Chuck Wepner, The Inspiration For ‘Rocky’ Film Series, Gets His Own Statue In NJ Hometown
deadline.comChuck Wepner, the ham and egger professional boxer who nearly beat heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali and thus inspired the Sylvester Stallone series of Rocky movies, was honored today with his own statute in his Bayonne, NJ hometown.
Wepner was a game but limited fighter in his career. Known as the “Bayonne Bleeder” for his penchant of absorbing numerous blows, Wepner was supposed to be a convenient stepping stone when he met Muhammad Ali on March 24, 1975.
The match was Ali’s first boxing match since he reclaimed the heavyweight championship from George Foreman in the famed “Rumble in the Jungle” match in Kinshasa, Zaire in Africa.
Held at the Richfield Coliseum in Ohio, the fight with Wepner was billed “Give The White Guy a Break.” No one gave Wepner much of a chance.
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