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Yuri Foreman
Born	(1980-08-05) August 5, 1980 (age 44) Gomel, Belarus
Nationality	Israeli
Statistics
Weight(s)	Super Welterweight
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	30
Wins	28
Wins by KO	8
Losses	1
Draws	0
No contests	1

Yuri Foreman (born August 5, 1980) is an Israeli professional boxer. He is a former World Boxing Association super welterweight champion.

Early life

Foreman was born in Gomel, Belarus. He started boxing at age 7 in Belarus, which at that time was part of the Soviet Union. At age 9, he emigrated with his family to Israel. He trained at an 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," said Foreman on his early days in boxing. In Israel he became an amateur boxer and won 3 national boxing championships. Foreman later moved to Brooklyn, New York.

Amateur career

In 2001, Foreman won the New York Golden Gloves. During his amateur career, Foreman compiled a 75–5 record.

Professional career

Light Middleweight

Foreman turned professional in 2002 and as of May 2010 remains undefeated in 29 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. Representatives for Germany-based 70-kg (154-pound) titlist Sergei Dzindziruk were in the house to scout the fight, with the intention of offering a title shot to the winner.

In September 2007, he was ranked as the 8th-best welterweight (67 kg, or 147 pounds) challenger by the WBA.

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. 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. In the post-fight interview, Foreman raised his hands and wished the television audience a Happy Chanukah. Later, Foreman was given six stitches over the right eye, and two over his left.

In April 2008 he beat 28–4–0 Saul Roman in a unanimous decision. In October 2008, he defeated Vinroy Barrett (22–7, 11 KOs) from Kingston, Jamaica, on the Hopkins/Pavlik undercard. A video of the fight can be seen here.

Foreman defeated James Moore (16–1; 10 KOs), in a 10-round unanimous decision for Foreman’s NABF title at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on December 13, 2008, on Showtime. Foreman in his last five outings won decisions over fighters with a cumulative record of 118–17–2.

WBA title

On November 14, 2009, Foreman defeated Daniel Santos by a 12-round unanimous decision to become the new WBA super Welterweight champion and Israel's first world boxing champion.

Foreman lost the title on June 6, 2010, losing by TKO to Miguel Cotto in a fight held at Yankee Stadium.

In early January 2010, Foreman began talks with Bob Arum to arrange for himself and Filipino boxer seven-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, to meet on March 13, 2010. However, Pacquiao rejected the offer. Instead, Foreman will fight Miguel Cotto on June 5, 2010 in Yankee Stadium. This will be the first fight at the new Yankee Stadium.

Jewish heritage and rabbinic studies

Foreman is one of three top Jewish boxers. The others are Dmitry Salita (30–1–1), a junior welterweight, and heavyweight Roman Greenberg (27–1–0). 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".

“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.'”

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."

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 Dov Ber 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."

TV and film

Foreman has appeared various times in nationally televised fights on ESPN and Showtime. He played in a Hollywood film Fighting starring Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard.*His wife, Leyla Leidecker, is making a documentary about women fighting in the Daily News Golden Gloves. Foreman also appeared on a radio program title "American Sports" which airs on rustymikeradio.com.

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. ^ 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. "Foreman vs Barrett", video.aol.com, accessed 10/18/08
10. "Yuri Foreman vs. James Moore on December 13 in AC – Boxing News". Boxingscene.com. October 27, 2008. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
11. Sullivan, C.J. "Is Boxing Relevant", New York Press, accessed 12/27/07
12. "Funniest Boxing Incident This Year (2006) (Zab's Low Blow)," YouTube, accessed 12/29/07
13. Glick, Jerry, "Pavlik-Taylor II : The Hype Begins," SecondsOut.com, accessed 12/29/07

External links

• Jewish Telegraph Agency Article
• Profile on SHO
• Boxing record for Yuri Foreman from BoxRec (registration required)
• Official website
• "Mazel Tough", New York Magazine, 4/15/09
• "Yuri Foreman, New Yorker", MaxBoxing, 4/24/03
• "The Haifa Connection: Roman Greenberg and Yuri Foreman," Seconds Out
• "Introducing Yuri Foreman", Everlast
• "“The Word” Featuring Yuri Foreman", Boxing Scene, 6/5/07
• "Rabbi-d tenacity: Foreman mixes religion with boxing", New York Daily News, 12/11/07
• "The Tale of the Tape and the Talmud", The New York Times, 12/11/07
• "Rabbi Knows Best", New York Cool, 8/10/08

Professional Championship

• 1980 births
• Living people
• People from Gomel
• Belarusian Jews
• Israelis of Belarusian descent
• Belarusian boxers
• Israeli boxers
• Jewish boxers
• Middleweights
• WBA Champions