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Chuck Wepner

September 5, 2011 by · Comments Off on Chuck Wepner 

Chuck WepnerChuck Wepner, Hollywood is making another Rocky movie, and yes, he knows what you’re thinking. Sly Stallone in large logs. Assemblies of training in a meat factory. “Yo, Adrian!”

But this is not the seventh – or is the eighth or ninth? – Film about the fictional boxer. This is the first about the real, whose life is much more colorful than anything the best screenwriter could imagine. This is the true story of Chuck Wepner. Well, mostly true story. Let the man himself explains.

“There is a scene where I am in a hotel room with a couple of my girls Go-Go,” the man they called the purging of Bayonne last week from his apartment in – where else? – Bayonne. “I’m pouring champagne all over his body and drinking champagne.

“I told (the writer), ‘you got me laying in bed with three girls go-go pour champagne over them. It was not two!” And he said, “Chuck, three, four, five girls, People will believe anything of you! ”

The beauty of the history of Wepner is no need to embellish. When you start out fighting in the clubs and the Marines, and then knock down Muhammad Ali in a title fight to become the inspiration for Oscar-winning film, then go to jail on drug charges before the Cleaning your life and marry the woman of his dreams – Well, the challenge is to do everything that fits in two hours.

“The Bleeder” hit theaters in 2012, with Liev Schreiber set to portray the boxer and Christina Hendricks of Mad Men fame signed up to play the part of his third wife and now, Linda. The project, co-written and directed by Jeff Feuerzeig Hazlet native, has been working for over seven years and is convinced that Wepner can surprise the world how fictional version of Sylvester Stallone for 35 years.

Wepner also be the focus of a documentary of one hour, ESPN, which will air on October 25 called “The Real Rocky.” He flew first class to Hollywood last month to encourage, entertaining a roomful of reporters from Hollywood with its 100 percent of the stories Jersey.

“The day before the fight (Ali), I took my wife shopping and bought a powder-blue gown, because I said, ‘you have to look good when you sleep with the world heavyweight champion,” which he said. “The night I lost my wife is sitting on the edge of the bed in her robe and she asks:” So, I go to Ali’s room, or what? ”

He’s probably told the story a few thousand times, usually in their jobs for nearly 40 years as a seller of alcohol or some fans in an autograph show. His life story – maximum, minimum, and yes, go-go dancers – are going international now, but in 72 years, there is a case of sudden fame.

He has been living large since 1975, when his mother called during an episode of Kojak – and hated to be interrupted for Kojak – told him to pick up a copy of the newspaper. The promoter Don King had chosen to fight Ali Wepner, but had not bothered to tell him.

It was supposed to be an easy night for the champion. 15 laps were in place. Wepner became one of the few men to beat Ali the canvas – though, to this day, Ali insists he stepped on the foot.

“For Chuck and Linda,” the message in an autographed poster of his office read. “Good luck to my dear friends, since Muhammad Ali. After me, there is no other. PS Stay out of my foot!”

Everyone knows what happens next. A young Stallone was watching the fight in Philadelphia and the idea was born. Wepner recalled sitting in a theater in Manhattan a few months later, during the premiere of the movie based on his life, and when Apollo Creed Rocky knocked down, the crowd turned and began cheering for him.

The true story has more layers, more drama. “No” Cuff and Link ‘turtles. No skating, “said Wepner.” I mean, this is celebrating the coast of New Jersey. This is the real deal! ”

That’s what drew Mike Tollin, who is producing both projects. Tollin has always had an interest in sports, the development of movies like “Coach Carter” and documentaries like “The Bronx Is Burning.”

“With Chuck Wepner,” Tollin said in a telephone interview, “you have a guy out of certain parts of New Jersey can be treated almost like a fictional character, but you have this fascinating chapter in the tradition of boxing and all these real-life characters who take advantage of. ”

Stallone is one of those characters in real life. Wepner quoted the actor as his inspiration in countless interviews, but then changed his story when Wepner wanted a piece of the over one billion and the number of films made. Wepner sued and, in perhaps his biggest downfall of his career, scored a deal and income.

Wepner insists he has no lingering animosity Stallone. How could I? The actor is the reason most people remember his boxing career, the reason may be conducted by Hudson County in his 12-cylinder Lincoln Presidential series sedan with a plaque that says “champion.”

Now, at age 72, will be making a comeback in Hollywood, first with the documentary on the small screen and then the movie on the big screen. The purge of Bayonne is the hope that it will be a familiar name to their own history, not to play a few million times on TV.

“This is another Rocky movie,” said Wepner. “It’s a film about the real Rocky”

No “Cuff and Link” turtles. No Mr. T pities the fool. And best of all, no “Yo, Adrian!”

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