In Rocky V, Rocky Balboa’s protégé who turns against him is Tommy Gunn.
Tommy is a talented young boxer whom Rocky begins training after returning to Philadelphia. Rocky sees potential in him and tries to teach him the values of discipline, loyalty, and patience that Mickey taught Rocky.
The ambitious promoter George Washington Duke persuades Tommy to leave Rocky and pursue a professional career under Duke’s management. Tommy becomes successful but rejects Rocky’s guidance and publicly claims that Duke made him a champion.
Their conflict eventually moves outside the ring when Tommy confronts Rocky in a street fight. Rocky wins, but the encounter emphasizes the film’s central concern: athletic success without loyalty or character can damage personal relationships. Tommy Gunn is played by Tommy Morrison, a professional boxer who later competed in heavyweight boxing.