Chuck Wepner, the ham-and-egg professional boxer who nearly defeated heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali and inspired the Sylvester Stallone series Rocky Filmen, was honored with a statute of his own today in his hometown of Bayonne, NJ.
Wepner was a game but limited fighter in his career. Known as the “Bayonne Bleeder” for his penchant for countless punches, Wepner was considered a handy stepping stone when he met Muhammad Ali on March 24, 1975.
The bout was Ali’s first boxing match since regaining the heavyweight championship from George Foreman in the famous “Rumble in the Jungle” bout in Kinshasa, Zaire, Africa.
The fight with Wepner, which took place at Ohio’s Richfield Coliseum, was billed as “Give The White Guy a Break”. No one gave Wepner much of a chance.
But Wepner more than held his own, knocking Ali down in the ring and hammering the champion. The bout went into the 15th and final round with the outcome still in doubt, but Ali managed to knock out Wepner and retain the title.
Stallone was among those who watched in awe and fueled his “Rocky” series. To this day, a Rocky statue remains a major tourist attraction in Philadelphia, so it’s fitting that the inspiration for the movie character has its own inspiration.
Wepner, now 83, is joined by boxing greats Larry Homes, Gerry Cooney and Iran Barkley, along with actor Liev Schreiber, who played Wepner in the film. lining.
Wepner talked about how much the statue means to him.
“The reason I’m here is because of all of you. I will never pay Bayonne back,” Wepner said. “I will ask the mayor; If I leave, I will be cremated – put me next to my statue.”
Fittingly, the unveiling of the two meter high statue went hand in hand with the theme Rocky.
Writer: Bruce Herring
Source: Deadline
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