The Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee

The Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee

Over the years, there has been numerous discussions as to the inclusion of certain people into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF), some of which have been met with horror by the boxing fraternity.

One such inductee was the 2011 entrant, Sylvester Stallone.

Now, before you start foaming at the mouth or before steam comes out of your ears, let think about that induction and its merits. What exactly has Sylvester Stallone done to warrant inclusion?

Well there is one obvious answer to that question but is it enough? Rocky Balboa.

On the logic of Sylvester Stallone should be inducted into the hall of fame due to playing the iconic boxer Rocky alone, then surely Robert DeNiro, Denzel Washington and if we need to go even more extreme, Ryan O'Neill should all be in there too.

So why is Sly different?

For this, I think you need to be of a certain age to understand the cultural impact and more importantly, the impact on boxing that Mr Balboa has had.

When I was growing up, the Rocky movies were at their peak. By the time Rocky III came out, I was 9 years old. That combined with the chart topping Eye of the Tiger, all the kids could talk about was boxing. We all wanted to be Rocky in the playground, whilst we all believed that the friend in front of us was Clubber Lang.

Rocky was the Harry Potter of my playground.

And for a generation of children boxing was all about Rocky Balboa and not the Haglers, Leonards, Hearns of the time. Children knew who Rocky was but most children of that generation would yet have discovered the real greats of that time.

When you break it down even further, the children/ young adults of that era, would not have had access to the great fights other than late night ITV. You couldnt download any fight out there but everyone had at least one friend who owned a copy of a Rocky film.

Rocky inspired a generation to go and watch boxing. I am sure if you asked fighters of a certain generation, many of them will cite those films as part of the reason they first went to a gym. To me, that is the reason why Sylvester deserves his place in the IBHOF - he has been responsible for a generation getting in to the sport.

When you look at some of the other people in the "Non Participants" section of the HoF, can it really be said that some of those are more worthy than Sly? Even people like Frank Warren could be argued has done more to halt boxing matches go ahead (well good quality match ups anyway). Has any child grown up wanting to become Michael Buffer?

That is why Sylvester deserves, in my opinion, his place in the IBHOF.

But that's not the point of this article (although hopefully it will generate some debate). What I want to offer up is another controversial
offering, connected to Rocky, as to who I think should go in soon.

My nomination for the IBHOFis.......

Bill Conti.

Now some of you might be thinking, "who the hell is Bill Conti?"

Quite simply put, he is the guy responsible for scoring the majority of the Rocky movies. And lets face it, if those of you of a similar age to me ever played Rocky in the school playground, I am sure you would have been running around humming the theme of "gonna fly now".

The Rocky movies would not have been the same if it hadnt been for the rousing scores and training montages and Bill was responsible for those adrenalin pumping scenes. Even now typing this, I have put the Rocky soundtrack on to youtube for a listen - I defy anyone to not enjoy that music and instantly not think of either boxing or Rocky.

And surely that is what the IBHOF is all about. Bringing recognition and elevating the sport. And when you look at people like Sly and Bill Conti, can it really be said that the two of them have not done that beyond the abilities of any other non boxer?

Thank you Bill for creating a masterpiece.

Nice artice, Adam.

I don't think Stallone's induction has been derided because it's Stallone per se, but just because a great many of boxing purists believe that it should only be fighters and trainers to be honoured in such a way - ie, those who directly cause the action we see in person or on our screens when watching a live fight. If, like yourself, you're a bit more contemporary with those kind of things, then I thinK Stallone would justifiably be near the top of anyone's list for outside / indirect influence. The Rocky franchise, as you allude to, is a phenomenon.

As Brendan Ingle said, you always knew when Rocky had been on over the weekend, as when Monday came the gym would be packed full of young lads who suddenly wanted to give boxing a try.

The problem is, where do you draw the line? Conti, no doubt, played his part in making 'Rocky' the success and byword for inspiration that it was, but then again so did Irvin Winkler. So did the costume designers. So did Carl Weathers, Dolph Lundgren and Mr. T, whose characters are all quoted and imitated by legions of fans, old and young alike, to this day.

