GETTING HIS CUT Former heavyweight Wepner finally got actor to pay up for using his likeness in the creation of the character. Now Hollywood is telling the story of ‘The Real Rocky’

WORDS: MARK KRAM JNR main photo: Steven Henry

huck Wepner looked better to celebrate the event and I had been than he should have, given invited to come along, given that Chuck the years of abuse that his face and I had a friendly relationship that and body had absorbed in the dated back some years. By occupation boxing ring. At 72, the 6ft 5in, a liquor salesman, Chuck eyed the clear 230-poundC Wepner remained lean and liquid in the glass before me and asked, unscarred – or, shall we say, less scarred ‘Is that a martini?’ When I said that it was, than the pummelling he took during his he replied with a trace of longing in his 14-year career would have foretold. Years voice: ‘Yeah, I used to drink those until I ago, if you would have placed him side by walked into a joint one night and shot out side with some of his rivals, the mirror behind the bar.’ That was back and , you would have during his wild, pre-prison days, which called it even odds that Wepner would were not without some amusing elements have been the one who was either dead if you remove the prison sentence, the or in some steep state of physical decline. cocaine addiction that led to it, his ‘Mike follows her into the back room,’ Instead, as Liston lies in his grave and Ali divorce and assorted other problems. Wepner continues. ‘They are in there for has become a still life due to his ordeal had some in half an hour or so. Then, here she comes with Parkinson’s disease, the erstwhile him back then, which prompted me to out the door. She has a big smile on her ‘Bayonne Bleeder’ remains in full bloom, offhandedly ask him if he knew Tyson. face. Five minutes later, Mike walks out as witty and as quick with a colourful ‘Sure, I was with him in a club in the door and sits back down with me. story as ever. ,’ said Chuck, a glass of spring He says, “Everything is fine”.’ We were sitting across from each other water cupped in his large hands. ‘He Wepner eyed him and asked, ‘Mike, in a private room at a Philadelphia night was there with a woman, couple of them what went on back there?’ spot. The exceptional documentary on I think. Suddenly, one of them goes crazy. Tyson smiled and explained, ‘I wrote Wepner called The Real Rocky had just Apparently, Mike grabbed her ass. She her a cheque for $5 000.’ premiered to an appreciative audience goes running off into a back room and Wepner deadpanned replied, ‘Christ, at a theatre across the street. Some says she’s going to call the police.’ Mike. I would have let you grab my ass friends of the production had assembled So what happened? for $2 500.’ American Read

huck Wepner is one of the true effort, chances are he would have Chuck Wepner attends a press originals on the American sports vanished from our consciousness were conference to announce his lawsuit Cscene. For years, the ex-United it not for the fact that Sylvester Stallone, against Sylvester Stallone over the States marine laboured in the obscurity then a struggling actor, became inspired Rocky series of movies of venues such as the Sunnyside Gardens by Chuck and came up with the idea in , the Armory in Jersey City and for the filmRocky . Along with the five the Plaza Arena in Secaucus, only to be sequels that followed, the Rocky series chosen as an unlikely opponent by Ali grossed more than $1 billion in box office in 1975. No one gave Chuck a prayer that sales, not a penny of which Sly passed evening in , but he held on for along to Wepner until big Chuck sued. 15 rounds and even had Ali on his back Hollywood has rediscovered Wepner, before losing on a technical knockout. who lives in a condominium that While he found himself celebrated back overlooks Bayonne Bay. On the heels home in North Jersey for his courageous of the acclaimed Jeff Feurerzeig

