He was the original Rocky. If you saw Rocky I, that was the James J. Braddock story. Sylvester Stallone, a fight buff, was, no doubt, very familiar with the Braddock saga when he scripted the life and times of Rocky Balboa.
James J. Braddock, aka Cinderella Man, was a New Jersey boxer during the Great Depression known for his courage, comeback, and he inspired many during those hard times. Rocky Balboa, aka.
Sylvester Stallone wrote 'Rocky' in just 3 days
Stallone got the inspiration for Rocky after watching a boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner. According to a 2005 interview he did with Howard Stern, Stallone wrote the script quickly but had to make numerous changes to it in order to streamline the story.
Muhammad Ali, perhaps the greatest boxer in history, passed away in Scottsdale, Arizona on June 3, 2016 from "septic shock." He was an inspiration to Stallone, and the two had a wonderful friendship.
Joe Louis was a heavyweight professional boxing fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world between champion James J. Braddock and challenger Joe Louis. The fight took place on June 22, 1937 at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois.
However, old-timers, followers of the sweet science and viewers of the film Cinderella Man (2005) all know that Max Sr. was boxing's heavyweight champion of the world for all of 364 days, from the time he knocked out Primo Carnera on June 14, 1934, to the day he lost his title to Jimmy Braddock on June 13, 1935.
It was 86 years ago today – June 13, 1935 – that James J. Braddock won a 15-round decision against heavily-favored and defending champion Max Baer to capture the heavyweight boxing title. The story was captured well in the 2005 Ron Howard film titled Cinderella Man.
In Stallone's film, Apollo Creed's character was based on Ali and Wepner was played by Rocky. Ali, who was made to look like the anti-hero in the film, wasn' t too impressed with the final outcome of the movie.
Wepner's 1975 fight with Muhammad Ali motivated Sylvester Stallone to write the movie about a fighting underdog. Wepner's 1975 fight with Muhammad Ali motivated Sylvester Stallone to write the movie about a fighting underdog.
Like many fans of Sylvester Stallone's Oscar-nominated role as Rocky Balboa in 1976's Rocky, actor Liev Schreiber wasn't aware of a key film fact. The unknown boxer character who gets the chance of a lifetime to fight the world's heavyweight champion was inspired by an actual fighter named Chuck Wepner.
Stallone was an unknown actor at the time and other Hollywood types would be a much safer bet at the box office. They were looking at Ryan O'Neil, Burt Reynolds, and others to play Rocky Balboa. They offered Stallone $360,000 for the script, with the condition that he wouldn't play Rocky.
The inspiration for Rocky was a real-life fight between the world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali and a little-known club fighter named Chuck Wepner.
Stallone co-wrote the screenplays of all five films, and directed Rambo. In addition to films, the franchise also spawned an animated television series, Rambo: The Force of Freedom, as well as comic books, novels, video games and a Bollywood remake.
New York City, New York, U.S. Wepner's boxing career, and fight with Ali, inspired the 1976 film Rocky, and other life events were chronicled in the 2016 film, Chuck. He was also the subject of the 2019 film The Brawler.
I mean, just listen to these tales from the Rocky series Sylvester Stallone recounted Monday night with Jimmy Fallon. In order to give some scenes that extra hint of realism, Stallone, not an actual boxer, agreed to take some actual punches to the face.
“I sued for $15 million, fuhgeddaboudit, I didn't get a minute percentage of that,” Wepner said. “Stallone and I are friends now. We had to go to court. That was just business.
The film's writer and star Sylvester Stallone stated, "[Jack] Johnson served as the inspiration for the character of Apollo Creed in the Rocky movies"; the character is loosely based on a combination of Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Joe Louis, and Jack Johnson.
Ebert reports Ali “really like[d] the original Rocky,” and praised the sequel as “A great movie” with “all the ingredients.” But he was also keenly aware of the subtext reverberating through these films. To wit: Rocky's wife turned to him and said, “There's one thing I want you to do for me. Win.” “Yeah!” said Ali.
(born July 6, 1946) is an American retired heavyweight boxer and former Two-Time Heavyweight Champion. He is famous for his indomitable spirit, extreme tenacity and ferocious body attack.
James Walter Braddock (June 7, 1905 – November 29, 1974) was an American boxer who was the world heavyweight champion from 1935 to 1937. Hell's Kitchen, New York, U.S. North Bergen, New Jersey, U.S.
29 (AP)—James J. Braddock, who won the world heavyweight championship in 1935 by outpointing Max Baer in one of boxing's biggest upsets, died today at his home here. He was 68 years old.
His career total was 86 bouts with 51 wins (26 by knockouts), and he was inducted into Ring magazine's Boxing Hall of Fame in 1964.