A statue of fictional boxer Rocky Balboa, used as background during a famous training scene in the film starred by Sylvester Stallone, could finally be placed back at the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum. The placement of the 8-foot, 6-inch bronze statue has been under debate since Stallone donated it in 1982 after the filming of "Rocky III."

The donation was declined by the art museum and since then the statue has spent two decades standing outside a sports arena in South Philadelphia. More recently, it has been in storage since it was used in the latest movie in the "Rocky" saga, the yet-to-be-released "Rocky Balboa."

The sequence, where Sylvester Stallone's character jogs up the 72 steps of the museum and punches the sky, is often still copied by visitors.

The Art Commission, a group of nine members overseeing art and design on the city's public property, was originally split on whether the statue should go on display outside the museum. Some members of the commission argued that the statue does not qualify as a work of fine art since it was a movie set prop which has no place at one of the nation's top art museums.

The group is set to vote on Wednesday whether the statue of Rocky, having his arms raised over his head in victory, should be brought out of storage and placed at the museum steps.

Rocky's character became popular because it "represents the underdog spirit," and people like being reminded of that, William Burke, a staffer for the Art Commission told Reuters.