Ivan Drago and Boxing's 5 Greatest Villains

Boxing has become the inspiration for some of the biggest villains in history.

The idea of two men engaging in combat has led many promoters to try to make one into a good guy and the other into a bad guy to make the fight more exciting.

More excitement equals more investment from the general public, who now know who to root for. More investment from the public equals more $$$ [insert cash register sound here].

Hollywood loves a good guy vs. bad guy story because of its accessibility. Everyone has a desire to cheer for a lovable good guy. Everyone also has a desire to boo and hate on the bad guy.

Here are five of Hollywood's greatest movie bad guy creations.

5. Clubber Lang from Rocky III

Mr. T's portrayal of Clubber Lang was a tough, rude, loudmouth fighter with only one thing on his mind: the heavyweight championship of the world.

Rocky Balboa had it and Lang would do anything to snatch it back—even interrupt Balboa's press conferences to publicly call him a bum and make sexual advances towards his wife.

His Evilest Moment: Shoving Rocky's ancient trainer, Mickey, aside during a confrontation. Old Mickey would begin to have a heart attack as a result of the shove and died shortly after the fight.

4. Half Dead from Penitentiary

Penitentiary became the greatest Blaxploitation boxing movie of all time when it was released in 1979.

At the center of its greatness was its super-cool, smooth, lady-loving hero "Too Sweet" Gordone and its ugly, vicious, vile villain, "Half Dead."

Half Dead is the first character to discuss with Gordone the idea of entering the prison's boxing tournament. When asked by Gordone if he boxes, Half Dead tells him, "Half Dead don't box, I kill."

Every great villain needs to refer to himself in the third person and express their willingness to kill when they don't have to. Half Dead passes these requirements and then some.

Perhaps his greatest line is when he tries to attack Gordone one night in his prison cell. Half Dead refers to Gordone's body as, "My stuff!" while trying to take it.

His Evilest Moment: He, as a member of a hit squad, kills Gordone's dearest prison buddy Eugene during an attempt on Gordone's life.

3. Billie "The Blue Bear" from Million Dollar Baby

Billie "The Blue Bear" is a tough female boxer known mostly for her rabbit punches (illegal blows to the back of the head) and not for her sportsmanship.

But against the film's heroine, Maggie (played by Hilary Swank), Billie crosses the line from unsportsmanlike behavior to just plain evil.

Her Evilest Moment: (SPOILER ALERT!) After Maggie begins to beat Billie black and blue, Billie punches Maggie while her back is turned to return to her corner at the end of the round.

As Maggie falls to the canvas, her neck is broken on the wooden stool that was being placed in the ring for her to sit on between rounds. Maggie becomes paralyzed from the neck down.

2. Max Baer from Cinderella Man

Was Max Baer a real boxer? Yes.

Was his portrayal in film, Cinderella Man, factual? That's highly debatable.

The Max Baer in the film was a far more cruel and evil version of the real Max Baer. Movie Baer prided himself on killing two boxers in the ring as he ridiculed down-on-his-luck Braddock.

James. J. Braddock was a decently successful boxer until he's forced to quit following a severe hand injury. He works manual labor during the Great Depression as Baer becomes a rich champion.

His Evilest Moment: At a party, he boasts that after he makes Braddock the third man he's killed, he'll "take care" of his wife. His evil points just went up thousandfold.

Honorable Mention: Apollo Creed from Rocky and Rocky II

Apollo Creed is not really much of a villain when compared to the other members of this list, but he is the first antagonist of the Rocky series.

Without him, there could be no Clubber Lang or Ivan Drago, the real villains of the series.

Creed's cockiness may have been his only sin. He proved to be a tough champion and one that was willing to take on all comers, including the "Italian Stallion," Rocky Balboa.

1. Ivan Drago from Rocky IV

Ivan Drago is the Soviet Union's villainous boxer in Rocky IV. He's cold, emotionless and shows no mercy.

His icy demeanor along with his brutal killing of a beloved character makes him undoubtedly the evilest boxing movie villain.

His Evilest Moment: Drago would fight and kill Apollo Creed in what was supposed to be an exhibition match.

Old man Creed couldn't take the Russian's ruthless assault and died in the ring.

When a reporter tells Drago that Apollo Creed could be in serious condition, Drago delivers the black, rotten cherry on top of the poisonous villain cake with his response, "If he dies, he dies."