In Rocky III, “Gonna Fly Now” plays during Rocky Balboa’s first training montage with Apollo Creed.
After Clubber Lang defeats Rocky, Apollo agrees to help him prepare for their rematch. Apollo changes Rocky’s training by emphasizing speed, movement, and sharper boxing technique. Their work takes place partly in Los Angeles, away from Rocky’s familiar Philadelphia routine.
“Gonna Fly Now,” composed by Bill Conti with lyrics by Carol Connors and Ayn Robbins, is closely associated with Rocky’s training imagery. The song first appeared in the original Rocky and became one of the franchise’s defining musical themes.
“Eye of the Tiger” is the song most directly associated with Rocky III, but it accompanies other major training material in the film. “Burning Heart” belongs to Rocky IV, so it is not the answer for this montage.