61 photo: Tony Tomsic/Getty Images/Gallo Images in 1970, Wepner lookedlikehehadjust against ListonattheJersey CityArmory at theoffice.’ observed, ‘I shouldhave toldthemIgave of bloodinayear?’ year. whointhehellgives Geez, sixpints Drive,’ hesaid. ‘I getsix callsfrom thema was that?’ Thank you.’ Veteranslocal ofForeign Wars. OK? giving bloodinaweek andahalftothe conversation. ‘Look, Chucksayshe is for abeatandthenrejoined the let meask.’ with him. Who isthis?OK.Just asecond, into thereceiver. ‘He hasanewspaperguy a film. could well have beensomescenefrom remember hereceived aphonecallthat a visitwithhimonedayathiscondo, I his facethanathree-piece suit. During once saidhadmore stitches sewn into more bloodthan Wepner, ofwhomitwas practitioners spilled ofthepugilisticarts what Wepner did–bleed.In fact,few Schreiber andNaomi Watts andiscalled The Bleeder The Bleeder The documentary, to come out this year with the film, to comeoutthisyear withthefilm, producer Mike Tollin isscheduled delves intohislegalbattlewithStallone, Wepnera biographical chronicle of that Few gave more generously. In hisbout andwithachuckle Chuck shrugged ‘Somebody from theNew Jersey Blood I asked Wepner ashehungup, ‘Who Chuck heldahandover thereceiver ‘No, Mr Wepner isbusy,’ Chucksaid becausethatisprecisely . The picture starsLiev The Real Rocky Real The , which is , whichis

Wepner’s seconds attend to him during during him to attend seconds Wepner’s three-piece suit into hisfacethana more stitchessewn it wasoncesaidhad than Wepner, ofwhom spilled moreblood of thepugilistic arts Few practitioners his title fight against Muhammad Ali Ali Muhammad against fight title his in in March in Ohio in

on. ‘No waywasIgoing to allow him rounds’, which Wepner sayshe cashedin The ‘Over-Under’ was ‘four orfive 40-1 underdog thatevening inCleveland. Chuckwasa beatable insidethering, what hejustcalledme?’ shouted totheaudience: ‘Do you know But whentheycamebackontheair, Ali Ali. ‘I whoare have alotoffriends black.’ Wepner heldhisground. ‘No,’ hetold Chuck,’ hesaid. ‘It willbuildupthegate.’ told himno. Aliurged him. ‘Come on, said, ‘Chuck, callmeanigger.’ Wepner show before thebout,Alileanedover and acommercialme thatduring ona talk TV the White Man aChance’. Wepner told buttonsthatproclaimed,wearing ‘Give promotional revelation. Alieven began employer, Alilookedupon Wepner as him $100000.Ever theequalopportunity clover whenAlicamealongandoffered buy asetoftyros, Wepner endedupin whichhadbeenscarcelyring, enoughto owes us”.’ for yourself. But hebetter payuswhathe me back$500andsaid, “Here, keepthis to theguy. He countedout$600,handed change forthefight,’ hesays. ‘So Igave it out ofthis, Chuck.”’ doing tomymanager!” They said, “Stay the dressing room. Isaid, are “What you him againstthewallwhenIwalkedin tune of$3500.Chucktoldme, had ‘They in arrears tothelocalwiseguys problem for Al,whooncefoundhimself to). But itwouldbecomeanoccasional I hadbeendelightedtobearwitness horseplayers (whichasacallow youth them outforguile. Both were aggressive Beta Kappa keyiftheywere handing who wouldhave beenawarded aPhi Braverman andtrainer Paddy Flood, picture, like acharacter outoftheoldBrando look athimandhewouldbleed. on Wepner was:Allyou hadtodowas more fights. Iwanttobe No 1.’ Theline Al Braverman: ‘Come on,Al,getmeafew plead withhismanager, theconniving says. To exceed thatsum, Wepner usedto hadmore: Antuofermo Vito 365,’ Wepner a career totalof329. ‘Supposedly, only take astitchhere orthere, Wepner had and replied, ‘No, hismanageris.’ Give or fought?’ Listonpondered the question Chuck Wepner thebravest manyou ever prompted someonetoaskListon: ‘Is pusswith72stitches, which carved-up had fallenonhim.Doctorssewed uphis crawled outfrom underabuildingthat Unbeaten inbarrooms buteminently Given inthe whathehadbeenearning Wepner laughs. ‘I got$1100andsome By sheerappearance, Wepner looked On the Waterfront the On American Read . So did . So did

