Pretentious film snobs (and us, sometimes) are quick to call bullshit when a "based on a true story" movie turns out to be filled with lies. But let's face it, no one wants a movie to get too realistic. We depend on Hollywood filmmakers to omit the depressing real-life bits and just stick to the good stuff -- if we wanted to fill our faces with candy and soda while watching something sad, we'd stay home.
That's why, as we've covered once before, it's surprisingly common for popular movies to leave out shockingly disturbing facts, like how ...
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Rocky -- The Real Rocky Fought a Wrestling Bear, Went to Jail on Drug Charges
United Artists
Unless you're Russian or a sentient piece of raw meat hanging from a hook, you probably love famed fictional boxer Rocky Balboa. Rocky has moved countless viewers over the years to follow their dreams. What could be more inspiring than a regular Joe from Philly who goes on to become world champion and punch the physical embodiment of communism in the face?
United Artists
The punch was so strong, Hugo Chavez spontaneously dropped dead 28 years later.
As Cracked readers already know, the inspiration for the character came from Chuck Wepner, a real fighter whose bout with Muhammad Ali gave a young Sylvester Stallone the idea for the original film. Luckily for cinema history, Stallone didn't take any cues from Wepner's further career for more Rocky adventures, because then the franchise would have inevitably turned a lot sadder than it did. Instead of going on to gain international fame or facing formidable opponents like Ivan Drago and Mr. T, Wepner's second-most-notorious fight after the one with Ali was this:
ESPN/Chuck Wepner via YouTube
All the boxing bears were busy that night.
You might think that "Victor the Wrestling Bear" was simply a nickname for some large, hairy gay man, but nope: it was an actual de-clawed, nearly blind grizzly that Wepner sparred with for the entertainment of a bunch of weirdos. Looking at photos of the fight will make you feel bad for Wepner, the bear, and humanity in general.
ESPN/Chuck Wepner via YouTube
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