Analyze: Chuck Wepner

[Brutu]

Its still hard to believe even 35 years later that the some people still think this bout was "pre-arranged".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3EksOFtILs

[Collins2000]

[Brutu]

Here was the"Main Event"of the evening.
"The Super-Fight of the Century"
Muhammad Ali-Antonio Inoki
(brought to you courtesy of Bob Arum,board chairman and Butch Lews,executive vice-president ,Top Rank,Inc.

Tokyo Japan June.25. 1976
(abridged version)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6Bu5Ki4DHo

[Brutu]

Chuck Wepner's managers around that time(ca.1970)
were Gary Garafola(also owner of the Rag Doll in Union City )
and Al Braverman.They also managed lightheavyweight Frank DePaula.

[granberry]

. . . the"Main Event"of the evening.
"The Super-Fight of the Century"
Muhammad Ali-Antonio Inoki

Should have been called the stinkout of the century.

[Brutu]

What about Ray Patterson?
What was he chopped liver?
He was Wepner's fifth pro fight in January 1965.
Ray Patterson had won the 1961 New York Golden Gloves and came into that fight with a 10-1-0 record.
He was also of course the brother of former HWY Champion Floyd Patterson.
Wepner developed his habit of bleeding in the fight with Ray Patterson when he received a nasty gash over an eye.
The doctor ordered him to rest but a few weeks later he fought Everett Copeland and re-opened the wound.

here is some footage of Ray Patterson in 1961.
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=68485

[Brutu]

Some of Wepner's scar tissue was from a bite on the ear he received from Randy Neuman,which opened up again in the Terell fight.

[Brutu]

Here is a list of some of Chuck Wepner's fights that were filmed/televised.(someone is selling tapes of these on-line)


Wepner vrs Buster Mathis(1966)
Wepner vrs Manuel Ramos(1970)
Wepner vrs Joe Bugner(1971)
Wepner vrs Duane Bobick(1976)

[Brutu]

Here is a link(that works)to some fight film of Liston-Wepner in 1970.
Its abridged,but its the sharpest footage of that bout that I have seen anywhere so far.
However there is a ersatz voice over of it of an Englishman pretending he was there covering it live(he wasnt of course).
IMOP ,They should have found someone from Jersey to do the voice over to give it some regional flavour.

Part 1.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULBFQzU1HSw


Part 2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6-u6xH9V-Q

[Brutu]

Joe Buger vrs Chuck Wepner
Sept.08.1970
Empire Pool,Wembley London

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02rfCwzMfNc

[orbtastic]

Tony Galento vrs Joe Louis,
now that was a rea l"Rocky" story.
So was Ron Stander vrs Joe Frazier.

Was it Stander's own wife who said "well you wouldn't enter a VW beetle in the Indy 500".

[HookOffTheJab]

I'm watching the Duane Bobick fight and it's also virtually nothing but rabbit punches from Wepner. It's astonishing that the referees didn't notice much.

[max hord]

He reminds me of guys that we grew up with in the bars...granite chin, big and hard to knock off their feet. Only diff in them and chuck was chuck trained like boxers do and could fight all night, where those bar room brawlers couldn't last long. We all know em.

[Caractacus]

Here is a link(that works)to some fight film of Liston-Wepner in 1970.
Its abridged,but its the sharpest footage of that bout that I have seen anywhere so far.
However there is a ersatz voice over of it of an Englishman pretending he was there covering it live(he wasnt of course).
IMOP ,They should have found someone from Jersey to do the voice over to give it some regional flavour.

Part 1.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULBFQzU1HSw


Part 2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6-u6xH9V-Q

Liston goes down at 2:23
I wonder why Wepner wasnt able to rabbit punch him as much?
Possibly due to Liston's height and the reach of his arms.

[Caractacus]

check out this doumentry about Chuck Wepner.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_LD3vmL-w4

[Caractacus]

At one time Wepner was rated number 8 top contender
and Randy Nuemann was once rated number 9 top contender in the world.

[Rockytony67]

The Mike Schutte fight was filmed as well.

[yancey]

Interesting to revisit this thread and see remarks by Granberry, particularly his assertion that Liston was visited by the Black Muslims.

I have always felt that threats to Sonny and the hit on Malcolm X played a role in the Lewiston lay down, not that Sonny was going to win anyway.

I think Granberry knew some stuff, regardless of the majority opinion here.

[L.A. kidd]

ive read the book "jersey boy" the story of Frankie depaula, in the book the liston-ali no#1 comes up, its said that abe resnick told the jersey faction, "don't bet liston on this fight, something is wrong with it. and, a new revelations from the fbi state that they were told it was a fraud. [the fight in Miami] if you would like to read that book the assertions by the mob are clearly mentioned.

also, the muslims did visit sonny liston prior to both fights with ali. there is no doubt that liston laid down in Lewiston maine.

he was as mobbed up as any fighter in boxing history.