If you’re afan of boxing movies, you probably know the name Rocky Balboa. There’s no way you don’t know who he is, portrayed by the living legend Sylvester Stallone; youknowRocky. However, you most likely don’t know the name Chuck Wepner. Kind of just seems like a regular old guy, right? In the trailer forChuck(2016), a voiceover tells you that you know him, but not in the way you would think. Chuck Wepner is the real-life heavyweight champion from New Jersey who went15 rounds with Muhammad Aliand was the inspiration for Rocky Balboa.
Chuckgives credit where credit is due as it showcases the real-life Rocky and the struggles that he went through thatall six of the Rocky moviesdidn’t capture. Fans of Rocky highlight in their reviews ofChuckthat they loved this film because of how real Wepner was, compared to the romanticizing of theRockymovies told through Stallone’s eyes. If you love boxing movies and have anaffinity forRockyand evenCreedand want to know more about Chuck Wepner, here’s why you should watchChuck.
Related:What’s Next for the Creed Universe After Creed III?
The True Story of Rocky
Millennium Films
Since Stallone took Wepner’s story and wrote it in a way that was attractive to Hollywood and audiences but didn’t accurately portray Wepner’s life, here’s what really happened to the boxer.Chuckfollows how Wepner has become a washed-up nobody who gets addicted to fame after the firstRockymovie is released and then essentially loses everything. Chuck Wepner was approached byStallone about doing a movieinspired by him after he went fifteen rounds with Muhammad Ali and lost when he was nineteen seconds away from the championship. What the Rocky movies don’t portray is how Wepner was essentially a huge softie who had adultery issues and really only got so far with Ali by chance.
TheRockyfranchise also ignores how Wepner fell into the hands of drugs and the addiction of Hollywood, losing his first wife in the process. He loses his desire to fight as he starts to party instead, doing lines of cocaine instead of suiting up in the ring.Rocky IIrolls around, and Wepner wants to audition for the lead role as Rocky, because obviously, it’s his life he wants to portray on the big screen. Stallone lets him audition, presumably just to make the old boxer content, but Wepner fails to secure the role, showcasing how down on his luck he really is. It’s a great biopic that’s completely honest with all characters, especially how Stallone didn’t help Wepner throughout his addiction and failures when the actorcreated an empire around Wepner’s life.
The Lawsuit
WhenRockycame out in 1975, it was assumed that Wepner would get some sort of payment for the film that was inspired by his life, but he in fact received nothing. In 2003, Wepner claimed that Stallone backed out of his promise to pay him for the movie, and Wepner started a lawsuit against the actor that honestly didn’t go very far. Stallone denied the “promise” he made to the retired boxer, and instead made a comment that Wepner was well off for the number of appearances he has done as the “real Rocky”. The lawsuit was eventually settled in 2006 on undisclosed terms, and Wepner now states that he and Stallone are on good terms.
Related:All of Rocky Balboa’s Main Opponents, Ranked by Strength
Schreiber’s Performance
If you’re a fan ofLiev Schreiberand his work, you’re aware that he adapts any character he takes on. His first ever movie role was inMixed Nuts, where he played a suicidal transgender woman named Chris who just wants to be around nice people for Christmas. Over the many years he’s been active, his acting has evolved, and he now has a remarkable roster of credits in his 55 years, and Chuck Wepner is one of his more memorable characters. If you don’t usually root for the underdog in sports movies, you’ll be more inclined this time after watching Schreiber play Wepner. He nails the role of a washed-up boxer who tries desperately to stay relevant after his real-life story is essentially poached by Stallone.
You’ll find yourself feeling for Schreiber’s Chuck, and throughout the film, you’ll be rooting for him to get his life together and back on track. To start being a better father, and to stop doing idiotic things that could most likely get him killed for the sake of “staying famous”. Such as fighting a bear. Schreiber plays the role of someone actively ruining the good things in his life in order for him to desperately try to get his moment in the sun. The way he transforms himself into Wepner, the gaudy mustache doing plenty of leg work, and the accent he takes on will make you forget that he also shines as Ray Donovan. Schreiber will make you cry, laugh, get frustrated, and root for him all in the hour and 28-minute runtime.
