EVEN if you’re not a boxing fan you’ll have heard of the Rocky franchise, but many have no idea the Sylvester Stallone movies are based on a real person.
Chuck Wepner was the brave underdog who came up against titan Muhammad Ali in 1975.
Chuck Wepner took on Muhammad Ali in 1975, with Wepner a few seconds short of lasting the whole 15 rounds1975 Diamond Images
Wepner impressed as he was so tenacious in the ring, and he even managed to knock Ali down in round nine
Sylvester Stallone was so inspired by the story he used it as inspiration for the Rocky movies – Stallone seen here as Rocky, with Carl Weathers as Apollo CreedAlamy
It was Ali’s first fight following the infamous Rumble In The Jungle in 1974, where he beat undefeated world heavyweight champion George Foreman in what has been called one of the greatest sporting events of the 20th century.
No-one expected Wepner – known as The Bayonne Bleeder – to be victorious, but almost lasted the whole 15 rounds.
He fell just seconds short of the bell, and even more shockingly he actually knocked Ali down in round nine.
Wepner told The Daily Star: “I was a 40-1 underdog who everyone believed wouldn’t go more than five rounds against Ali but I went 15 and knocked him down.
“It was the biggest fight of my life and it took me 12 years after my pro career started to get to fight him.”
It was this fight which inspired Stallone to write and star in 1976 movie Rocky, where he played boxer Rocky Balboa who battled heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) for a shot at the title.
Liev Schreiber is seen playing Chuck Wepner in movie The BleederCampbell Grobman Films
The Rocky franchise now boasts seven movies and has taken over $1.4 billion worldwideAlamy
Charles Wepner seen posing in boxing gloves. He’s called the Ali fight the biggest of his life
Wepner’s story has been turned into a movie called The Bleeder, which stars Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts.
The boxer trained hard for the bout and knew he was in the best shape possible.
He even bought his wife a negligee, telling her it was for after the bout because she’d be sleeping with the heavyweight champion of the world.
Wepner recalled: “The fight’s over and I go back to my hotel room and she’s sitting on the edge of the bed with her negligee.
“She said, ‘Am I going to Ali’s room or is he coming to mine?’”
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The fighter and Stallone struck up a friendship thanks to the Rocky movies, although things were tricky at one point when Wepner went to court to get a payout from the flicks.
After his bout with Ali, Wepner fought professional wrestler Andre The Giant and Scott Frank.
His 1978 battle with Frank was his last fight, as he announced his retirement afterwards.
Before the fight with Ali, Wepner was the 40-1 underdog1975 Diamond Images
He worked tirelessly to get in shape for the bout, and he believes this is why the fight was so much better than people expectedGetty - Contributor
Ten years later he was convicted of cocaine dealing and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
These days he works with his second wife Linda in a liquor store in New Jersey.
Although Wepner lost the match, he was remembered for putting up a brilliant fight
Liev Schreiber seen in a still from the movie The Bleeder, which also stars Naomi Watts
