Sly Stallone vs. Chuck Wepner: TKO in the `Rocky' lawsuit

By M&C News Aug 8, 2006, 23:49 GMT

Forbes is reporting that attorneys for Chuck Wepner and Sylvester Stallone filed notice in U.S. District Court last week that they have settled the 2003 lawsuit for “undisclosed terms.”

Chuck Wepner has ceased his legal complaint for compensation from Sylvester Stallone for using him as the muse for the Rocky franchise of films.

Wepner had maintained Sly never made good on promises that Chuck would get remuneration.

Forbes reports that Wepner, a former boxer, claimed Stallone improperly used his name to promote the Rocky films, while Stallone stated that Wepner had already benefited by making public appearances as ‘the real Rocky.’ “

Stallone said during a 2001 interview that became part of a Rocky anniversary DVD that he was working on a screenplay about a fighter, when he watched Wepner nearly go the distance with heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali in 1975.

"What I saw was pretty extraordinary, I saw a man they call `the Bayonne Bleeder' who didn't have a chance at all against the greatest fighting machine supposedly that ever lived."

Rocky won the Oscar for best picture in 1977, it is the eponymous title to the story of the down-and-out club fighter played by Stallone in the mean streets of Philly.

Stallone, 60, has wrapped Rocky Balboa, the sixth film in the franchise set for release before Christmas.

Forbes reports that Wepner, 67, “was a New Jersey club fighter who got his nickname from the damage he was prone to receive even while winning.”

Discovered by the infamous promoter, Don King, Wepner got a title shot against reigning heavyweight champion George Foreman. But Muhammad Ali defeated Foreman and Wepner got to fight Ali. In the ninth round he knocked Ali to the canvas before losing by technical knockout 19 seconds before the final bell.