Which boxer did Muhammad Ali fight in a 1975 bout that inspired the film Rocky? He fought Chuck Wepner.
The fight took place on March 24, 1975, at Richfield Coliseum in Ohio, with Ali defending the undisputed heavyweight championship. Wepner, a 36-year-old contender from Bayonne, New Jersey, was a major underdog, but his toughness and willingness to keep attacking made the bout famous. In the ninth round, Wepner knocked Ali down with a body shot, although Ali argued that he had been off-balance after Wepner stepped on his foot.
Ali recovered and stopped Wepner in the 15th round. Sylvester Stallone watched the contest and drew inspiration from Wepner's unlikely challenge when creating Rocky Balboa. Ali also influenced the fictional champion Apollo Creed, making the film's boxing inspiration more layered than a simple retelling of one fight.
The bout is sometimes described as a knockout, but its official result was a 15th-round technical knockout. Wepner was knocked down near the finish and could not safely continue.