In Creed II, Adonis Creed fights Viktor Drago in Moscow.
The location deliberately echoes Rocky IV, in which Rocky Balboa fought Ivan Drago in Moscow after Apollo Creed’s death. Adonis’s trip gives the younger boxer a chance to confront the Drago family in the same country associated with his father’s fatal fight.
The bout is the culmination of a rivalry involving two generations. Viktor wants to restore the Drago name, while Adonis wants to defend Apollo’s legacy and prove that he can overcome the pressure inherited from his father.
The film also contrasts the personal cost of the rivalry with the public spectacle surrounding it. Rocky supports Adonis but initially worries that the fight is emotionally motivated. Moscow therefore functions both as a literal setting and as a link between Creed II and Rocky IV.