Rocky Balboa

[Master]

What were the real inspiration for the films?

Who is Rocky?
Apollo Creed
Clubber Lang
Ivan Drago
Polly
Ms Rocky
Mickey
Mase Dixon
The fights?

[Beanflicker]

I know Rocky was Chuck Wepner and Apollo was Ali. I don't know who else was based on real fighters.

[Master]

I know Rocky was Chuck Wepner and Apollo was Ali. I don't know who else was based on real fighters.

Was wepner a southpaw?

I thought it was Chuvalo

[Beanflicker]

They did a story on Chuck called The Real Rocky. Stallone saw the Wepner/Ali fight and was inspired to write about a huge underdog who puts up a valiant effort against a seemingly unbeatable champ. Wepner enjoyed all the attention it gave him, being the "real Rocky", but after awhile got angry that he wasn't being compensated and sued (which Stallone and him settled out of court apparently.)

[Master]

They did a story on Chuck called The Real Rocky. Stallone saw the Wepner/Ali fight and was inspired to write about a huge underdog who puts up a valiant effort against a seemingly unbeatable champ. Wepner enjoyed all the attention it gave him, being the "real Rocky", but after awhile got angry that he wasn't being compensated and sued (which Stallone and him settled out of court apparently.)

What a cunt.

[Beanflicker]

Yeah I agree, it's not like Stallone took his story. He was just inspired by the fight. I don't know what right Wepner would have to the Rocky story.

[Britkid]

What were the real inspiration for the films?

My take would be:


Rocky = Wepner
Apollo Creed = Ali
Clubber Lang = Liston
Ivan Drago = American fears
Polly = Floyd Mayweather Snr
Mickey = Ray Arcel
Mase Dixon = Greg Page

[Silkeyjoe]

I thought Mase Dixon was a representation of modern heavyweights. Not nearly as good as heavyweights of the past and one coming back after their retirements could push them in the prime

[nuggetdotcom]

They did a story on Chuck called The Real Rocky. Stallone saw the Wepner/Ali fight and was inspired to write about a huge underdog who puts up a valiant effort against a seemingly unbeatable champ. Wepner enjoyed all the attention it gave him, being the "real Rocky", but after awhile got angry that he wasn't being compensated and sued (which Stallone and him settled out of court apparently.)

THat was my reading of it, can't remember where but Wepner certainly made the national press.

[Hulk]

I kind of see Mickey as Gil Clancy.

Clubber was like George Foreman.

[bradlee180]

Yeah, it was mainly Chuck Wepner. An unknown Stallone saw a real underdog being given a shot at the The Greatest Prize in All Sports, as the World Heavyweight Title used to be known. Wepner's big moment was knocking down the Champ, Ali. It was a balance shot, Ali wasn't hurt one bit... but still, Wepner threw the shot and Ali went down from it, so it counts!

Smokin' Joe Frazier had a lot to do with the Rocky character too.
Joe was from the south, but moved to Philadelphia as a teenager.
Not a south paw like Rocky, but Joe's punch was his Philadelphia left hook.
Rocky had the right hook.
Joe worked at a slaughterhouse, and would punch the sides of beef.
Joe also jogged the steps at the Philadelphia museum.

[p4pking]

Broner is clearly named after and inspired by Rocky's wife Adrian, which would have to make Mayweather the closest thing going to Balboa, everything else aside.

[bradlee180]

Holy crapola!
Dude has a pic of Marciano right in his crappy apartment.
There's an homage in name and being Italian there as well.

[Spicoli]

Tommy Gunn...Gerry Cooney

Or Vince Neil

[bradlee180]

I think it was Chuck Wepner's wife said, "You don't enter a jalopy in the Indy 500."

That was her thoughts on the big fight.