Mike Tyson & Sylvester Stallone: Boxing Hall of Fame:

by Jordan Yerman | December 7, 2010 at 04:14 pm

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Sylvester Stallone: Non-Boxer Inducted into Boxing Hall of Fame

Mike Tyson, Julio Cesar Chavez and Sylvester Stallone were among the 2011 inductees to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Right now you're thinking, "But Sylvester Stallone isn't a boxer. Rocky was a work of fiction."

You're right, and that's precisely why Sly Stallone was inducted. In his capacity as a screenwriter, Sylvester Stallone was considered an outstanding ambassador of the sport of boxing, and joins a long list of "observer" inductees. (He's also an Academy Award winner, which is often forgotten)

Mike Tyson & Julio Cesar Chavez Recognized by IBHOF

Mike Tyson, whose personal and legal problems have long eclipsed his achievements in the ring, remarked, "The sport of boxing has given me so much, and it is truly a blessing to be acknowledged alongside other historical boxing legends because they paved the way for me, as I hope I have inspired others in this great sport."

Julio Cesar Chavez, who was raised in an abandoned railroad car, went on to boast a 107-6-2 record.

Whatever the reason, a hearty congratulations to Sylvester Stallone, for creating the most iconic Hollywood boxer ever, for making the Philadelphia Art Museum famous, and for always sending Rocky back out there, even when some critics wished he’d throw in the towel.

Members of the Boxing Writers Association of America and a panel of international boxing historians voted on the inductees.

"It has been my privilege to have been blessed with the ability to write about the incredible courage and commitment of the many thousands of real-life Rockys whom we have watched perform honorably in the ring," Stallone said in a statement.