Liev Schreiber Taking on “The Bleeder”

Chuck Wepner, aka The Bayonne Bleeder, and the man who inspired Sylvester Stallone to write "Rocky," is about to get a biopic all his own.

Liev Schreiber will play Wepner in "The Bleeder," which will co-star his real-life partner Naomi Watts, and Christina Hendricks, reported Variety.

The film be the feature-film debut of Jeff Feuerzeig ("The Devil and Daniel Johnston"), with a script he co-wrote with Jerry Stahl ("Permanent Midnight" and "Bad Boys II").

Wepner boxed professionally from 1964 to 1978, accumulating a record of 35-14-2 with 17 KOs. But the only fight that anyone ever talks about is his unlikely title shot against Muhammad Ali.

Asked if he was afraid of Ali, Wepner reportedly quipped, "I've been a survivor my whole life...if I survived the Marines, I can survive Ali."

And he did, with the fight improbably going 15 rounds before Wepner lived up--or down--to his nickname, ending in a TKO.

Contact Us