On this date: Muhammad Ali vs. Chuck Wepner, Griffith-Paret tragedy
A LOOK back AT EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON this date
Muhammad Ali vs. Chuck Wepner
The Muhammad Ali-Chuck Wepner fight is best known for being the inspiration for the film “Rocky.” Wepner was a rugged, but limited heavyweight who was known as the “Bayonne (N.J.) Bleeder” because of his propensity to be cut. He had almost no hope when he met the great Ali on this date in 1975 in Richfield Township, Ohio. And, as expected, he lost. However, Wepner had a few surprises for Ali, who was coming off his stunning knockout of George Foreman to regain the heavyweight championship but acknowledged that he didn’t train properly for Wepner. First, the underdog put Ali down in Round 9, which might’ve been the spark that led to the beloved film. Ali claims he fell because Wepner stepped on his foot – a contention video seems to support – but the moment was dramatic. And, second, Wepner, as tough as they come, managed to survive until he was finally stopped in the 15th and final round. Ali had his hand raised but Wepner claimed his niche in boxing lore as a brave, never-say-die challenger.
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Emile Griffith vs. Benny Paret
The third meeting between Griffith and then-welterweight champion Paret – on this date in 1962 at Madison Square Garden in New York – ended in tragedy. The two were bitter rivals, having split two previous fights. And Paret added fuel to the fire by hurling a homosexual slur at Griffith at the weigh-in. Griffith, who would later come out as bisexual, was incensed. The fight, televised on network TV, was competitive going into the 12th of a scheduled 15 rounds. That’s when Griffith suddenly trapped Paret in a corner and delivered a horrific flurry of punches that Paret ultimately couldn’t fend off. Respected referee Ruby Goldstein jumped in to save Paret from undue punishment but it was too late. He slipped into unconscious and never woke up. He was carried from the ring and died 10 days later. Some say the tragedy led to the decline of boxing as a mainstream TV sport.