. Apollo Creed was one such role for him. While one has to ensure they have to follow it up with something, in Weathers’ case, those roles kept on pouring. “Fortunately, those movies kept coming, and Apollo Creed became more and more in people’s consciousness and welcome in their lives, and it was just the right guy at the right time,” he told The Daily Beast in 2017.

He also flexed his shredded physique along with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1987 ‘Predator’. In 1988, he starred in the nouveau blaxploitation flick ‘Action Jackson’. He also made the audience tickle in the 1996 comedy classic ‘Happy Gilmore,’ beside Adam Sandler.

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