The Boxing Hall of Fame

We all know that the boxing board loves a bit of friendly banter , but I found this on yahoo this morning:

http://uk.movies.yahoo.com/blog/article/85324/controversy-as-rocky-is-added-to-boxing-hall-of-fame.html

Sylvester Stallone's enduring character Rocky 'The Italian Stallion' Balboa is one of Hollywood's most iconic figures.

The plucky fighter went toe-to-toe with the champion Apollo Creed, ended the Cold War, fought Hulk Hogan and Mr T, and spent most of his screen time in the ‘Rocky’ series in montages.

He is, of course, a work of fiction. But just try telling that to the bosses of the Boxing Hall of Fame, who yesterday inducted Rocky alongside two of the biggest names in the sport, real-life boxers Mike Tyson and Julio Cesar Chavez.

Now the article dates back to the end of 08, but what I want to knw is did it happen and what was everyones thoughts on it?

Yeah, it happened. Bit weird really. I know Rocky gave boxing a lot of exposure, but how much it did for the sport I couldn't say.

It is strange but I guess he did bring Boxing to a huge and wider audience and probably created 100's of 1000's of new fans and probably still does to this day so I guess for long-term impact he and the Rocky franchise is important.

Still odd though!

See I do wonder about how many fans it brought to boxing. Certainly I'd question their longevity. After the first couple of films a lot of people lost interest too.

Firstly Rocky didn't get inducted, Stallone did. Not into the boxer section either.

Ingle always said his gym was packed after Rocky had been on TV and I've read a number of boxers say Rocky got them into boxing.

Fully deserved, he wrote directed and starred in the boxing film.

http://www.ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/observer/stallone.html

you are right Scott! Lazy journalism by yahoo there!

I think it was well deserved. He brought a lot of interest to the sport. Many fighters state Rocky as one of their main reason for getting invloved in the sport. It was one of the reasons I started watching the sport.

Has he been retired for 5 years?

D4thincarnation wrote:Has he been retired for 5 years?

No. Rocky's last fight was in 2005, but it wasn't Rocky that was inducted.

Union Cane wrote:

D4thincarnation wrote:Has he been retired for 5 years?

No. Rocky's last fight was in 2005, but it wasn't Rocky that was inducted.

Shouldn't that be a yes then, it is 2011 you know.

D4thincarnation wrote:

Union Cane wrote:

D4thincarnation wrote:Has he been retired for 5 years?

No. Rocky's last fight was in 2005, but it wasn't Rocky that was inducted.

Shouldn't that be a yes then, it is 2011 you know.

No, because the person who's been inducted hasn't retired.

D4thincarnation wrote:

Union Cane wrote:

D4thincarnation wrote:Has he been retired for 5 years?

No. Rocky's last fight was in 2005, but it wasn't Rocky that was inducted.

Shouldn't that be a yes then, it is 2011 you know.

No, it should be a no, as Stallone has not been retired for 5 years.

Rambo (2008) and The Expendables (2010).

Union Cane wrote:

D4thincarnation wrote:

Union Cane wrote:

D4thincarnation wrote:Has he been retired for 5 years?

No. Rocky's last fight was in 2005, but it wasn't Rocky that was inducted.

Shouldn't that be a yes then, it is 2011 you know.

No, it should be a no, as Stallone has not been retired for 5 years.

Rambo (2008) and The Expendables (2010).

In that case you could argue that Mike Tyson hasnt retired as he is doing pigeon racing and after dinner speaking.

Is Stallone a active boxer? No. Has he been in the last 5 years? No

I don't take too much notice of the HOF, they seem to let anyone in there, it should just be for elite boxers.

Their are promoters, trainers and even cut men who hve gave their whole career to boxing and these people deserved to be recognised as well. Under your rules Freddie Roach wouldn't be inducted when he retires.

prettyboykev wrote:Their are promoters, trainers and even cut men who hve gave their whole career to boxing and these people deserved to be recognised as well. Under your rules Freddie Roach wouldn't be inducted when he retires.

Well maybe in a different section.

But I was more refering to the ammount of boxers they let in without being hugely spetacular.

They are in a different section!

http://www.ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/inducteeindex.html

not like you to do research D4!

D4thincarnation wrote:

prettyboykev wrote:Their are promoters, trainers and even cut men who hve gave their whole career to boxing and these people deserved to be recognised as well. Under your rules Freddie Roach wouldn't be inducted when he retires.

Well maybe in a different section.

But I was more refering to the ammount of boxers they let in without being hugely spetacular.

I know what you mean but sometimes it's more a recognition for dedicating your career to the sport rather than being great. It's a nice gesture.

prettyboykev wrote:

D4thincarnation wrote:

prettyboykev wrote:Their are promoters, trainers and even cut men who hve gave their whole career to boxing and these people deserved to be recognised as well. Under your rules Freddie Roach wouldn't be inducted when he retires.

Well maybe in a different section.

But I was more refering to the ammount of boxers they let in without being hugely spetacular.

I know what you mean but sometimes it's more a recognition for dedicating your career to the sport rather than being great. It's a nice gesture.

Yes, good point.

