A lot of people believe that Sylvester Stallone based his screenplay for Rocky on the career of journeyman boxer Chuck Wepner. In fact, a well-received movie with Liev Schreiber, Chuck, was made about this fact, and in this episode of WTF Really Happened to this Movie, we compare the on-screen career of the great Rocky Balboa with his real-life counterpart.
In it, we take a look at Wepner’s claim to fame, which is when the “Bayonne Bleeder” lasted fifteen rounds against Muhammad Ali. Stallone would acknowledge Wepner as an inspiration, attempting to cast him in Rocky II. The two would cross paths several times over the years, with Wepner an inmate at the same prison Stallone was shooting Lock Up at in 1988. Wepner sued Stallone in 2003, seeking payment for inspiring Balboa, and the case was settled for an undisclosed amount years later. So did Wepner have a point? Let’s dig into the history behind Rocky and Chuck Wepner in this episode of WTF Really Happened to this Movie?
This episode of WTF Really Happened to this Movie is written by Brian Accardo, edited by Paul Cooper, narrated by Steve Seigh and produced by Ben Cantler. Berge Garabedian is the executive producer. Watch previous episodes below!