Chuck Wepner

Wepner in 2012
Personal information
Nickname	The Bayonne Bleeder
Born	Charles Wepner (1939-02-26)February 26, 1939 (age 86) New York City, U.S.
Height	6 ft 5 in (196 cm)[1]
Weight	Heavyweight
Boxing career
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	52
Wins	36
Win by KO	17
Losses	14
Draws	2

Charles Wepner (born February 26, 1939) is an American formerprofessional boxer.^[2][3] He fell just nineteen secondsshort of a full fifteen rounds against world heavyweight championMuhammad Ali in a 1975 championship fight. Wepner also scored notable wins overRandy Neumann and former world heavyweight championErnie Terrell. He was also the last man to fight formerundisputed world heavyweight championSonny Liston.

Wepner's boxing career, and fight with Ali, inspired the 1976 filmRocky,^[4] and other life events were chronicled in the 2016 film,Chuck. He was also the subject of the 2019 filmThe Brawler.

Charles Wepner was born on February 26, 1939, inNew York City.^[5] He is ofGerman,Ukrainian, andPolish descent.^[6]

Wepner learned to fight on the streets ofBayonne,New Jersey^[7] saying, "This was a tough town with a lot of people from the docks and the naval base and you had to fight to survive". Wepner was about a year old when he moved in with his grandmother on 28th Street near Hudson Boulevard (nowKennedy Boulevard). He was raised by his mother and grandparents, living in a room that was a converted coal shed until he was 13. He was an avid player of sports in his youth, playing basketball for the Police Athletic League. AtBayonne High School, his height helped him get a spot on the basketball team.^[8]

Aged 15 (or 16), inspired byBattle Cry (12 March 1955), having persuaded his mother to sign his 'phony papers', theunderage Wepner enlisted for three years in theU.S. Marines.^[9] In the Marines, he became a member of the boxing team, developing a reputation for being able to withstand other boxers' punches, and becoming a military champion at one of the airbases. A 1975Sports Illustrated article said that Wepner had saved the lives of three Marine pilots, pulling them from blazing airplanes.^[10]

Wepner turned professional in 1964 and became a popular boxer on the Northeast'sClub Boxing circuit, where he began posting many wins and some losses fighting throughout the region, including in arenas close to his boyhood home such asNorth Bergen andSecaucus.^[10]

Nicknamed "The Bayonne Bleeder" due to repeated facial injuries in the ring, he took the name that was initially meant as an insult and made it hisnom de guerre. In an interview with the BBC, Wepner said "I was a big bleeder. I had 328 stitches in my career. My nose was broken nine times in 16 years. And, uh, it never fazed me, you know?"^[9]

Wepner had formerly boxed while a member of theUnited States Marine Corps, and had worked as abouncer before turning pro.^[11] He was the New Jersey state heavyweight boxing champion, but after losing bouts toGeorge Foreman (by cut eye stoppage in three) andSonny Liston (by technical knockout in nine) many boxing fans thought that his days as a contender were numbered. After the match with Liston, Wepner needed 72 stitches in his face.^[12] After his retirement, Wepner stated that Liston was the hardest puncher he ever fought.^[13]

However, after losing toJoe Bugner by a cut eye stoppage in three inEngland, Wepner won nine of his next eleven bouts, including victories over Charlie Polite and former WBA heavyweight championErnie Terrell.

In 1975, it was announced that Wepner would challengeMuhammad Ali for the world heavyweight title. According to theCleveland Plain Dealer (February 9, 1975, Page 4-C), Carl Lombardo invested $1.3 million to finance the Wepner-Ali heavyweight title bout. According to aTime article, "In Stitches", Ali was guaranteed $1.5 million and Wepner signed for $100,000. This was considerably more than Wepner had ever earned; thus, he "needed no coaxing." Wepner spent eight weeks training in theCatskill Mountains under the guidance ofAl Braverman (trainer and notedcutman) and Bill Prezant (manager).

