"No Rocky Balboa without Apollo Creed" - Jake Paul pays heartfelt tribute to Carl Weathers following legendary actor's demise

YouTuber-turned-boxing sensation Jake Paul recently paid tribute to legendary actor Carl Weathers, who played one of the most beloved boxing characters to appear in film history.

Weathers played Apollo Creed, a character who features heavily throughout the 'Rocky' films created by Sylvester Stallone. He appeared as Creed in the first four films and was later represented by his character's son, Adonis Creed.

In a statement issued by his family, Weathers died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 76 on Feb. 1, 2024. He died in his own home in Los Angeles.

Paul declared that the beloved character of Rocky Balboa would be incomplete without Apollo Creed, who was the main antagonist in the first two films and went on to become a good friend of Balboa's.

Paul wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter):

"There would be no Rocky Balboa without Apollo Creed. Rest in peace Mr. Weathers."

Check out Jake Paul's post below on X:

Weathers' career spanned more than 50 years, featuring in 75 films and TV shows. He also featured in the hit Disney+ series, 'The Mandalorian' for which he received an Emmy nomination.

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Jake Paul reveals what motivates him to keep going

Jake Paul has continued to ascend as a pugilist and has now transitioned towards taking on more experienced boxers over big names and retired MMA athletes.

In a recent interview with George Janko, Paul revealed that his first and only loss to Tommy Fury drove him to work harder.

"There was moments where I didn’t have fuel, you know, like that motivation runs out, you know? The things someone said about you that like makes you work harder for a month. Oh well, no one’s saying anything now. Like even losing to Tommy, I was so so fired up and invigorated and in the gym, working so so hard."

Paul also outlined his ultimate goal and his own take on failing to achieve it.

"That only lasted for like a couple of months and so then it’s like a commitment to the goal and I think the commitment one makes to self is above all else. And my goal was to be the first social media billionaire, the first self-made social media billionaire. And so even if I were to fail, I would be like, 'Okay, I learnt something. I'm one step closer.'”

Check out Jake Paul's comments below (11:20):