63 F my room ordoIgotohis?’ she askedhim: ‘So, doesAlicometo that powder bluenegligee. Innocently, wife sittingontheedgeofbedin back tohishotel,where hefoundhis onhisface,up andbruises Wepner went back tohiscorner. With hiscutsstitched Braverman andFlood escorted Wepner his corner, Alicollapsedtooneknee. to Chuck: ‘Your eyes are glassy.’ In correctly, Perez stoppedit,explaining was. Although Wepner answered him Referee askedhimwhere he been caughtinanairplanepropeller. round, Chuck lookedasifhisfacehad as Alisuddenlycametolife. By the15th embarrassed more thananything’. up – Wepner stillclaimsthat ‘Ali was film footagewouldappeartoback had steppedonhisfoot–which While Aliwouldlatersaythat Wepner up andthen:Boom! Aliwent down. intheninthround, backedAli corner down hisface, Wepner sailedoutofhis a narrow doorway. With bloodsliding tosqueeze through a pianohewastrying for Ali,whohandledChuckasifhewere Wepnerungainly proved tobeaproblem say, pouronthepressure –thelarge and and Flood prepared forhim–whichisto keeping withthestrategy thatBraverman not beenprepared togo15rounds. In where hefoundaflabby Aliwhohad conviction, Wepner steppedintothering, champion oftheworld.’ With that going tobesleepingwiththeheavyweight you towear thistonight, becauseyou are for hiswifeandtoldher: ‘Honey, Iwant he purchased apowder bluenegligee Wepner wassosure hewouldwinthat to takemeoutinfive rounds,’ hesays. American Read 64 said thatsohe would not ‘look likea percent ofthe film. But hesays heonly flat feeof$70000insteadtaking one thatheaccepteda concocted astory money, even bigmoney. perhaps Chuck assumed that Wepner hadmade some than once. Consequently, just everyone it in andhesaiditmore interviews TV who hebasedhischaracter on.He said acknowledged that Wepner hadbeen . Even Stallone himself rounds withtheflashyblackchampion, the boxing whenhegoesthe15 ring legbreaker whobecomesalegendin ‘the Rocky’, theSouth Philadelphia had usedChuckashisinspiration for obvious thatStallone toeveryone on those Courageously, Wepnerpersevered you must have made a killing you musthave made akilling to Chuck Wepner andsay: ‘Boy, or years, peoplewouldcomeup Rocky movies.’ It wasthat

Ali and Wepner at a press conference conference press a at Wepner and Ali a narrow doorway a narrow doorway squeeze through he wastryingto as ifhewereapiano who handledChuck be aproblem for Ali, Wepner proved to to hype up their world heavyweight heavyweight world their up hype to championship fight championship

I got a piece of The Rock.’I gotapieceof touch withyou.’ But henever was. and said, ‘Don’t worry, Chuck.I’ll bein introduced himtoco-starRobert DeNiro Chuck Wepner ishere’. Stallone and Stallone exclaimed, ‘Hey, everybody, Chuckstoppedby a smallpart. theset North Jersey anddidnotofferhimeven he signedprohibited himfrom saying. of court. told him, ‘Life isalongshot’. a longshotbutasBraverman hadonce with Stallone, andthatheloved whathedid was notused. Wepner saysheliked for a small part in for asmallpart one point,Stallone askedhimtoaudition promises butnothingcameofthem’. At that Stallone had ‘always beenfullof that hewouldtakeofhim. Wepner says ‘Inever gotadime. Nothing.’ wasthis: dummy’ andthatthetruth promote the him thatStallone continuedusehimto Stallone wasshootingthefilm says ‘the camein1997when finalstraw’ hiladelphia Daily News Daily hiladelphia P Kram isacelebratedwriterfor Monthly contributor to Experts told him that the case was toldhimthatthecasewas Experts So Wepnersued. But withasmileheadded, ‘Just say He saidtheconfidentiallyagreement I askedChuckhow hedid. And Stallone settledwithhimout Years passed. Stallone alwaystoldhimnottoworry, Rocky ’sRead. American , but it began to aggravate , butitbegantoaggravate Rocky Business Day Sport Sport Day Business Rocky II Rocky franchise. Wepner and a regular andaregular but Chuck butChuck he he T Copland

in in

photo: Ron Kuntz/getty images/Gallo Images