: After serving time in prison in the 1980s for drug possession, Wepner turned his life around. He spent decades working as a liquor salesman in New Jersey and remains a local legend in Bayonne. Other Pieces of the Puzzle
Today, Wepner is finally getting his due beyond the shadow of the silver screen. His life story has been documented in the ESPN documentary " The Real Rocky " and the 2017 biopic Chuck , starring Liev Schreiber.
: Stallone actually tried to cast Wepner in Rocky II as a sparring partner, but Wepner famously blew the audition after a two-day partying bender. The Real Rocky
While Wepner was the primary catalyst, the character of Rocky Balboa is a mosaic of several boxing legends:
: Stallone borrowed the name, the iconic crouched fighting style, and the relentless durability of the only undefeated heavyweight champion. : After serving time in prison in the
: Wepner lasted until the final 19 seconds of the 15th round before the referee stopped the fight.
: In the ninth round, Wepner did the unthinkable—he knocked Muhammad Ali to the canvas. It was only the fourth time in Ali's career he had been knocked down. His life story has been documented in the
Chuck Wepner , nicknamed due to his tendency to cut easily, was never expected to win. A 40-to-1 underdog, Wepner had spent his career taking punishment and simply outlasting his opponents.