Muhammad Ali vs. Chuck Wepner Boxing Match Inspires Sylvester Stallone to Write Rocky Screenplay (1975)

On March 24, 1975, actor and filmmaker Sylvester Stallone’s life changed forever when he watched a boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner. After watching the epic boxing match, Stallone rushed home and began writing, something he’d started doing to earn extra income as a struggling actor in New York City. After three days and 20 straight hours, he had a completed script that later became the iconic boxing film Rocky.

Stallone later denied that Wepner provided inspiration for the screenplay. That didn’t stop Wepner from filing a lawsuit that was eventually settled with Stallone for an undisclosed amount.