Prezant prophesied that the match would be a big surprise. This bout was the first time Wepner had been able to train full-time; since 1970 his typical day had consisted of road work in the morning, followed by his job selling liquor during the day. Then he was able to spend his nights working out and sparring in Bayonne boxing clubs.^[14] The match was held on March 24 at theRichfield Coliseum inRichfield, Ohio, south ofCleveland. Before the match, a reporter asked Wepner if he thought he could survive in the ring with the champion, to which Wepner allegedly answered, "I've been a survivor my whole life ... if I survived the Marines, I can survive Ali."^{[citation needed]}

In the ninth round, Wepner scored a knockdown, which Ali said occurred because Wepner was stepping on his foot. Published photographs showed Wepner stepping on Ali's foot at the time of the knockdown. Wepner went to his corner and said to his manager Al Braverman, "Al, start the car. We're going to the bank. We are millionaires." To this, Wepner's manager replied: "You better turn around. He's getting up and he looks pissed off."^[15]

In the remaining rounds, Ali decisively outboxed Wepner and opened up cuts above both of Wepner's eyes and broke his nose. Wepner was far behind on the scorecards when Ali knocked him down with 19 seconds left in the 15th round. The referee counted to seven before calling a technical knockout.^[16]

After the Ali-Wepner bout,Sylvester Stallone wrote the script forRocky, which was released in theatres in 1976. Like Wepner, (Rocky) Balboa lasts 15 rounds, but unlike Wepner, he actually "goes the distance".^[17] For years afterRocky was released, Stallone denied that Wepner provided inspiration for the movie, though he eventually admitted it.^[18][19]

In 1976, Wepner foughtprofessional wrestlerAndré the Giant and lost by countout after Andre threw him out of the ring.^[20][21]

On October 25, 1977, Wepner went toJapan and lost toAntonio Inoki in a Wrestler vs Boxer match.

Wepner's last match was on May 2, 1978, for the New Jersey state heavyweight championship against a new rising prospect, Scott Frank, noted for using a heavy left hook.^[22] Wepner lost the match in a 12-round decision, but again proved durable. He announced his retirement afterwards.^[23]

After his retirement from boxing, Wepner began abusing drugs. In 1979, Sylvester Stallone wanted to cast Wepner as a sparring partner inRocky II, but he failed the audition due to his drug problems.^[17]

In November 1985, Wepner was arrested on drug charges when he was found with four ounces ofcocaine in an undercover police investigation. Under a plea-bargain agreement, he was sentenced in 1988 to ten years in prison.^[24][25] He served 17 months inNorthern State Prison,Newark, New Jersey, then spent another 20 months in New Jersey's intensive supervision program.^[26]

In 2003, Wepner sued Sylvester Stallone, seeking payment for his use as the inspiration forRocky and the film series. The lawsuit was settled with Stallone in 2006 for an undisclosed amount.^[19][27]

As of 2010, Wepner had been working for 10 years with his third wife Linda in the liquor sales field for Majestic Wines and Spirits inCarlstadt, New Jersey, and was an expert in consumer liquors, wines and spirits.^[28]

ESPN aired a documentary titledThe Real Rocky on October 25, 2011,^[29] The ESPN film features a clip of Wepner's ninth round knockdown of Muhammad Ali in their 1975 world heavyweight title bout.^[30][31]Michael Tollin, who was a producer on the ESPN documentary, would also be a producer of the first of the two films about Wepner's career, which was released in 2016.^[32]

Wepner occasionally makes ringside appearances at boxing cards in his home state of New Jersey, signing autographs and posing for photos with boxing fans. On October 12, 2012, Wepner appeared ringside with former World Light Heavyweight championMike Rossman inAtlantic City, New Jersey, at aTropicana Casino & Resort Atlantic City fight card featuring a WBA NABA Lightweight title bout in the main event. Wepner held the WBA NABA heavyweight title during his boxing career.

