Philadelphia, Sept. 6 (Reuters): A statue of fictional boxer Rocky Balboa will be moved to the Philadelphia Art Museum steps, where the movie character played by Sylvester Stallone ran while training for a fight, officials said today.

The Philadelphia Art Commission voted 6-2 to allow the 8-foot-6-inch bronze statue to be moved from storage to a spot at the bottom of the 72 museum steps that are visited by many Rocky fans who copy his run.

Stallone is expected to attend a dedication ceremony on Friday for the installation of the statue.

Some members of the commission, which oversees art and design on public property, have said the statue — in which the boxer raises his gloved fists in victory — is not fine art and should not be part of the museum or its surroundings.

But the city of Philadelphia, which owns the statue, has argued that it should be placed where the character did his training run in the first Rocky film in 1976.

“We’re thrilled,” said Stephanie Naidoff, the city commerce director. “It’s a great cultural symbol for Philadelphia and represents the triumph of the human spirit. It speaks to people who come to run the steps and feel the inspiration,” she added.