Date: 24th March 1975
Venue: Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, Ohio, USATitle: WBC & WBA World Heavyweight Titles
Promoter: Don King Productions
Tv: Closed Circuit Television
Muhammad Ali
(
45
-
2
-
0
)
Weight: 223 1/2 lbs
Chuck Wepner
(
31
-
9
-
2
)
Weight: 225 lbs
On March 24, 1975, Muhammad Ali, the reigning WBC and WBA Heavyweight Champion, faced Chuck Wepner at the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio. At 224 lbs, Ali Ali was heavily favoured to win against the 225-lb Wepner, with betting odds of 10 to 1.
The fight, Ali's first title defence since reclaiming the championship from George Foreman in the "Rumble in the Jungle," was seen as an easy win for the champion. Ali had done minimal training and dismissed Wepner as an unworthy opponent.
Despite the odds, Wepner, known as the "Bayonne Bleeder" for his tendency to get cut during fights, put up a valiant effort. Ali toyed with Wepner through the first eight rounds, but in the ninth, Wepner knocked Ali down after stepping on his foot and hitting him with a right to the ribs. This marked only the fourth time Ali had been officially knocked down in his career.
After the knockdown, Ali began to fight with more purpose, dominating rounds ten through fifteen. In the final round, Ali battered Wepner until he crumpled into the ropes. Wepner struggled to get up, but referee Tony Perez stopped the fight at 2:41, giving Ali the victory by TKO.
The fight was a financial success, with Ali earning $1.6 million and Wepner making $100,000. A crowd of 14,847 attended the event at the Richfield Coliseum, and the bout was shown on closed-circuit TV in 150 locations.
Wepner's gutsy performance against Ali inspired Sylvester Stallone's Oscar-winning film "Rocky." Stallone, who watched the fight live, was moved by Wepner's determination and used it as the basis for his screenplay about an underdog boxer getting a shot at the heavyweight title.
Although Ali was bitter about the controversial knockdown, calling Wepner "dirty" and accusing him of fighting "like a woman," the two later became friends. They developed a mutual admiration for one another.
While not considered one of Ali's greatest bouts, the Ali-Wepner fight remains a significant moment in boxing history for its influence on popular culture and its demonstration of the unbreakable spirit of the underdog.