Chuck Wepner - 1970s Heavyweights

“The Bayonne Bleeder” was the nickname for Wepner and he once tried to sue Sylvester Stallone saying that the “Rocky” character was based on his life. Wepner was a scrapper and had as much heart as any fighter you could find. He was rugged and tough but not a great boxer. But to watch his efforts and how hard he fought made him an attraction. His final record was a respectable 35-14-2 and in his only shot at the world title facing Muhammad Ali, Wepner lost by TKO in the 15th round but in the process knocked down Ali in the 9th round. Eight of his losses were by TKO or KO. Of his 14 losses, some were at the hands of well-known fighters (Buster Mathis, George Foreman, Sonny Liston, Joe Bugner, Ali, and Duane Bobick). For those who know Wepner’s story, many will probably remember him most for being on the card of Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki, boxer versus wrestler that saw Wepner taking on Andre the Giant and the former WWE star tossing Wepner out of the ring like a rag doll.