Muhammad Ali was bigger than ever. And Ali, who really had made absolutely everyone sit up and pay attention in recognizing him as “The Greatest” with his stunning title-reclaiming win over an “invincible” George Foreman in October of 1974, was now talking about engaging in nothing but super-fights, the kind that only super-rich countries could afford to host. The world waited to see what Ali would do. Next, the heavyweight crown was regained, with the 33-year-old proving he was still far and above the best heavyweight on the planet.
It came as some surprise when it was announced that Ali’s first defense of his second reign would come against Chuck Wepner. This, though, was a time when a white heavyweight was a red-hot commodity, and “The Bayonne Bleeder,” as Wepner was colorfully known due to his paper-thin skin and the amounts of the red stuff he had shed as a result (Wepner, in his fight with Sonny Liston, required no less than 72 stitches in his face), got his shot.
Don King had promised Chuck he would get his shot, and for once, King was a man of his word. Ali, five months after he had done the impossible in the heart of Africa, would fight Wepner in Ohio. Fan interest was fair, but nothing like it had been going into the epic “Rumble in the Jungle.” Wepner’s chances of winning were seen as being as thin as the skin on his face.
But a few things happened in the fight that made it memorable for the fans and life-changing, not only for Wepner but also for an unknown actor/writer who had sat and watched the fight on a closed circuit. Wepner managed to give Ali a far tougher night’s work than anyone had predicted would be the case.
Wepner, who for the first time in his career had the benefit of a full training camp afforded him due to some paid time off from his day job, was in great shape and he was motivated. Ali was in decent physical shape, but he was not in anything approaching the kind of mental zone he had entered ahead of the Foreman fight. To drum up interest and perhaps to get himself further worked up and animated, Ali is said to have asked Wepner to call him the ‘N’ word on TV. Wepner, no dope, declined. Instead, Wepner came across as a cool, convinced fighter in the lead-up to the bout that was set for March 24th, 1975.
Ali was 33 years of age now, and he was 45-2(32). Wepner was 36 years old, and his record read 30-9-2(12).
Ali was irritated by Wepner’s constant use of rabbit punches, and the champ was absolutely fuming at third man Tony Perez, who failed to stop the challenger from using his illegal tactics. Ali lost his cool for one of the rare times in his career, with him calling Perez all manner of names.
Then, in round nine, a big sensation occurred. Wepner knocked Ali down! Embarrassed and now even more angry, Ali was now all business as he punished Wepner. Later, photos showed how Wepner’s large foot, which had clumped down on Ali’s foot, had possibly aided Ali’s fall, with Wepner saying years later that “it wasn’t a great shot, but it was a legit knockdown.”
Ali, way ahead on points, opened up cuts on Wepner’s face over the course of the final few rounds, with Chuck’s eyes also swelling up. Exhausted but still hanging in there, Wepner was finally sent staggering to the canvas by an Ali volley in the 15th and final round. Shattered but still game, Wepner tried to get up and continue, but Perez – who later told Chuck that he hadn’t realized there was so little time left on the clock – waved the fight off. There were just 19 seconds left in the round.
Wepner was rightfully proud of his effort while Ali was still the king, as had been fully expected going in. A 28 year old Sylvester Stallone went home to his small apartment and, sufficiently inspired by the big underdog’s gallant effort, pumped out the initial script for a film to be named ‘Rocky,’ this in three days flat.
In time, Wepner, who fought on until September of 1978, would be known around the world as the “Real Life Rocky.” And today, all these years later, with Ali and almost all of the other fighters from the golden era that was the 1970s gone (George Foreman of course passing away just this weekend), Wepner is still here. In good health at 86 years young, Wepner could easily be handed another nickname: that of The Great Survivor.