Hobo wrote:Is Stallone a active boxer? No. Has he been in the last 5 years? No

He's never been an active boxer, I don't see your point.

Union Cane wrote:

Hobo wrote:Is Stallone a active boxer? No. Has he been in the last 5 years? No

He's never been an active boxer, I don't see your point.

My point is that why should a movie career be seen as active? Tyson is not retired in that case as he has a after dinner speaking career. So how come he is considered retired?

Hobo wrote:

Union Cane wrote:

Hobo wrote:Is Stallone a active boxer? No. Has he been in the last 5 years? No

He's never been an active boxer, I don't see your point.

My point is that why should a movie career be seen as active? Tyson is not retired in that case as he has a after dinner speaking career. So how come he is considered retired?

What?

Professional fighters will be considered for induction only 5 years after their last professional fight. Stallone (he's an actor/writer/director, not a pro fighter, despite all those films you may have seen) was inducted under the 'Observer' category, thereby rendering any talk of retirement superfluous.

I discussed this on the old 606 and wasn't too sure at the time, now though, knowing all the different categories i suppose there's no harm. He did get a lot of people into boxing. When i first read about it in the ring magazine there was i decent boxer who said he went straight down to his local gym after watching Rocky, think it may have been Vinny Pazienza.

Union Cane wrote:

Hobo wrote:

Union Cane wrote:

Hobo wrote:Is Stallone a active boxer? No. Has he been in the last 5 years? No

He's never been an active boxer, I don't see your point.

My point is that why should a movie career be seen as active? Tyson is not retired in that case as he has a after dinner speaking career. So how come he is considered retired?

What?

Professional fighters will be considered for induction only 5 years after their last professional fight. Stallone (he's an actor/writer/director, not a pro fighter, despite all those films you may have seen) was inducted under the 'Observer' category, thereby rendering any talk of retirement superfluous.

So why are you applying the same retirement rules to a non boxer then? You, along with D4, broached the subject of whether he was inactive for 5 years or not. So I therefore agree - your comments were superfluous.

Bernard Hopkins sited Rocky as one of the reasons he got interested in boxing. Many fighters have said this and use the Rocky soundtrack music when coming into the ring. Think it's well deserved they were excellent films. Raging Bull aside are their any better boxing films? Apart from 5 that was sh!t.

Hobo wrote:

Union Cane wrote:

Hobo wrote:

Union Cane wrote:

Hobo wrote:Is Stallone a active boxer? No. Has he been in the last 5 years? No

He's never been an active boxer, I don't see your point.

My point is that why should a movie career be seen as active? Tyson is not retired in that case as he has a after dinner speaking career. So how come he is considered retired?

What?

Professional fighters will be considered for induction only 5 years after their last professional fight. Stallone (he's an actor/writer/director, not a pro fighter, despite all those films you may have seen) was inducted under the 'Observer' category, thereby rendering any talk of retirement superfluous.

So why are you applying the same retirement rules to a non boxer then? You, along with D4, broached the subject of whether he was inactive for 5 years or not. So I therefore agree - your comments were superfluous.

Nonsense. I pointed out that Rocky's last fight was in 2005, but it's not Rocky that has been inducted, partly due to him not existing. You need to read back through the thread I think.

No, it should be a no, as Stallone has not been retired for 5 years.

Rambo (2008) and The Expendables (2010).

Did you or did you not say that Stallone should not be inducted due to not being retired for 5 years?

I read what you wrote, and I was right. Now instead of getting into further petty arguments, which you will be proved wrong in, can we let others post on topic please.

Hobo wrote:Did you or did you not say that Stallone should not be inducted due to not being retired for 5 years?.

I did not say that Stallone should not be inducted. I said that he had not been retired for 5 years. I said nothing about whether he should have been inducted or not.

If you'd like to prove that I'm wrong about anything else, let me know.

For the simple fact that most knuckleheads name their pitbulls TYSON or ROCKY (as opposed to AUDLEY), one can safely say that Stallone's character has had a massive influence on the public. The character is so ingrained in the public imagination that when fighters getting a shot at the big time for out of nowhere the commentators more often than not say it a real "Rocky" story. Like "Houdini, the name Rocky has become part of the lexicon.

Irrespective of whether or not the films themselves have any real artistic merit (Stallone did win an Oscar for the original so it can't have been THAT bad), Rocky Balboa is an iconic film character and, I would brazenly suggest, the most famous boxing character in movie history.

DAVE667 wrote:For the simple fact that most knuckleheads name their pitbulls TYSON or ROCKY

I used to have a rotweiller called Rocky does that make me a knucklehead?

prettyboykev wrote:

DAVE667 wrote:For the simple fact that most knuckleheads name their pitbulls TYSON or ROCKY

I used to have a rotweiller called Rocky does that make me a knucklehead?

I dunno, I haven't met you but of the many people I HAVE encountered who DO have pitbulls etc named Rocky, the vast majority of them were/still are knuckleheads.

It's not looking good though it it?

You're right it ain't.

I was 12 when we got the dog and watched the Rocky films constantly.

I know the people you're talking about my Brother is one of them and he's a tool.

It does show the films were very popular with mainstream audiences.