Rocky?????

Question

in rocky 3, Apollo says to Rocky -

"you fight great, but im a great fighter"..........whats the difference

i cant get my head round it can someone tell me.

Answer 1

Being able to fight great means that you have "The Capability" to come up with fantastic performances and that you possess a lot of pugilistic skill. A fighter that fights great has a lot of weapons in his arsenol. So look out! On any given night this guy can compete with anybody!

HOWEVER

A "Great Fighter" has ALL of the above mentioned attributes HOWEVER it goes much deeper with this man. Because he is a great fighter he is that person through and through. He doesn't just have the skill and the tools "He EMBODIES the skill and the tools" His hidden instincts are downright uncanny. He is always one step ahead of his opponent in a manner which is almost psychic in nature. He is no longer boxing. He is one with boxing. He is in touch with "The flow" of his abilities.

For example Muhammed Ali early in his career showed that he could "fight great" against many opponents by dominating them with his dazzling handspeed, beautiful footwork and overall physical abilities.

BUT

Against the indestructable George Foreman, he could not beat this invincible foe with handspeed. He could no longer glide with effortless footwork to escape this monster. And Foreman was far superior physically. And ready to kill. Ali's physical gifts and the physical ability to "fight great" would no longer save him. Ali's only chance would be "If he could be a GREAT FIGHTER". And Ali WAS! He transcended all physicality that night AND BECAME ONE with his own God given identity. Ali did not slay this monster with a physical talent and a fist. He slew him because HE WAS A GREAT FIGHTER!

Someone who fights great may be physically very talented. But a "Great Fighter" is oh so much more!

Answer 2

im a very talented fighter, your not,  but you give your all and fight great fights,

example- arturo gatti fought great fights but he wasnt a great fighter,

you dont have to be talented to fight great fights

Answer 3

He's basically saying that he is the better skilled fighter over Rocky even though Rocky knocked him out.

"You fight great."= you may have knocked me out.

"But I'm a great fighter"= but I still have the better skills over you.

I'll give you an example with real fighters- Zab Judah lost his welterweight championship to Carlos Baldomir by decision.  Everyone knows that Zab should have and could have won the fight because he has more skills than Baldomir could ever hope to learn.  Zab should have boxed circles around Baldomir for the whole fight and won that match with ease.  BUT Baldomir was more determined to win (like how Rocky was more determined in the rematch) and thats how he beat Zab Judah- with his determination, grit, and perserverence.  Zab was the better skilled fighter, but Baldomir won in the end with his determination.

The second fight between them had really been bugging Apollo because Rocky literally beat him by one second (you know, when they both fell to the ground and Rocky gets up first in the second movie).  Thats why at the end of the third movie, we figure out the "favor" that Rocky owes Apollo for training him to beat Clubber Lang, and that favor is giving him a rubber match (a third fight).  It wasn't a professional fight, it was just something that Apollo wanted to prove to himself- thats why they fought in a gym with no cameras or anything; it was just man to man.  Kind of sucks that we never get to find out what happened; we only see them throwing the first punches against each other before the movie ends.