“Back in the day was different level of savagery” – Muhammad Ali’s ‘ROCKY’ moment fight against Chuck Wepner goes viral 49 years later
Muhammad Ali vs. Chuck Wepner's legendary fight later became the main inspiration for the Rocky film series.
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Muhammad Ali vs Chuck Wepner (image credit- Ring Magazine, Reddit)
Muhammad Ali is easily referred to as one of the GOAT in boxing because of his achievements throughout his life. Ali’s impact as an individual stemmed far beyond boxing, and his life is looked upon as an inspiration. Ali has had several fights, now known as legendary bouts, from the golden age of boxing. As such, one of his bouts, against Chuck Wepner, would later inspire the movie Rocky.
The movie has impacted several generations of boxing fans since its release, and this fight was the main catalyst for that. Furthermore, the fight took place at the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield Township, Ohio, on March 24, 1975. Ali was expected to win easily, given Wepner’s limited boxing reputation. However, Wepner surprised many by putting up a strong fight and even knocking Muhammad Ali down in the ninth round with a left hook. Ali, though not seriously hurt, was angered by the knockdown and went on to dominate the later rounds.
The fight ended in the 15th round when the referee stopped the bout, declaring Ali the winner by technical knockout. Despite the loss, Wepner’s performance gained him recognition. Wepner inspired the creation of the character Rocky Balboa in the Rocky film series.
Ali continued his illustrious career as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers in history. Subsequently, Wepner became a part of boxing lore for his memorable underdog performance against the legendary Ali.
Fans react to Muhammad Ali vs. Chuck Wepner
Wepner managed to go 15 rounds against Ali and even scored a knockdown in the ninth round. Furthermore, his performance surprised everyone, as he was the underdog in the fight but still managed to stand till the end. Sylvester Stallone, the actor and writer behind the Rocky films, watched the match and was inspired by Wepner’s underdog story. Subsequently, the Rocky series and the characters are not a direct retelling of Wepner’s life.
However, the core theme of an underdog boxer getting a shot at the heavyweight title and going the distance against all odds draws inspiration from Wepner’s real-life experiences in the ring remains the same. In addition, fans reacted to the legendary clip of the fight by stating, “Heavyweight boxing back in the day was a different level of savagery.” Check out some of the fan reactions:
Fans showered the post with their immense love and respect for Ali and his legendary status as a boxer. Furthermore, fans acknowledged how this historic bout would serve as the main inspiration for the boxing movie Rocky. Subsequently, fans stated that Ali was the best ever to do it inside and outside the ring.
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Abhijay Roy
(551 Articles Published)