Chuck Wepner Interview on the Klitschko's

Wepner and Angelo Dundee both watched the knockdown together in slow motion and both agreed it was a legit knockdown. Wepner did not step on Ali's foot or did Ali "trip".it was a good body shot that put Ali on the canvas. Wepner is the only boxer to have a legit KD on Ali while Ali was champ :good

 

technically it was as a punch touched but he was going down anyway IMO

The point is however that the fight was a joke, Wepner was not some rocky figure that gave his all in a vicious war, he was thoroughly embarrassed in that fight, and unlike the rocky character he did not survive to the final bell:good

 

I think you're being too hard on Wepner. True, he was cleary outclassed by Ali and did not survive the final bell by about the last three seconds of the 15th rnd. How many guys can say they went 14+ rnds with Ali? May not have looked impressive but it ain't bad braggin' rights at the end of the day either.

It's true that Stallone was inspired to write "Rocky" after watching this fight. It's not a documentary only an inspiration for an underdog fighter that just wanted to go the distance with the undisputed HW Champ of the world. Stallone also combined Joe Frazier and Rocky Marciano into Balboa's character. Frazier being from Philadelphia and using Marciano's crouching style, being not the most skilled boxer but able to "really swat".

You're right, Wepner will probably never be considered an ATG but I give any man credit for going 14+ rounds with Ali that had just previously destroyed George Foreman :good