BoxRec

The term "bum" can be likened to the the term "great" ... Many people use both terms loosely -- bum to include amateurish swingers like Wepner, Bobick, Bucceroni, Dunn, Lubbers, Tangstad, Kirkman, Zech, Rush, O'Halloran, Saverese, Molina, McNeeley, McBride, Paychek, Hoffman, Sosnowski, Price, etc. -- guys who were good enough to achieve a certain amount of fame, but as soon as they hit the big time fell straight through their asses.

Some use "great" to include top contenders who repeatedly fail at the world level -- such as Quarry, Folley, Machen, Satterfield, Nova, Shavers, Tua, Grant, Guinn, Donald, Whyte, Scott, Chambers, etc. -- boxers who appear to have skills, power, and other assets, but can't get over the hump against the best.

Wepner was broadly lacking in skills, strength, speed, power, balance, sharpness, etc. He was far from being visually impressive in his fights. He had some natural assets for a Heavyweight boxer in the way of height, weight, reach, and physical toughness. He never developed them into a game that took him beyond the status of a crude, brawling journeyman. He got a title shot and got the trash beaten out of him. That's were his fame comes from.

By the way,I hear on the radio that they just released a major movie based on the life of Chuck Wepner.
has anyone here even heard about it let alone seen it in a cinema ?

If they're doing movies on losers... They should do a story on Ron Lyle...

He went to prison for murder -- was stabbed to death in prison and pronounced dead twice on the operating table... Lyle's heart stopped, "We lost him" ... Each time they heard Lyle making strange noises so they continued to work on him -- having really given up hope each time he flatlined... Muhammad Ali only gave Lyle a Title Fight after Ron was badly out-boxed by novice Jimmy Young -- who had 13 wins in 19 fights.

Lyle said he was going to out-box Ali... "I've been watching Ali's fights and he can be out-boxed.. I've been out-boxed a couple times now, but I've figured out what I'm doing wrong and Ali does the same things.. so I know how to beat him." ... Howard Cosell and others treated that Lyle's forecast with incredulous amusement -- but when a boxer says far out things maybe you should listen.. Lyle started out extremely well.. Going into the 11th Dundee told Ali he was "behind by a few rounds. We need to go after this kid now." ... Ali came out and took the offensive -- a tactic Lyle hadn't prepared for.

Lyle also came razor close to winning his fight with Foreman.. "I got a very late start in Boxing, and never got the brew quite right."

Caractacus wrote:By the way,I hear on the radio that they just released a major movie based on the life of Chuck Wepner.
has anyone here even heard about it let alone seen it in a cinema ?

Yes, it's called "Chuck". I went and checked it out. I stayed with it since I thought the subject was interesting and I was at least somewhat familiar with his story. It's not like it's fantastic, but you'll enjoy it as a fan of the subject. Of course, finding it might be another story all together.