Yuri Foreman

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yuri Foreman

Statistics
Real name
Rated at Middleweight
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Nationality Flag of Israel Israeli
Birth date August 5, 1980 (1980-08-05) (age 27)
Birth place Gomel, Belarus
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights 25 (through April 2008)
Wins 25
Wins by KO 8
Losses 0
Draws 0
No contests 0

Yuri Foreman (born August 5, 1980, in Gomel, Belarus) is a 5'11" undefeated professional Israeli middleweight boxer.

Contents

[edit] Boxing career

Foreman started boxing at age 7 in Belarus, which at that time was part of the Soviet Union. At age 9 he immigrated with his family to Israel.

[edit] Amateur career

“I went to the Arab gym. The first time I walked in, I saw the stares. In their eyes, there was a lot of hatred. But I needed to box; and boy, did they all want to box me.[1]
— Foreman, on his experience learning to box in Israel

In Israel he became an amateur boxer, and won 3 national boxing championships.

Foreman later moved to Brooklyn, New York and in 2001 he won the New York Golden Gloves.

During his amateur career, Foreman compiled a 75-5 record.

[edit] Pro career

Foreman turned professional in 2002 and, as of December 2007, remains undefeated in 25 fights.

Foreman defeated favored Anthony Thompson (23 (17 KOs)-2-0) of Philadelphia on June 9, 2007, in a tactical 10-round junior middleweight split decision in Madison Square Garden on the undercard of the Miguel Cotto-Zab Judah fight. Foreman countered well, and didn't let Thompson find a rhythm. Foreman also had some good flurries late in most rounds, and scored well in the last three rounds. There was a lot of work on the inside. The scores were 97-93 and 96-94 for Foreman, and 96-94 for Thompson.[2] Representatives for Germany-based 154-pound titlist Sergei Dzindziruk were in the house to scout the fight, with the intention of offering a title shot to the winner.[3]

In September 2007, he was ranked as the 8th-best welterweight (147 pounds) challenger by the WBA.[4]

In December 2007, Foreman won a 10-round split decision over Andrey Tsurkan (25-3; 16 KOs), to take the NABF super welterweight title from him at the Paradise Theater on Grand Concourse in The Bronx, New York City.[5] Foreman started off boxing away, and then displayed dazzling speed and boxing smarts at times, a durable chin, tough defense, hard counterpunches, and superior conditioning and will. [6] In the post-fight interview, Foreman raised his hands and wished the television audience a Happy Chanukah.[7] Later, Foreman was given six stitches over the right eye, and two over his left.[8]

[edit] Jewish heritage

Foreman is one of three top Jewish boxers in November 2007, the others being Dmitry Salita (27-0-1), the undefeated junior welterweight, and Roman Greenberg (27-0-0), the undefeated heavyweight. A fourth boxer, former junior welterweight and undisputed welterweight champion Zab Judah (36-5-0), has been referred to in the press as "the best Jewish fighter of all time,"[9] but there is some confusion as to his religion since in 2006 he thanked his lord and savior Jesus Christ after a fight against Mayweather.[10]

“I thought at first that people were pulling my leg. Mike Marley said that Yuri was becoming a Rabbi. But that’s true, he is. So I see Jim Borzell out there, and Jim handles John Duddy. 'So,' I said to Borzell, 'can you get John to go to Seminary? What a fight, a Priest against a Rabbi, and I’ll get somebody from Nevada who’s Mormon to referee the fight.'”[11]
— Bob Arum, ever the promoter and full of ideas.

Foreman, who wears a Star of David on his boxing trunks, is an aspiring rabbi. "Boxing is sometimes spiritual in its own way," he said. "You have the physical and mental challenges in boxing, just like you have lots of challenges in exploring the different levels of Judaism. They are different but the same."[7]

Foreman studies the Talmud and Jewish mysticism in the morning, trains for boxing in the afternoon and attends rabbinical classes twice a week at the IYYUN Institute, a Jewish educational center in Gowanus. "Yuri is a very good student," said Rabbi DovBer Pinson, an author and lecturer who is Foreman's teacher. "Most people (in the class) who find out that he's a boxer are very surprised. He doesn't have that boxing personality, at least in the perception of what a boxer is. He's not the rough kid on the block. He's a sweet, easy-going kid.[7]

[edit] TV and Film

  • In addition to boxing, he has appeared various times in nationally televised fights on ESPN and Showtime.
  • Foreman is set to appear in a Hollywood film starring Terrence Howard, entitled Fighting.[7]
  • His wife, Leyla Leidecker, also plans to release a documentary the spring of 2008 about women fighting in the Daily News Golden Gloves.[7]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Hauser, Thomas. "The Haifa Connection: Roman Greenberg and Yuri Foreman", SecondsOut.com, accessed 12/26/07
  2. ^ Abrams, Marc. "Cotto thrills packed Garden by stopping Judah", 15Rounds.com, 6/10/07, accessed 12/26/07
  3. ^ Rafael, Dan. "Soto scores dominant KO over Pacquiao in 7th round", ESPN, 6/10/07, accessed 12/26/07
  4. ^ WCBSTV
  5. ^ "Foreman remains undefeated with split decision over Tsurkan", USA Today (Associated Press), accessed 12/26/2007
  6. ^ Santiago, Antonio. "Yuri Foreman and Monte Barrett Victorious on Versus", Ringside Report, 12/7/07, accessed 12/26/07
  7. ^ a b c d e Abramson, Mitch. "Rabbi-d tenacity: Foreman mixes religion with boxing", New York Daily News, 12/11/07, accessed 12/26/2007
  8. ^ "Foreman Outpoints Tsurkan", SecondsOut.com, accessed 12/27/07
  9. ^ Sullivan, C.J. "Is Boxing Relevant", New York Press, accessed 12/27/07
  10. ^ "Funniest Boxing Incident This Year (2006) (Zab's Low Blow)," YouTube, accessed 12/29/07
  11. ^ Glick, Jerry, "Pavlik-Taylor II : The Hype Begins," SecondsOut.com, accessed 12/29/07

[edit] External links