Chuck Wepner Biography

(American Former Professional Boxer)

Birthday: February 26, 1939 (Pisces)

Born In: Bayonne, New Jersey, United States

Charles “Chuck” Wepner is a retired professional boxer whose life has been the subject of several popular Hollywood films. A self-described brawler, he was active in the professional circuit from 1964 to 1978. Wepner grew up in the violent streets of Bayonne, New Jersey, where he learned to fight to defend himself. He developed a deep love for various sports as a youth, particularly basketball, playing for the Police Athletic League. After finishing school, he decided to enlist in the US Marine Corps and it was there that Chuck Wepner the boxer was born. He was part of the boxing team at his base and even won a military championship. He made his professional debut in 1964 against George Cooper, winning the match by a third-round knockout. A year later, he suffered the first defeat of his career against Bob Stallings. He also fought the likes of José Roman, George Foreman, Randy Neumann, and Ernie Terrell. In 1975, he faced world champion Muhammad Ali for the WBA and WBC Heavyweight titles and lasted until the very last round before being knocked out. Wepner retired after losing to Scott Frank in 1978 with a record of 35 wins, 14 losses, and two draws. The film ‘Rocky’ was allegedly based on his life.

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Quick Facts

Nick Name: The Real

Also Known As: Charles Wepner

Age: 85 Years, 85 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Linda Wepner, Lorma Wepner, Phyllis Wepner

father: Charles William Wepner

mother: Dolores (Hrynko)

siblings: Don Wepner

children: Charlene Weper, Chuck Wepner Jr., Kimberly Wepner

Born Country: United States

Boxers American Men

Height: 6'5" (196 cm), 6'5" Males

Ancestry: German American, Ukrainian American

City: Bayonne, New Jersey

U.S. State: New Jersey

  • 1

    = What is Chuck Wepner famous for?

    Chuck Wepner is famous for being a former professional boxer who fought against Muhammad Ali in a historic match in 1975.

  • 2

    = Did Chuck Wepner ever win a world championship title?

    No, Chuck Wepner never won a world championship title during his boxing career.

  • 3

    = How did Chuck Wepner earn the nickname "The Bayonne Bleeder?"

    Chuck Wepner earned the nickname "The Bayonne Bleeder" due to his reputation for sustaining cuts and bleeding during his boxing matches.

  • 4

    = What inspired the movie "Rocky?"

    Chuck Wepner's fight against Muhammad Ali served as inspiration for the movie "Rocky" and its sequels, as Sylvester Stallone was inspired by Wepner's underdog story.

  • 5

    = Did Chuck Wepner have any memorable fights besides the one against Muhammad Ali?

    Yes, Chuck Wepner also had a memorable fight against George Foreman in 1976, although he lost the match.

