Days after the presidential pardon of Jack Johnson, Sylvester Stallone has announced plans for a biopic on the first African-American heavyweight champion.
Stallone said Wednesday that his newly launched Balboa Productions will start with a film about Johnson. On Thursday, Stallone stood next to President Donald Trump in the Oval Office as he signed a rare posthumous pardon to Johnson, who served 10 months in prison in what Trump called "a racially-motivated injustice."
Trump has said Stallone was instrumental in bringing Johnson's story to his attention.
Stallone's production company said the film will be fast-tracked with Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures.
Stallone has said Johnson was the basis for the character Apollo Creed in the "Rocky" films. The 71-year-old actor is currently in production on "Creed II" with MGM.
The scheduled auction of the Rhode Island home of former champion Vinny Paz has been canceled.
The auction of the Warwick home was scheduled for Wednesday but the website of Sullivan & Sullivan Auctioneers says it has been canceled. No reason was given. The auction was announced earlier this month following a foreclosure.
The 55-year-old Paz’s three-bedroom house has been subject to liens from both the Internal Revenue Service and the Rhode Island Department of Taxation.
Paz was arrested twice earlier this year. He was charged with assaulting a friend in February. He pleaded no contest in March to assaulting his girlfriend.
Paz is known for his comeback after he broke his neck in a car crash. His story was dramatized in the 2016 film “Bleed for This.”
Boxing manager Rich Masini announced that welterweight Anthony "Juice" Young has signed a promotional contract with Real Deal Entertainment.
Young (18-2, 6 KOs) of Atlantic City will make his debut under the Real Deal Entertainment banner when he takes on this Saturday night when he takes on Enver Halili (10-1, 3 KOs) in a scheduled eight-round bout at Boardwalk Hall in his hometown of Atlantic City.
"I am happy to join Real Deal Boxing. They are an up-and-coming promotion," said Young.
In Halili, Young will be fighting the brother of a former opponent who defeated Young for one of his two defeats.
