Fear not, Rocky fans.

“Creed” not only fits right into the Rocky franchise, but manages to breathe life into a series that was buried alongside bell bottom jeans and afros.

In preparation before going to see “Creed” on Friday, just a two days after opening night, I watched every single Rocky movie (that’s ten hours, just in case you were wondering).

In doing this, I found the five part Rocky tale to be a clear American treasure and finally understood why people yell “Adrian” is such off-brand Italian accents.

“Rocky I”, “II”, “III”, “IV”, and “V” are all almost impossible to beat (I and IV were the best), seeing as though Rocky is the ultimate go-to for grit and inspiration, but “Creed” can be considered a toe-to-toe matchup for what has to be one of most noted and appreciated American film series.

“Creed” featured Michael B. Jordan, who has also appeared in “Fantastic Four”, “Fruitvale Station”, and “That Awkward Moment”,  as Adonis Creed, Apollo Creed’s illegitimate son who never met his extremely famous father. This direction of character had to be taken since Apollo mentioned and showed his children within his marriage more than once during the first three Rocky movies.

Adonis Creed is determined to prove himself as a boxer worthy of his father’s bloodline and of course turns to the greatest of all time, Rocky Balboa (whom age has most definitely affected).

I won’t spoil the story, but I will say that Creed followed the lead of the first Rocky movie in plot and feel.

As a recently converted Rocky super-fan, I am more than critical of any fresh additions to my beloved series, but “Creed” performed its due diligence and captured the meaning of the Rocky series: fighting your way through life until you can’t fight anymore, without losing the heart-melting, yet war-like spirit that comes along with everything Rocky.

“Creed” could not have possibly been “Rocky I” or “IV”, but it left it all in the ring with a killer soundtrack and proved to be one of the better movies I’ve seen in a long time.