See the real-life fighter who inspired the character

In 1976, the film that would be the great boost to his career Sylvester Stallone dominated North American cinemas: ‘Rocky, a Fighter‘. Directed by John G. Avildsen and scripted by himself Stallone — who plays the main character, Rocky Balboa —, the film was a great exponent in the sports subgenre of cinema.

In the film, we see when “Rocky Balboaa small working-class boxer from Philadelphia, is arbitrarily chosen to fight the heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed, when the opponent of the undefeated fighter scheduled for the fight is injured. During training with the grumpy Mickey Goldmill, Rocky timidly begins a relationship with Adrianthe invisible sister of Paulieyour meatpacking friend.”

Right at the time of its release, ‘Rocky’ proved to be a true cinematic success. Produced with a budget of just over US$1 million, it grossed more than US$225 million at the global box office. In addition, it was also nominated in 9 categories at the 1977 Oscars, and won in three — including Best Film and Best Director.

In this way, the feature film — which would end up giving rise to a series of films from the same universe, which currently has 9 volumes, including the most recent trilogy, ‘Creed’ — not only saved Stallone from a very sensitive financial situation, but also led him to stardom. Therefore, he considers Rocky the biggest hit of your life.

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However, what not everyone knows is that the character Rockycreated by himself Stallone, is partially inspired by a real boxer. Check it out below!

Inspiration

Originally, the inspiration for the story of Rocky emerged after Stallone watch a fight legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, considered one of the best names in the history of the sport. The script was written in just four days, it’s worth mentioning.

However, the inspiration for Rocky Balboa It didn’t come from the sports legend, but rather from his opponent: Chuck Wepner. In total, in 51 fights, he had 35 wins (17 of them by knockout), 14 defeats and two draws, explains ESPN.

Among the most notorious opponents that Wepner faced, in addition to his own Therethey are: George Foreman It is Sonny Liston, although he lost to both. However, over time he acquired a nickname that said a lot about his fights: ‘The Bleeder‘ (‘O Sangrador’, in Portuguese), thanks to the amount he bled in the ring and the cuts on his face.

In 1975, at the age of 36, while he was going through an apparently good phase, on a streak of eight consecutive victories, Chuck Wepner decided to bet big. It was then that he challenged none other than the great heavyweight champion of the world, Muhammad Ali.

The fight

The fight that would end up transforming the lives of Chuck Wepner it’s from Stallone forever happened on the fateful day of March 24, 1975, at the Richfield Coliseum, in the city of Richfield, Ohio.

In season, Muhammad Ali He held the World Boxing Council and World Association belts. As a result, everyone was betting on his victory.

The result was predictable: the 42nd victory of his career. Muhammad Ali. However, it was definitely not a quick defeat, and “The Bleeder” lived up to his nickname.

This is because his defeat only came after being beaten for almost 15 rounds, being knocked out just 19 seconds before the end of the fight. It is worth mentioning that Wepner came to collapse There in the ninth round — after the champion accidentally stepped on his foot.

Although the victory of There was quite predictable, it was this long, intense and impressive fight that inspired Stallonewho watched him from the stands, writing the story of Rocky Balboa.

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As much as the actor denied that Chuck Wepner was the inspiration for Rockythe boxer sued him, and eventually a settlement was reached.

However, it is undeniable that the emblematic phrase of Rocky Balboa“The question is not how hard you hit, but how hard you can take it and keep moving forward.“, can describe the career of Chuck Wepner “The Bleeder”.