Childhood & Early Life
Born on February 26, 1939, in New York City, Chuck Wepner is one of the two sons of Dolores (née Hrynko) and Charles William Wepner. He is of mixed German, Ukrainian, and Belarusian descent. His brother’s name is Don.
When he was about a year old, he and Dolores relocated to his maternal grandmother’s house on the 28th Street near Hudson Boulevard (now Kennedy Boulevard) where he lived in a room that was previously a coal shed until he was 13 years old. Wepner was an active youth, regularly participating in several sports, especially basketball, which he played for the Police Athletic League.
His initiation to fighting occurred in a turbulent neighbourhood of Bayonne, New Jersey. In an interview later on, he called his home city a “tough town”, stating that there were a lot of people from the docks and naval base, and one had to learn to fight to survive.
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Career
As a youth, Chuck Wepner joined the army. His tenure in military brought a sense of discipline in his life. It also exposed him to boxing. He briefly served as a bouncer at a nightclub in New Jersey before taking up boxing seriously. Renowned for his toughness, he won the New York Golden Gloves Heavyweight Novice Championship in 1964. When he turned professional in the same year, he had an amateur record of 16 wins and zero losses.
The first match in his professional career took place on August 5, 1964 at City Stadium in Bayonne. He won that match against George Cooper and soon became a popular boxer on the Northeast's Club Boxing circuit. In the subsequent matches, he fought all over the US, defeating the likes of Rudy Pavesi, Jerry Tomasetti, and Ray Patterson as well as suffering back-to-back losses against Bob Stallings and Buster Mathis.
He won the first title of his professional tenure on April 28, 1967, defeating Don McAteer with a fifth-round technical knockout. On September 28, 1968, he knocked his opponent Forest Ward down three consecutive times to trigger automatic stoppage.
He faced George Foreman on August 18, 1969 at Madison Square Garden. Foreman, who had just begun his career, crushed Wepner in the third round, winning via technical knockout.
He had his only trilogy of fights against fellow American boxer Randy Neumann. In their first bout, on December 9, 1971, Neumann defeated him by points after a gruelling 12-round match, effectively winning the USA New Jersey State Heavyweight title. They met for the second time four months later, on April 15, 1972, and Wepner won the title back. The last fight took place at the Madison Square Garden on March 8, 1974. It ended in the sixth round after he knocked Neumann down to retain his championship.
Chuck Wepner challenged the then WBC and WBA Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali for the world's Heavyweight title. They met on March 24, 1975 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, Ohio. Ali dominated most of the fight. However, in round nine, Wepner knocked him down, which, according to Ali, happened because of a well-placed punch and because Wepner was stepping on his foot. Ali got up and went on to win the match in the last round with only seconds to spare.
Sylvester Stallone, back then a struggling actor, wrote the screenplay for ‘Rocky’ after watching Wepner’s fight with Ali. However, he later stated that the inspiration for the titular character of the film was legendary Rocky Marciano and not Wepner. The latter sued Stallone. The case was eventually dropped after they settled out-of-court for an undisclosed amount.
In 1976, he fought professional wrestler Andre the Giant in an exhibition match, which he lost after Andre threw him out of the ring. The fight served as the inspiration for Rocky Balboa’s charity match against Thunderlips (Hulk Hogan) in the film ‘Rocky III’. On September 26, 1978, Wepner appeared in what was to be his last professional bout. He lost the match and the USA New Jersey State Heavyweight title to Scott Frank. Soon after, he announced his retirement.
Over the years, he has made sporadic ringside appearances at boxing cards in New Jersey to interact with fans, pose for pictures, and sign autographs.
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Besides the ‘Rocky’ franchise, Wepner’s life has also been the subject of the 2016 biographical sports drama ‘Chuck’, with Liev Schreiber portraying the titular character. The movie was well received by the critics, with Colin Covert of Minneapolis Star Tribune writing that “’Chuck’ will never have the same glory as ‘Rocky’, but it's a worthy little contender.”
In the upcoming film ‘American Brawler’, Zach McGowan has been cast to play him. A documentary named ‘The Real Rocky’ was also made on his life. It aired on ESPN on October 25, 2011.
Awards & Achievements
On April 28, 1967, Chuck Wepner won the vacant USA New Jersey State Heavyweight title for the first time, defeating Don McAteer with a technical knockout. He would later win the title a second time on April 15, 1972.
He clenched the vacant National Americas Heavyweight title on June 23, 1973 against Ernie Terrell.
Family & Personal Life
Chuck Wepner is thrice married. His first marriage was to Lorma Wepner and he has two children—Charlene and Chuck Jr.—with her.
His second wife's name was Phyllis Wepner and he has a daughter named Kimberly with her. Their marriage unravelled due to his infidelities.
He wed his third and current wife, Linda Wepner, in 1995. The couple currently lives in his hometown of Bayonne.
Following the fight with Muhammad Ali fight, Chuck Wepner was incarcerated for 18 months for possessing three ounces of cocaine and was put on probation for 12 more months. The authorities offered to lessen his sentence if he were to reveal the name of his supplier, but he refused to take the deal.
He built up a successful second career as a liqueur salesman after his retirement from boxing
Facts About Chuck Wepner

Chuck Wepner, also known as the "Bayonne Bleeder," gained fame for his resilience in the boxing ring, having survived numerous brutal fights against top opponents.

Wepner's fight against Muhammad Ali in 1975 inspired the iconic film "Rocky," with Sylvester Stallone drawing inspiration from Wepner's underdog spirit for the character of Rocky Balboa.

Outside of boxing, Wepner had a colorful personality and was known for his love of professional wrestling, often making appearances at wrestling events and forming friendships with wrestlers.

Wepner's nickname, the "Bayonne Bleeder," was a testament to his toughness and ability to withstand punishment in the ring, earning him respect among fans and fellow fighters.

Despite facing challenges and setbacks in his boxing career, Wepner remained dedicated to the sport and continued to inspire others with his perseverance and determination.

See the events in life of Chuck Wepner in Chronological Order

How To Cite

Article Title
- Chuck Wepner Biography
Author
- Editors, TheFamousPeople.com
Website
- TheFamousPeople.com
URL
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/chuck-wepner-9083.php

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