Boxing Hall of Fame Inductees

Boxing Hall of Fame inductees pose with their rings after a ceremony in Canastota, N.Y., on Sunday, June 12, 2011. From left are trainer Nacho Beristain, of Mexico; Julio Cesar Chavez, of Mexico; Mike Tyson; Kostya Tszyu of Australia; actor Sylvester Stallone; and referee Joe Cortez.

The parade was hosted by World Boxing Cares Chairperson Jill Diamond and Good Will Ambassador Wendy Newman. After the conclusion of the “Biggest small town parade in America,” fans filled the IBHOF grounds to catch a glimpse and hear the words of the six living inductees as they accepted their certificates and rings.

The legendary Mexican champion, Julio Cesar Chavez explained how proud he was to receive the honor of being inducted into the hall, but professed, “My induction into the Hall of Fame is not for me, it’s for all of you and all of Mexico,” Chavez said through an interpreter in a brief speech.

Chavez, who grew up in an abandoned railroad car with his five sisters and four brothers, became a three-division champion, registering 88 knockouts before retiring with a professional record of 107-6-2.

The once-proclaimed “baddest man on the planet,” Mike Tyson and Sylvester Stallone both were also inducted in the International Boxing Hall of Fame on Sunday, Tyson for his reign as heavyweight champion of the world, Stallone for his “Rocky” movie series

Tyson was so emotional he couldn’t finish his speech, “Hey guys, I can’t even finish this stuff. Thank you. Thank you,” Tyson said, and then sat down. But Stallone didn’t hold back “I’ve never pretended to be a boxer. I don’t possess those skills. What I do think I have is an understanding of what goes on outside the ring. Outside the ring is sometimes maybe an even bigger struggle than what goes on inside the ring, and I was able to capture that. Then I believe that you can identify more with the fighter,” stated Stallone and shouted “And Yo Adrian, I did it!” one of his famous lines from the movie.

Trainer of twenty-two world champions Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain thanked his champions, for without whom he “never would have been deserving of this honor.”

Referee Joe Cortez and Russian-born junior welterweight Kostya Tszyu also were inducted.

Posthumous honorees enshrined included: bantamweight Memphis Pal Moore, light heavyweight champion Jack Root, and middleweight Dave Shade in the old-timer category; British heavyweight John Gully in the pioneer category; promoter A.F. Bettinson; and former BBC broadcaster Harry Carpenter.

Photos by Rick Stewart/Getty Images and AP