Persuaded sculptor to box in gym (5,2)
I believe the answer is:
roped in
'persuaded' is the definition.
(roping in is a kind of persuading)
'sculptor to box in gym' is the wordplay.
'sculptor' becomes 'rodin' (Auguste Rodin was a French sculptor).
'to box' indicates putting letters inside ('box' can mean contain, as in to put in a box).
'in gym' becomes 'pe' (I can't justify this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'rodin' going around 'pe' is 'ROPED IN'.
(Other definitions for roped in that I've seen before include "Persuaded to join" , "Obliged to participate" , "Unwillingly involved in" , "reluctantly enlisted" , "like boxers after entering the ring?" .)