On a crisp autumn night in November, Henry Hascup, president of the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame, rose to the dais for the organization’s annual induction and awards banquet. With his booming Jersey-accented voice, often heard in the ring as an announcer, he delivered the opening remarks.
With Veterans Day approaching, he asked the veterans in attendance to stand and be recognized. As the former service members rose, few could miss the imposing 6-foot-5 figure among them.
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That towering man was none other than Chuck Wepner, former world heavyweight title contender, two-time New Jersey state heavyweight champion, and the inspiration for the “Rocky” film franchise. At 87 years old, Wepner remains an imposing figure. His warm smile and firm handshake quickly disarmed any initial intimidation.
While most sports fans remember Wepner for his March 24, 1975, battle against Muhammad Ali, which famously inspired Sylvester Stallone to write “Rocky,” far fewer know of his earlier chapter: the former fighter’s service as a U.S. Marine.
Marine Vet Became the “Bayonne Bleeder”
Enlisting at 17, Wepner served from 1956 to 1959. At Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina, he worked on the crash crew, extinguishing aircraft fires and rescuing pilots. The demanding and dangerous duty helped harden the already tough kid from Bayonne, New Jersey. Wepner credited the discipline and structure of the Marine Corps with shaping his toughness and approach to life, both in and out of the ring.
Following his discharge, Wepner returned to Bayonne, where he worked as a bouncer in local bars while continuing his amateur boxing pursuits. Through his affiliation with the Bayonne Police Athletic League, he earned a spot in the 1964 New York Golden Gloves tournament. He competed in the heavyweight novice division and captured the championship, laying the foundation for a professional career.
On August 5, 1964, Wepner made his pro debut at Veterans Stadium in Bayonne, knocking out fellow New Jersey native George Cooper in front of a hometown crowd. It was the first of 36 professional wins for the man who became known as the “Bayonne Bleeder” because of the frequent facial cuts he sustained in the ring.
Over a career that spanned from 1964 to 1978, Wepner fought many of the era’s most notable heavyweights, including world champions George Foreman, Sonny Liston, and Ali. The Ring magazine rated Wepner among the top 10 heavyweights in the world from 1973 to 1976.
He held a peak rating of No. 8 at the time he fought Ali.
Wepner Survives into 15th Round
Muhammad Ali vs Chuck Wepner "Legendary Night" Highlights HD #ElTerribleProduction
His legendary bout with Ali took place before an announced crowd of 14,847 fans at the Richfield Coliseum near Cleveland and was broadcast via closed circuit to 150 locations worldwide.
“Although Cleveland had a great reputation as a boxing center during the 1920s and especially from 1937-1973, the one thing that didn’t happen was world championship bouts in the heavyweight division,” U.S. Army veteran Jerry Fitch, author of multiple books on Cleveland boxing, told We Are The Mighty.
In a pre-fight press conference, Wepner was asked whether he could survive in the ring with Ali. He responded, “I’ve been a survivor my whole life.… If I survived the Marines, I can survive Ali.”
In the early rounds of their match, Ali toyed with Wepner, who was well behind on the scorecards. But in the ninth round, Wepner appeared to step on Ali’s foot while landing a right to the ribs that sent the champ to the canvas. Though Ali later claimed his foot was, in fact, stepped on, Wepner continues to point out that Ali never complained to referee Tony Perez during the contest. The knockdown changed Ali’s demeanor; he fought more seriously through the remaining rounds.
The champion controlled rounds 10 through 15, with the former Marine fighting to survive until the match’s final bell. In the 15th and final round, Ali unleashed a flurry of punches that sent Wepner crumpling into the ropes.
As the challenger struggled to rise, Perez stopped the fight with 19 seconds left in the 15th round.
Stallone Was in Attendance That Night
ROCKY (1976) | Official Trailer | MGM
Wepner, the part-time liquor salesman, earned $100,000 for the bout, while Ali, the 10-to-1 favorite, made $1.6 million.
“All due respect to Chuck Wepner, who was as game as they come,” Fitch said. “But Muhammad Ali, who didn’t take Chuck seriously, was not going to be defeated by Chuck Wepner. Chuck fought hard and used all his roughhouse tactics, but he didn’t have the skills to beat a man like Muhammad Ali.”
A young Hollywood hopeful, Sylvester Stallone, attended the fight. Wepner’s fighting spirit inspired the legendary actor and filmmaker to write the first “Rocky” movie. The Academy Award-winning film was released in 1976.
Despite Wepner’s defeat, he became the real-life inspiration for one of cinema’s most iconic underdogs.
Movies Bring Wepner’s Story to Wider Audience
After retiring with a 36-14-2 record in 1978, Wepner resumed work as a liquor salesman in New Jersey. His popularity grew, and he became a sought-after public speaker.
Relations between Stallone and Wepner soured over time, however. Wepner filed a lawsuit in 2003, claiming Stallone used his story without proper compensation. The case was settled out of court in 2006.
Wepner first attracted a wider audience when ESPN released “The Real Rocky” in 2011. Two other films about Wepner followed. The 2017 movie “Chuck” starred Liev Schreiber, and the 2019 film “The Brawler” saw Zach McGowan playing the heavyweight contender.
Wepner was immortalized in bronze when his statue was unveiled in Bayonne’s Collins Park in 2022.
“It seems like most of the people from Bayonne were there,” Hascup told We Are The Mighty. “When they unveiled the statue, a loud roar went up.”
