It was only three years ago that Yuri Foreman (31-2, 8 KO) was a title holder in the junior middleweight division. Foreman who is also known as the "Lion of Zion" put that belt on the line when he fought Miguel Cotto in June of 2010 at Yankees Stadium, a fight that would forever change his life. This was to be the biggest fight of Foreman's career and a big event in New York City because Foreman who is Jewish would be fighting Cotto who is Puerto Rican, both of which have large populations in the area. Unfortunately the fight ended up not only being the biggest of Foreman's career but also the most excruciating to watch.
While Foreman gave it his all in that fight his right knee did not. Foreman came into the ring with a brace already on that knee but it did no good, in the 7th round he dropped to the canvass without being touched. Foreman had suffered a torn meniscus but bravely refused to give up, he was asked numerous times if he had had enough but always wanted to continue. Even when his wife threw in the towel from the front row and the fight was temporarily stopped, Foreman pressed on. From that point on Foreman was relegated to a one legged fighter, something very difficult for a defensive fighter who uses his quick footwork to be effective. The fight finally ended in the 9th round when Cotto caught Foreman with a body shot that dropped him and the referee called a halt to the fight. As soon as the fight ended three things were abundantly clear, one that Foreman would knee knee surgery, two that he was one of the toughest men in the sport, and three that he would need a long break from the ring.
A little over one year later Foreman was back in action against the all action style of Pawel Wolak. That fight turned out to be a bad decision for Foreman and his team. Early on it was easy to see his knee still wasn't 100% and against a guy who never stops pressing the action like Wolak that wasn't a good thing. That fight ended in the 6th round and after the loss Foreman decided to take a long break and decide if it was time to hang them up. Two years passed before Foreman got the urge to step back into the ring. He knew that he would have to start from the bottom so he went to work to once again become a champion. Foreman's first fight back was more of a test run and was only scheduled for 6 rounds, a fight he won via unanimous decision. His next fight was another 6 rounder and another unanimous decision victory, now it was time for Foreman to take the next small step forward and take an 8 round bout. That fight happened in July and saw Foreman win once again by unanimous decision. His next fight isn't scheduled yet but it is almost certain to be a 10 round bout which begs the question, will Foreman ever get another championship fight and who in their right mind would choose to fight him?
Foreman doesn't have a very large fan base, something that always hurts a guy trying to get his shot at a title. If the television networks don't think fans will tune in to watch you fight then they won't put you in a position to fight on television for a title. What could be even more detrimental to Foreman getting another shot at the title is the amount of heart and toughness he displayed against Cotto and also his fighting style. Foreman is a brilliant defensive counter puncher who frustrates his opponents with constant movement, the type of fighter who can make anyone look foolish. So if their is a guy with a junior middleweight title belt why on earth would he choose to defend that belt against a guy who isn't going to bring a ton of money to the fight and who could end up embarrassing him? On top of that Foreman has already proven he will never give up even if he has to stand and fight on one leg.
So what we are left with is a highly skilled defensive fighter who doesn't always make exciting fights and who has the heart of a lion. Foreman has worked so hard just to get back into the ring it would be a shame if he weren't given the opportunity to fight for a title somewhere down the road. Let's be clear, Foreman isn't ready for a title fight yet, but he could be by 2014. Hopefully his promoter, Lou DiBella, can do a good job of making enough noise that someone with a junior middleweight title is forced to give Foreman his shot. Anyone with that much heart deserves his second chance. Not only would Foreman winning another title belt be an amazing comeback story, but also a point of pride for many Jewish fans.
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| Foreman's right knee wasn't as strong as his heart |
A little over one year later Foreman was back in action against the all action style of Pawel Wolak. That fight turned out to be a bad decision for Foreman and his team. Early on it was easy to see his knee still wasn't 100% and against a guy who never stops pressing the action like Wolak that wasn't a good thing. That fight ended in the 6th round and after the loss Foreman decided to take a long break and decide if it was time to hang them up. Two years passed before Foreman got the urge to step back into the ring. He knew that he would have to start from the bottom so he went to work to once again become a champion. Foreman's first fight back was more of a test run and was only scheduled for 6 rounds, a fight he won via unanimous decision. His next fight was another 6 rounder and another unanimous decision victory, now it was time for Foreman to take the next small step forward and take an 8 round bout. That fight happened in July and saw Foreman win once again by unanimous decision. His next fight isn't scheduled yet but it is almost certain to be a 10 round bout which begs the question, will Foreman ever get another championship fight and who in their right mind would choose to fight him?
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| Can Foreman get another shot? |
So what we are left with is a highly skilled defensive fighter who doesn't always make exciting fights and who has the heart of a lion. Foreman has worked so hard just to get back into the ring it would be a shame if he weren't given the opportunity to fight for a title somewhere down the road. Let's be clear, Foreman isn't ready for a title fight yet, but he could be by 2014. Hopefully his promoter, Lou DiBella, can do a good job of making enough noise that someone with a junior middleweight title is forced to give Foreman his shot. Anyone with that much heart deserves his second chance. Not only would Foreman winning another title belt be an amazing comeback story, but also a point of pride for many Jewish fans.
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