The Real Rocky Here

: The training sequence where Rocky punches slabs of meat in a cold storage locker was a direct lift from Frazier’s real-life training at a Philadelphia slaughterhouse.

: In the ninth round, Wepner did the unthinkable—he knocked Muhammad Ali to the canvas. It was only the fourth time in Ali's career he had been knocked down. The Real Rocky

While Wepner was the primary catalyst, the character of Rocky Balboa is a mosaic of several boxing legends: : The training sequence where Rocky punches slabs

: After serving time in prison in the 1980s for drug possession, Wepner turned his life around. He spent decades working as a liquor salesman in New Jersey and remains a local legend in Bayonne. Other Pieces of the Puzzle While Wepner was the primary catalyst, the character

: Wepner lasted until the final 19 seconds of the 15th round before the referee stopped the fight.

: Stallone borrowed the name, the iconic crouched fighting style, and the relentless durability of the only undefeated heavyweight champion.