No, no. Stallone, when you strip all other bits away, simply IS Rocky, and always will be. If you believe in honouring those who haven't influenced the sport directly, then Stallone is wholly deserving. His name, by hook or crook, is synonamous with the sport. Outside of the obsessives, Conti's isn't, and that's the difference for me. Stallone in, Conti out.

Good article all the same, though.

More a Vince DiCola man myself...

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I'm gonna throw the cat amongst the pidgeons and say Stallone should NOT have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Whether it "inspired" a generation or not the Rocky films were nevertheless fantasy and total fanstasy at that. The fight scenes were completely unrealistic and bore little resemblance to real boxing and the story lines were silly and childish and could only be appreciated by a child or a moron. I loved Rocky IV as a 10 year old but watched it again as an adult and realised what absolute pap it was!

I think also to say it inspired many to become boxers is a little far fetched. I think the films did more to inspire a generation of casual playground violence rather than inspire kids from hard up backgrounds to take up boxing and fight their way out of poverty.

I think the induction of the likes of Stallone has turned the Hall of Fame into something of an irrelevance. I think Sly's induction is like a nail in the coffin of the Hall's importance. Soon it will be a Hall of Political correctness, awarding places to lots of international paper champions, boxing writers of little acclaim and promoters who've done as much to stifle the sport as they have done to grow it - all in their own self interest. Come to think of it the Hall does that now. Roll on the day the Hall inducts Sven Ottke and Max Kellerman and it can be seen as the compete non-entity it is becoming!

Super D Boon wrote:

the story lines were silly and childish and could only be appreciated by a child or a moron.

That's certainly true of the later films, but the 1st (and the best) one is after all loosely based on Chuck Wepner. Agree about the fight scenes in all of them being fantasy, but at least the story in the first, and second film to be fair, is reasonably realistic.

Thanks for the feedback Chris but I would disagree that it opens up the floodgate to other stars of the film.

The music is now so iconic, that I feel it stands alone.

If you ask one friend to name you a song/ piece of music linked to boxing, that is the only one. There are no others. That is why Bill should go in.

Can't really agree that the music in the films has had a particularly profound effect on boxing at all, the films a whole yes.

Adam D wrote:Thanks for the feedback Chris but I would disagree that it opens up the floodgate to other stars of the film.

The music is now so iconic, that I feel it stands alone.

If you ask one friend to name you a song/ piece of music linked to boxing, that is the only one. There are no others. That is why Bill should go in.

I think the make-up artist in the Rocky films should also go in. That iconic drip of blood and swelling from Rocky's right eye is synonymous with the brutal struggle of the noble art.

I think Talia Shire should also be inducted. There has never been a more iconic boxing wife than the long suffering "Adddrrriiiiiaaaannnnnnnnn!!!!!!!!"

Group Cpt Lionel Mandrake wrote:

Super D Boon wrote:

the story lines were silly and childish and could only be appreciated by a child or a moron.

That's certainly true of the later films, but the 1st (and the best) one is after all loosely based on Chuck Wepner. Agree about the fight scenes in all of them being fantasy, but at least the story in the first, and second film to be fair, is reasonably realistic.

Not sure if anyone saw it but EPSN showed The Real Rocky the other night all about Chuck Wepner and it touched on his legal battle with Stallone. A very good watch.

Agree with you Group Captain, the first Rocky film was the only one that rates a mention and only because it was such a success were the sequels made. As for Stallone being inducted into the hall of fame,I think some of the deceased recipitents would be spinning in their graves.

rapidringsroad wrote: Agree with you Group Captain, the first Rocky film was the only one that rates a mention and only because it was such a success were the sequels made. As for Stallone being inducted into the hall of fame,I think some of the deceased recipitents would be spinning in their graves.

They would be spinning to the tune of a Bill Conti montage....

I think Adrien should be inducted as the most Iconic Boxers wife in the world.