Apollo Creed tells Rocky to pay attention to the toughness and intensity of the other fighters , who possess the `` eye of the tiger '' .
One night , as Rocky stops at Mickey 's now-shuttered gym , he is confronted by Apollo Creed , who tells him that Rocky has lost his edge and needs to get it back ; he tells Rocky to look at the other fighters in the gym , who all look tough and intense , calling it `` the eye of the tiger , '' possessing the focus and hunger to win .
Rocky III