European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 24, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 26 the stars and stripes sunday november 24, 1985 Wepner facing different Justice by Fred Bayonne. . Dpi it s still Loo Early for lunch at Rocco s restaurant and tavern. Al 11 . Tuesday in arc arc a half do in men at the bar. They arc sipping Beer Ami smoking cigarettes. Therein Lalk of i Tiball from the night before and How the new York let inc Jahic gel away. He conies in Here the bartender tells a customer while giving change. Sometimes around lunch hour when he s on his liquor Chuck we incr the scar issued heavyweight who once took Muhammad a 15 rounds in a title fight and was inc inspiration for the movie Rocky attends to other business As Well these Days trying to slay out of prison. Middlesex county authorities say we incr is a mid level drug dealer. Alan Rockoff the county prosecutor charges Wepner was found earlier this month with four ounces of cocaine in his car with an estimated Street value of j12.000. In his pants pocket it is alleged were six to seven More Grams. Hey i m no Coke dealer we incr says standing in the doorway of his three Story apartment building near the water. These people arc trying to put me away in a place 1 Don t belong. They be been after me for a Long Wepner is inc third prominent boxing figure to spar with the judicial system in the last two weeks. Rubin Hurricane Carter the former middleweight had his triple murder conviction overturned in Newark n.j., on grounds the trial was tainted by racism. Carter 8. Has up Cal most of inc last 19 years in new Jersey prisons serving two consecutive life sentences. Don King the 54-year-old boxing promoter with Clicc tric like hair was acquitted tuesday on All counts of income tax evasion and conspiracy in . District court in Manhattan. He could have faced 46 years in prison. On inc door of apartment a3 in Bayonne is a Gold plate with the name Chuck Wepner. He is wearing dark Slacks and a beige print shirt. Wopner is 46, tall and trim and More than 10 years removed from his bout with a the bleeding noses and swollen eyes arc part of his boxing past. I can t say anything without my lawyer . This is tour White pillars guard the Entrance to Wepner s apartment building. Across the Street is the kill Vantull Park. The Park overlooks water and the piers and warehouses of stolen Island in new York. Tugboats plod toward the arc of the Bayonne Bridge. We incr is the favorite son of Bayonne. A town More accustomed to the working life than the glitter of big time sports. Down the Street and up Kennedy Boulevard is a bus lot and truck leasing company. On 30lh Street billboard Speaks to the Community s concerns crime with a gun gets you 3-5 years. Bayonne is a Beautiful town we incr says. At Rocco s. The bartender says people arc pulling for inc sex fighter. Of he says. Who knows if he s involved Buthe s a Good however at the Park Deli a couple of blocks away a Young Man with a germanic accent says things have changed since the drug charges it s like people Don t know who he is. It s Wepner s finest moment in the ring came in Cleveland in 1975 when he went 15 rounds with a before losing on a technical knockout and collapsing. Sylvester Stal Lone used him As a Model for he was a Heck of an inspiration Trainer Anglo Dundee says from his Miami office. Maybe that s Why the movie was such a Dundee was in Ali s Corner for the we incr fight. During the bout Wepner stepped on the Champion s Foo but it was ruled a Knockdown the last time Ali was Ever brought Down. He was a heavyweight who could fight any heavy weight Dundee says. He was a big Strong determined Guy. He never had a bleeding heart but he used to bleed. He utilized everything he had. He gave 150 had to respect him. When he fought a everybody was Pooh pooling him but 1 was concerned. I be go nothing but we incr last Rought in 1978, losing his new Jersey heavyweight title in Scott Frank. He retired with a 38-14-2 record. Goodman recalls Whei we incr beat Ernie Terrell in Atlantic City n j., for la state title in 1973. A photo Bayonne s favorite son Chuck Wepner. They be been Afler me for a Long Lime the referee was he Only scorer Al the time and Terrell apparently won All 12 rounds. But one of Wopner s handlers ran into the ring and changed the scorecard. Wepner was declared the Winner and Terrell s Corner went after the referee. He was chased out of Atlantic City Goodman says. I Don t know he might still be running. It was one of the great miscarriages of now Chuck we incr faces Justice of another sort. And it could make going 15 rounds with Ali look easy. Confidence results in 8-3 Mark o Brien punctuates jets improvement up Phol jets quarterback Ken o Brien. From Ken who to Ken All pro by Barry Wilner , . A yes they have Freeman Mcneil the acc Best runner this season. And they have a Strong corps of receivers from speedsters Wesley Walker and Al Toon to Slick Kurtsahn and dependable Mickey Shuler. The offensive line featuring steady Cen Ter Joe Fields and the flashier Marvin Powell at tackle also has been a major Factor in the revitalized attack of the Newyork jets. But the main reason for the team s sur prising 8-3 record and no. 3 standing on offence in the conference is quarterback Keno Brien who is now the league s leading passer. O Brien placed a very Mark on his development As a National football league signal caller on sunday with a 367-Yard, five touchdown performance against Tampa Bay. Granted that the bucs hardly arc the Chicago Bearson defense but Neil Lomax the far More heralded Bof the St. Louis cardinals could t put any Points on the Board against them the previous week. Clearly o Brien has come a Long Way from Ken who which was inc reaction of Many fans when he was drafted on the first round of the 1983 draft the fifth and least known of six College quarterbacks to go in the opening round that year. O Brien did not play a Down As a Rookie while Miami was Riding Dan Marino swings to the playoffs. Others who were picked in that round Denver s John Elway Tony Eason of new England Jim Kelly of Houston of the United states football league also had established themselves while o Brien sat. O Brien sits no longer. He has gone from Ken who to. Perhaps Ken times change says o Brien who moved in As the jets Starling a a a year ago this weekend when Pat Ryan was too injured to continue in that role. This sea son has been a matter of gaining experience seeing the plays develop and going with what we think will work one of the things that has worked Best for o Brien is Ito oking up with Shuler the solid tight end who has a Knack for getting open on crucial plays. Shuler leads the jets with 47 receptions for 566 Yards and four scores. Kenny has gotten better because everything in t new to him says Shuler. There Are times now when i run a Pat Tern and i know what he s thinking Bac there and How he will react. I know we re on the same Wavelength. He s More confident each . Trips German quintet in shape tuneup Arn sports Giessen Germany the . All stars continued heir preparation for the shape International basketball tournament by outlasting mtg Giessen 68 65 Here Friday night. Giessen which is in fourth place in the German bund Sliga standings held a 35 31 halftime Lead. By. The americans came Back to capture their fourth straight pre tournament game As Charles Hightower scored 19 Points Carl Fortson added 15 and Randy Cozzins had nine. Henning Harnisch a 6-6, 17-year-Oldforw a paced Giessen with 21 Points. Mike Koch scored 18 for the German learn and Patrick Elzie an american who formerly played for holy Cross added 11. The 25th annual shape tournament u scheduled for dec. 9-15 at Shap Belgium. Television pro football Atlanta Falcons in Chi Cago bears 7 . Sunday. Radio pro football new England Patriot Al new York jews 7 . Sunday in str Broncos it los Angeles raiders 10 .sunday
