BEFORE achieving fame with Rocky, Sylvester Stallone faced significant hardships, including sleeping in a bus station, selling his cherished dog, and acting in a pornographic film for £150.

Frustrated with his lack of progress, the Italian-American actor began penning his own scripts, but success remained out of reach.

That changed when he observed the obscure heavyweight Chuck Wepner knock down Muhammad Ali, almost pulling off one of the most historic upsets in boxing during their 1975 match.

The fight, in which Ali ultimately triumphed over a bruised yet tenacious Wepner in the 15th round, inspired Stallone to craft the iconic underdog narrative of Rocky.

The film, featuring Stallone as the underdog boxer challenging the reigning world champion, became one of the greatest box office successes ever.

As the film’s 50th anniversary approaches, a new movie titled I Play Rocky captures Stallone’s struggles to land the leading role against the odds.

Despite facing financial troubles and anticipating his first child, Stallone was unwilling to sell the script unless he was cast as Rocky Balboa.

Offers soared to $360,000—roughly $2.25 million today—for the script with Stallone not in the lead role.

Studio executives were keen on casting a well-known star like Burt Reynolds.

However, recognizing this was his shot at fame, Stallone remained firm, and his bold decision ultimately paid off.

The film catapulted him to stardom and earned three Oscars.

At the 1977 Academy Awards, boxing legend Ali even surprised Stallone by appearing on stage to present an award, engaging in playful banter with him.

Stallone invited Chuck to the premiere of Rocky, asked him to make an appearance in the sequel, and consistently referred to him as his inspiration.

However, their friendship faced turmoil in 2003 when Wepner sued Stallone for a portion of the Rocky franchise’s earnings, which had grossed $1.8 billion worldwide.

The case was resolved out of court for an undisclosed amount.

In an interview with The Sun, Chuck, now 87, recalls how his title fight at Richfield Coliseum, Ohio, in March 1975 inspired Stallone.

He shares, “According to Stallone, he had only $40 to his name and went to see the fight.

“He noticed how the crowd switched from cheering for Ali to chanting ‘Chuck! Chuck! Chuck!’ after the knockdown.

“They recognized I was fighting to win, not just for a paycheck. He got the idea that it would make a fantastic movie—an underdog overcoming a 40-to-one odds and going the distance with Ali, even knocking him down.”

In many ways, Chuck and Stallone’s journeys have mirrored one another.

Both hail from New York and had to prove their critics wrong after facing challenging beginnings.

Stallone was left with partial paralysis on the lower left side of his face due to a severed nerve during his birth.

He spent his early years in foster care and endured abuse from his father, Frank, who worked as a hairdresser.

As a child, Chuck and his younger brother, Don, lived in a modified coal shed in one of Bayonne, New Jersey’s toughest neighborhoods.

After his parents separated, Chuck reflects: “I had to navigate through a lot of difficulties growing up in a single-parent household. My mother raised us.”

After being discharged from the Marines in 1959, he began working as a bouncer. A client at one of the clubs where he worked encouraged Chuck to try boxing.

Five years later, he claimed the New York Golden Gloves Novice Heavyweight Championship, yet his professional career was plagued by his propensity to bleed easily.

After suffering a loss to British boxer Joe Bugner at Wembley in 1970 due to a cut, he went on to win nine of his next 11 fights, earning the chance to face Ali for the heavyweight title.

Chuck reveals: “I was a 40-to-one underdog whom everyone believed wouldn’t last more than five rounds with Ali, yet I managed to go 15 rounds and even knocked him down in the ninth round.

“The Ali fight was the first instance where I could train full-time for a bout.

“All my other fights for 15 years felt like part-time efforts. I would run in the morning, work all day, and then train at night.”

In the end, Chuck lost by technical knockout after enduring a beating from the legendary champion while managing to stay on his feet.

Still, the long shot was confident he could secure victory.

Chuck chuckles, recalling, “The night before the title fight, I bought my wife a powder-blue negligee.

“I told her, ‘Wear it tomorrow night, because you’re going to be sleeping with the heavyweight champion of the world.’ When it was all over, I returned to my hotel room, and there she was, sitting on the edge of the bed in her negligee.

“She asked me, ‘Am I heading to Ali’s room, or is he coming to mine?’”

Stallone was also juggling multiple side jobs while chasing his dreams, including working at a zoo and acting in the 1970 adult film The Party At Kitty And Stud’s, which culminated in an orgy scene.

Finances were so tight that he resorted to selling his beloved bullmastiff, Butkus, for $40 at a convenience store to buy food while he worked on scripts at night.

Stallone later bought Butkus back, who went on to star alongside him in the film.

I Play Rocky, releasing Friday, depicts Stallone’s moment of realization while watching Chuck almost achieve the historic upset.

He hurried home and wrote the script for Rocky in just three and a half days.

Producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff were convinced of its potential, but the studio insisted they cast an established star in the lead role.

Since Stallone refused to compromise, they were only allocated a $1 million (£750,000) budget for production, which was insufficient to hire enough extras for crowd scenes.

At that time, boxing films struggled at the box office, and many were skeptical about Rocky’s success.

Chuck recalls, “I attended the New York premiere. I expected it to be just another mediocre boxing film because Stallone wasn’t known as a writer or producer.

“To my surprise, the theater was packed that night. There were many celebrities present, and the atmosphere was electric. It was astonishing. People were cheering and celebrating.

“It was such an inspirational experience. Once the film concluded, many approached me, shaking my hand and hugging me.”

Just like in Chuck’s real fight, in the film Rocky loses to the favored Apollo Creed.

Stallone’s confidence proved justified, as he went on to enjoy success with action films like Rambo, Cliffhanger, and Demolition Man during the 1980s and 1990s.

He wrote a role for Chuck in Rocky II, released in 1979, in which Rocky wins the world title, but the former heavyweight champion felt uncomfortable faking punches.

Chuck states, “I went to audition for the part and told Stallone, ‘I’m not an actor; I’m a fighter.’ He responded, ‘Well, I am an actor, not a fighter, but I play one.’”

Fame and wealth didn’t serve Chuck well, as he succumbed to a wild lifestyle.

He confesses, “I became sidetracked for a period, indulging in cocaine. During that time, I often partied at clubs with multiple girls.

“It was the late 1970s and early 1980s; my partying was excessive. That was before I married Linda—my third wife—who helped me regain control.”

In 2003, his friendship with Stallone became strained when Chuck claimed he was owed $15 million (£8.9 million) from Stallone for using his life story to create Rocky. Eventually, they settled the matter outside of court for an undisclosed amount.

Despite the fallout, Stallone showed signs of reconciliation by assisting in a 2016 biographical sports drama about Chuck, who also contributed to the project behind the scenes.

The movie, Chuck, known as The Bleeder in the UK, features Liev Schreiber in the title role.

Chuck concludes, “I sued him, but you know what? We’re still friends.

“I think Sylvester is an incredible actor and an excellent writer; I have great affection for him. He made me Rocky—how could I not appreciate him?”