Rocky IV

Factual error: Drago is presented as an infantry Captain in the Soviet Army. However, during the press conference his shoulder bars are the same as a soviet Colonel, not a Captain.

Factual error: The limos they are driving in Russia are American Mercedes Benz models (American style bigger bumpers and headlights). Very unlikely at that time.

Factual error: Rocky's license plate reads "Sothpaw". In Pennsylvania, license plates were limited to six letters until the 1990's.

Vince711

Factual error: In reality, no referee would ever allow a fighter to basically be beaten to death in a boxing ring. The match would have been stopped after at least one full round of punishment of this magnitude.

Factual error: During the press conference scene, Drago's hat should have an officer's gold cap cord, but instead has only a black chinstrap, which, combined with that style of cockade means that the cap is only approved for wear by warrant officers in the Soviet Army.

Continuity mistake: In the scene where Apollo is playing with his dog in his pool while hearing the news of Ivan Drago on television, he has three tennis balls in his hand. In one shot he throws 2 of the tennis balls to the dog, and in the next shot he is seen with 3 balls back in his hands while looking at the television.

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Rocky: Going in one more round when you don't think you can - that's what makes all the difference in your life.

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Question: To elaborate on the question regarding Drago facing criminal charges for killing Apollo: when he pushes the ref aside you say that in real life the fight would have been stopped, however, he almost lands the fatal blow right afterwards so he didn't give anyone time to stop it, wouldn't he be charged with criminally negligent manslaughter or something similar? I can understand him not facing charges if it had happened during the normal course of the fight, but the fact that he didn't allow the ref to stop the fight leads me to believe that he was negligent and thus responsible for Apollo's death.

Answer: Unless Drago did something deliberately illegal to increase damage (altering his gloves or wraps like Luis Resto), then no. Risk of severe injury is a standard for contact sports and boxing especially.

Greg Dwyer

Answer: Yes. Not only would Drago have been suspended from boxing indefinitely for pushing the ref aside, but, he also would have been charged with manslaughter considering that Drago landed the blow that killed Apollo immediately after the official stopped the fight. If the blow that killed Apollo had occurred during the fight however, Drago wouldn't have faced any charges.

In reality, Rocky was responsible for Apollo's death because he would not throw the towel when begged to. Furthermore, had this been a real fight, Apollo's entire corner would have flooded the ring since it got so out of hand. So, there wouldn't have been a fatal blow; it would have been total chaos with one corner coming to the defense of their fighter.

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