Why the boxer who inspired Rocky never appeared in the Sylvester Stallone franchise

“Rocky” by John G. Avildsen is one of the most surprising hits of all time. Released in theaters on December 3, 1976, the classic Debout-et-Cheer would increase to 117 million gross dollars at the national level against a budget of $ 1.1 million and would win three Oscars (best film, best director and best assembly) in a banger of a year which included alumni like “Taxi Driver”, “all men of the president” and “network”. It was such a joyful experience (even if our hero of the oppressed loses via the shared decision) that the moviegoers returned for seconds and third parties just to re -avoid the top of the distance from Sylvester Stallone Paloka Rocky Balboa by inexplicably going the apparently printable world heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers).

What looked like a pugilist fairy tale was in fact largely based on a true story. On March 24, 1975, the Richfield Coliseum, the Cleveland Cavaliers House (which treated fans of a real miracle a year later, when the Cavs made an exciting race in the NBA 1976 qualifiers), organized a title fight between Muhammad Ali from 1976 and Tomato can name Chuck Wepner (which has the nickname flooded ” Bayonne “). It was a development fight for Ali, who had just become the undisputed champion after eliminating George Foreman in the eighth round of the historic rumble in the jungle. We expected it to do a short work of Wepner before the duker with the Ron Lyle with brick less than two months later. Now, the northeast of Ohioans has paid a lot of money to see the goat do what he did better than anyone on the planet, then, thinking that Wepner was delighted with the prospect of taking a bleeding of $ 100,000, Ali did a light formation (for him) and has planned to wear the bleeding for a few towers to the pleasure of the Coliseum crowd. Wepner, however, freed from the obligation to work a second job during his training (due to this guaranteed pay day of 100 large), put a serious work.

15 rounds later, Ali triumphed via TKO, but he shocked the canvas in the ninth (thanks to Wepner, cleverly walking on the champion’s foot while he was punching). For a while, the greatest upheaval in the history of boxing seemed in sight. Then Ali got up and passed the rest of the fight to transform Wepner’s face into a hamburger.

Stallone wisely chose to print the legend and tried to pay her good fortune to Wepner. Tragically, it shouldn’t be.

Stallone recognized that “Rocky” was based on Ali-Wepner combat, and we know that even if he borrows elements from real life (like Ali half accompanied by his training and that Wepner’s penchant to sprint a component of public staircases), he added wrinkles for dramatic effects (for example crude eggs and transforming Lourdes). Nevertheless, Sly had the impression that he had at least we had a cameo in “Rocky II” as one of the training partners of the Italian stallion, so he brought it for a hearing. The Bayonne blender did not follow the training this time. At all.

As Wepner said USA Today (while pressing the 2017 “Chuck” biopic with Liev Schreiber), the screen test was a disaster. “I was absent for two days of celebration and I presented myself with a friend and a few go-go girls,” he said. “I did not do well for the game. I deserved not to be in the film.”

Wepner’s descending spiral led to an arrest of 1985 for possession of cocaine, which earned him a 37 -month sentence in prison and under strict state surveillance. Wepner has finally been remarried and successfully worked in the alcohol sales industry for 15 years. It is both an inspiring and edifying story, but it seems to be in a good place now. Continue to fight, Chuck.