• Sylvester Stallone's character Rocky Balboa and portions of theRocky film series were inspired by the life of Chuck Wepner.^[33] For instance, it was speculated that a scene from the 1982 filmRocky III had been influenced by Wepner's fight against Andre the Giant, as the movie features a match versus wrestlerHulk Hogan as "Thunderlips", who throws Rocky out of the ring.^[18][34]
• Liev Schreiber played the role of Wepner in a sports film,Chuck.^[35]
• Zach McGowan played the role of Wepner in another sports film,The Brawler.^[36]
• In 2022, a statue of Wepner was unveiled inCollins Park in Bayonne.^[37] The project had been several years in the works.^{[38][39][40][41][42]}

No.	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round(s), time	Date	Location	Notes
52	Loss	36–14–2	Scott Frank	UD	12	September 26, 1978	Ice World,Totowa, New Jersey, U.S.	Lost USA New Jersey State heavyweight title
51	Win	36–13–2	Tom Healy	TKO	5 (10),2:13	June 2, 1978	Old Armory, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
50	Win	35–13–2	Johnny Blaine	TKO	3 (10)	April 7, 1978	Embassy Hall, North Bergen, New Jersey, U.S.
49	Loss	34–13–2	Horst Geisler	TKO	10 (10),1:19	May 20, 1977	Broome County Arena,Binghamton, New York, U.S.
48	Loss	34–12–2	Mike Schutte	PTS	10	February 19, 1977	Wembley Stadium,Johannesburg,South Africa
47	Loss	34–11–2	Duane Bobick	TKO	6 (10),1:12	October 2, 1976	Utica College Sports Complex,Utica, New York, U.S.
46	Win	34–10–2	Tommy Sheehan	TKO	2 (10),1:01	May 6, 1976	Kearny High School Gym,Kearny, New Jersey, U.S.
45	Win	33–10–2	Johnny Dolan	KO	3 (10)	November 29, 1975	National Guard Armory,Fort Lauderdale,Florida, U.S.
44	Win	32–10–2	Johnny Evans	TKO	4 (10),0:59	November 13, 1975	Exposition Building,Portland,Maine, U.S.
43	Loss	31–10–2	Muhammad Ali	TKO	15 (15),2:41	March 24, 1975	Richfield Coliseum,Richfield,Ohio U.S.	ForWBA andWBC heavyweight titles
42	Win	31–9–2	Terry Hinke	TKO	11 (12),1:10	September 3, 1974	Salt Palace,Salt Lake City,Utah, U.S.
41	Win	30–9–2	Charley Polite	TKO	4 (10)	May 23, 1974	Embassy Hall, North Bergen, New Jersey, U.S.
40	Win	29–9–2	Randy Neumann	TKO	6 (12)	March 8, 1974	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.	Retained USA New Jersey State heavyweight title
39	Win	28–9–2	Billy Williams	PTS	10	January 17, 1974	Embassy Hall, North Bergen, New Jersey, U.S.
38	Win	27–9–2	Ernie Terrell	PTS	12	June 23, 1973	Convention Hall,Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.	Won vacant National Americas heavyweight title
37	Win	26–9–2	Billy Marquart	PTS	12	March 15, 1973	Embassy Hall, North Bergen, New Jersey, U.S.	Retained USA New Jersey State heavyweight title
36	Win	25–9–2	John Clohessy	PTS	10	December 7, 1972	Marist High School, Bayonne, New Jersey, U.S.
35	Win	24–9–2	Randy Neumann	PTS	12	April 15, 1972	Armory, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.	Won USA New Jersey State heavyweight title
34	Loss	23–9–2	Randy Neumann	PTS	12	December 9, 1971	Embassy Hall, North Bergen, New Jersey, U.S.	Lost USA New Jersey State heavyweight title
33	Win	23–8–2	Mike Boswell	TKO	10 (10)	October 14, 1971	Embassy Hall, North Bergen, New Jersey, U.S.
32	Win	22–8–2	Jesse Crown	KO	4 (10)	September 16, 1971	Embassy Hall,North Bergen, New Jersey, U.S.
31	Loss	21–8–2	Jerry Judge	TKO	5 (8)	January 6, 1971	Catholic Youth Center, Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
