Ivan Drago and Apollo Creed, Rematch at Venice Beach!

It was like 1985 all over again when Dolph Lundgren and Carl Weathers came face-to-face in Venice Beach this week ... and we could only think one thing -- RUN, APOLLO!!!!!!

Remember, a juiced up Ivan Drago beat Apollo Creed to death during that exhibition bout in "Rocky IV" ... why didn't you throw in the damn towel, Rock!?!

But, here we are 34 years later ... Apollo died after secretly knocking up a woman who had a kid named Adonis ... and the rest is history!

There were rumors Carl Weathers was upset at Sylvester Stallone when the Rocky franchise came back with Creed ... and Apollo Creed wasn't a part of it -- but all of that seems to be overblown.

Of course, Lundren's Drago character DID come back to train his own gigantic Russian son in "Creed II" ... a movie that made more than $200 mil at the box office.

Carl is now 71, Dolph is 61 and they both still lift ... they ran into each other at the legendary Gold's gym in Venice!