Tyson, Stallone and Chavez named to Boxing Hall of Fame
Yesterday it was announced that three icons in the sport of boxing will be inducted into their Hall of Fame. Those three would Mike Tyson, Sylvester Stallone, and Julio Cesar Chavez. There are others to be inducted but these are the three headliners. So lets start with “the baddest man on the planet,” Mike Tyson. Mike Tyson made his professional debut in 1985. He won his first 37 fights and defeated James Smith, Trevor Berbick, Tony Tucker, and Michael Spinks for the different Heavyweight titles he won. His overall record was 50-6. He is well known for biting Holyfield in the ear and having a lot of legal problems. However Mike Tyson has recently cleaned up his life and has become a better person. He’s appeared in various movies and has been involved with WWE on a couple of occasions. Whether you love him or hate him, he brought media attention to boxing whether it was good or bad. He has a legacy that will never duplicated.
Another man who gave a lot to boxing would be Sylvester Stallone. He was and always will be Rocky Balboa to boxing fans around the world. He came out with six Rocky movies that spanned from 1976 to 2006. He also appeared along Sugar Ray Leonard in the TV show The Contender. The show was a reality TV show that had up and coming boxers face off in an elimination-style competition. Stallone has been a lifelong boxing fan and has given so much to the sport. He had great fights in movies with Apollo Creed, Thunder Lips, Clubber Lang, Ivan Drago, and Mason Dixon. For those of you who don’t know the only real life boxer that had a major role in a Rocky movie was Antonio Tarver who played Mason Dixon in the 6th Rocky movie. Stallone has a great boxing legacy without ever even fighting once.
Julio Cesar Chavez on the other hand had a lot of fights and is one of the greatest fighters ever. He has defeated so many people including Roger Mayweather, Mario Martinez, Edwin Rosario, and Meldrick Taylor. He held the WBC Super Featherweight Championship, WBA Lightweight Championship, WBC Lightweight Championship, The Ring Lightweight Championship, WBC Super Lightweight Championship, IBF Light Welterweight Championship, and the WBC Super Lightweight Championship. Hie career spanned over 25 years and it ended with a record of 107-6 with 2 draws. He was the constant fighter and has the fights to back it up. He also has a legacy that will never be duplicated.
All three of these men have earned their way into the Hall. Other inductees include Junior Welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu, trainer Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain (Mexico), and referee Joe Cortez. Posthumous honorees include Bantamweight Memphis Pal Moore, Light Heavyweight Champion Jack Root, Dave Shade, promoter A.F. Bettinson, broadcaster Harry Carpenter and John Gully.
Congratulations to all of the honorees. You all have legacies that deserve a place in the Hall of Fame.