30	Loss	21–7–2	Joe Bugner	RTD	3 (10),3:00	September 8, 1970	Empire Pool,London,England
29	Loss	21–6–2	Sonny Liston	RTD	9 (10),3:00	June 29, 1970	Armory, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
28	Win	21–5–2	Manuel Ramos	UD	10	January 26, 1970	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
27	Win	20–5–2	Pedro Agosto	UD	10	December 19, 1969	Felt Forum, New York City, New York, U.S.
26	Loss	19–5–2	George Foreman	TKO	3 (8),0:54	August 18, 1969	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
25	Loss	19–4–2	José Roman	PTS	10	June 22, 1969	Hiram Bithorn Stadium,San Juan,Puerto Rico, U.S.
24	Win	19–3–2	Mike Bruce	PTS	8	April 28, 1969	Plaza Arena, Secaucus, New Jersey, U.S.
23	Win	18–3–2	Roberto Davila	MD	10	March 14, 1969	Felt Forum, New York City, New York, U.S.
22	Win	17–3–2	Jerry Tomasetti	TKO	1 (10),2:20	December 13, 1968	Felt Forum, New York City, New York, U.S.
21	Win	16–3–2	Mert Brownfield	MD	10	November 9, 1968	Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
20	Win	15–3–2	Forest Ward	TKO	7 (8)	September 28, 1968	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
19	Win	14–3–2	Mike Bruce	PTS	8	May 20, 1968	Plaza Arena, Secaucus, New Jersey, U.S.
18	Win	13–3–2	Eddie Vick	SD	10	April 30, 1968	Walpole,Massachusetts, U.S.
17	Win	12–3–2	Clay Thomas	TKO	3 (8),1:13	January 22, 1968	Plaza Arena, Secaucus, New Jersey, U.S.
16	Win	11–3–2	Charlie Harris	TKO	6 (8)	November 27, 1967	Plaza Arena,Secaucus, New Jersey, U.S.
15	Loss	10–3–2	Jerry Tomasetti	TKO	5 (6),1:07	July 19, 1967	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
14	Win	10–2–2	Don McAteer	TKO	7 (8),1:32	April 28, 1967	Armory,Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.	Won vacant USA New Jersey Stateheavyweight title
13	Win	9–2–2	Lou Hicks	UD	6	January 18, 1967	Catholic Youth Center, Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
12	Win	8–2–2	Dave Centi	PTS	6	October 21, 1966	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
11	Win	7–2–2	Johnny Deutsch	TKO	6 (6)	August 3, 1966	Memorial Stadium,Scranton,Pennsylvania U.S.
10	Win	6–2–2	Cleo Daniels	UD	6	April 6, 1966	Westchester County Center,White Plains, New York, U.S.
9	Win	5–2–2	Jerry Tomasetti	UD	6	February 22, 1966	Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S.
8	Loss	4–2–2	Buster Mathis	TKO	3 (6),1:58	January 17, 1966	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
7	Loss	4–1–2	Bob Stallings	SD	6	October 19, 1965	Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S.
6	Draw	4–0–2	Everett Copeland	PTS	6	March 23, 1965	Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S.
5	Win	4–0–1	Raymond Patterson	SD	6	January 19, 1965	Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S.
4	Win	3–0–1	Jerry Tomasetti	UD	4	December 18, 1964	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
3	Draw	2–0–1	Everett Copeland	SD	6	October 27, 1964	Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S.
2	Win	2–0	Rudy Pavesi	PTS	4	August 14, 1964	Madison Square Garden,New York City,New York, U.S.
1	Win	1–0	George Cooper	KO	3 (4),1:35	August 5, 1964	City Stadium,Bayonne,New Jersey, U.S.

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• Boxing record for Chuck Wepner fromBoxRec(registration required)
• Chuck Wepner – The Real Rocky, by Peter Hossli, January 1, 2007.
• Chuck Wepner atIMDb

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