The Rocky Series by Sylvester Stallone is considered one of the finest franchises. After all, the critically acclaimed and commercially successful Creed spin-offs are still being made.
Even though the franchise started in 1976, the first Rocky movie continues to rank third in terms of box office revenue among the franchise’s total of 9 movies.
However, few people are aware that Rocky was based on a real-life battle in which The Greatest Muhammad Ali competed with Chuck Wepner in 1975. This incident happened when Sly made the movie on the fight and result, the boxer visited Sylvester Stallone while he was presenting the Best Supporting Actress trophy at the 1977 Academy Awards.
When Muhammad Ali crashed Sylvester Stallone’s Oscar appearance
Muhammad Ali shocked Sylvester Stallone at the 1977 Academy Awards as shown in a widely shared viral video. Apparently offended by the actor, the boxer yells, “You stole my script!.” The legends then start to do a fistfight and the people in the house enjoy it.
SYLVESTER STALLONE gets a big surprise from MUHAMMAD ALI in this great clip from the 1977 Academy Awards. pic.twitter.com/DJ81Etcvxj
— Figen (@TheFigen_) July 5, 2023
The entire altercation was definitely staged, and it appears that both of them had the idea backstage after learning that they would be presented jointly. Even though Muhammad Ali was making fun of the claim, it was true. Sylvester Stallone himself acknowledged that the film Rocky was indeed inspired by the 1975 battle between Chuck Wepner and Muhammad Ali.
How Rocky was written by Sylvester Stallone as a result of a Muhammad Ali fight?
Ali secured the win in the 1975 battle between Chuck Wepner and Muhammad Ali. Wepner, popularly known as “The Bayonne Bleeder,” put up an incredible fight, and that is what people remember most about the conflict. Yet, nobody anticipated that Wepner would last as long as he did or perhaps take Ali down. However, he pulled off the seemingly impossible in round nine before giving in in the decisive round.
Wepner faced overwhelming odds, and nobody had any trust in him. But when he pulled round 9 against the legendary Muhammad Ali, he flipped the script. Wepner had accomplished the impossible, and because of this one item, the mob turned around and began to support him. He had also given everyone the impression that they could succeed as well.
This personal success of the underdog served as inspiration for Sylvester Stallone, who based Rocky on him. More than 40 years after the release of the first movie, it is obvious that there is something about the Rocky franchise that continues to draw moviegoers. It appears that what has made the flicks so popular is the thrill of achieving the seemingly unattainable.