Sylvester Stallone to make biopic on heavyweight boxer Jack Johnson following Donald Trump's presidential pardon

New York: 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 on 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.” [caption id=“attachment_4489953” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] President Donald Trump (L) and heavyweight champion boxer Lennox Lewis (R)watch as Sylvester Stallone gestures in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, where Trump granted a posthumous pardon to Jack Johnson, boxing’s first black heavyweight champion. Stallone has announced plans for a biopic on the first African American heavyweight champion. AP Photo/Susan Walsh[/caption] 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.