Apollo Creed is a fictional character from the Rocky films, initially portrayed as the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. He was played by Carl Weathers. He is a tough yet highly agile African-American boxer featuring a Larry Holmes-like jab, and his name is a reference to the Apostle's Creed. The character draws heavy inspiration from the real-life champion Muhammad Ali, having what one author remarked as the same "brash, vocal, [and] theatrical" personality.