 The "Iron Curtain" is starting to come down around the Soviet Union under the leadership of Mikhail Gorbachev. A Soviet boxer named Ivan Drago(Dolph Lundgren), nicknamed "The Siberian Express", comes to the United States with his wife, a Russian champion swimmer (Brigitte Nielsen) and coach (Michael Pataki) for a guest match. Drago is a superbly conditioned boxer who has been scientifically trained in the USSR, and he & his coach propose a fight against Rocky Balboa (Stallone). Rocky s former adversary, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) decides to take on Drago despite having been out of the ring for several years. Creed unwisely taunts Drago before the match, and after the first round, Drago issues a prophetic warning to Creed: "You will lose." Unfortunately the warning comes true and Creed dies following a pounding by the Siberian Express. When death threats are made against the Russian boxer, he returns to the USSR and states if there is to be a match between Balboa & Drago, it will be in the USSR. To honor Creed s memory, Rocky takes the Soviets up on their challenge and goes to Siberia to train for the match against the "Siberian Express", that will take place in Moscow on Christmas Day, in front of a hostile audience...