Is it as good as the first? No. But that's as much a testament to how unexpectedly good the first Creed was. The story (a mix of II and IV) isn't quite as well laid out. The fights didn't have the same visual pop as the first (no long unbroken shots, though I'm not as mad at that stylistic choice. The punches still looked and felt brutal). The probably could have done more with the Drago clan, but they did enough for you to get the point. Still, the interplay between Rocky, Adonis and Bianca still works very well, which drove the first movie. Extraneous or underdeveloped plot points aside (all depending on your viewpoint) those characters carry the movie to its satisfying finish. While i'd welcome another installment, I'd be just as good with the series ending here (only thing that would make sense is if Rocky dies in the next one, which I don't want to see).

Avon and Claire get a little more screen time, which was nice. Sly is a much better actor than I gave him credit for too