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Rumor Mill: Assessing Yuri Foreman as Pacquiao’s next possible opponent
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Foreman with promoter Bob Arum (Photo: Chris Farina)
There’s always something new in the life of Manny Pacquiao. One of this week’s many rumors going around is the possibility that a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout won’t come to the surface for a while and that both men may be looking at different opponents right off the bat. According to a Boxingscene.com interview with Bernard Hopkins and a follow up by Maxboxing.com’s Steve Kim, the ‘Executioner’ feels that we will be seeing Mayweather vs. Mosley and Pacquiao vs. newly minted WBA Jr. Middleweight champion Yuri Foreman next.
While Pacquiao against Foreman isn’t the bout we all saw coming nor particularly wanted, it is at least a contest worth assessing. Foreman isn’t the most explosive fighter you will come across but he does have some skills and in his last fight against Daniel Santos he showed some much needed hunger that had been lacking, enough to win a decision and snatch the WBA babble from the well traveled Puerto Rican.
With Pacquiao being on a hot steak as of late you will be hard pressed to find many picking against him in a potential Foreman clash, but if anything Yuri deserves a quick nod of respect. From my best memory here are some things that stand out about the newly crowned champion.
First interview
I first interviewed Foreman in April of 2005 as he was getting ready for a Showtime television showdown against undefeated Kevin Cagle. At the time Foreman was a wide eyed 24 year old with a 17-0 record which including 7 knockouts. Foreman and I had a deep talk about his upbringing, his move to America, and his thoughts on the sport.
What I noticed in talking to Foreman was that he was a man who had to adapt very early in his life. Born in Belarus, Foreman would later immigrate to Israel and start his training out of an Arab gym. In Israel he would start a successful amateur career and eventually make the move to Brooklyn, New York.
Foreman talked of Brooklyn with great respect and amazement. He remembers initially being taken back by the fast paced lifestyle of his new environment but soon grew to appreciate the opportunity that came with his new surroundings. Foreman spent his time training out of the legendary Gleason’s gym and spoke openly about the competitive environment that existed within the facility.
Foreman and I also discussed his diet, religion, and hobbies as a person. At end of the day he was beyond respectful and seemed grateful for the chance to just have someone talk to him about his career. I sensed that spotlight and media side of things were new to Foreman and I wondered exactly how his career would play itself out. If anything I found him to a genuine soul worth rooting for.
Inside of the ring
My fist glimpse of Foreman was the above mentioned meeting with Cagle in Mashantucket, Connecticut. In the bout Foreman showed solid boxing skills and the ability to move in and out with relative ease. He frustrated Cagle with his elusiveness but he wasn’t able to produce the type of performance that would make you feel he was destined for greatness, as he coasted to a unanimous decision.
In the following years Foreman had continued building upon his undefeated record but he had also garnered his share of critics along the way. Up until the Santos fight he had wins over recognizable names such as Donny McCrary, Anthony Thompson, and Corneluis Bundrage but fought in a less than fan-friendly style that left many wanting more. Boxing is full of tough critics and no matter how genuine a person is in real life they will be chastised if they can’t excite inside of ropes and such was the case with Foreman.
When his fight against Santos was announced not too many gave Foreman a shot at winning. He hadn’t had any defining wins against top flight opposition and Santos was seen as being too battle tested and dangerous for Foreman to handle. It goes without saying that everyone was in for a little bit of a surprise.
As one of the chief undercard attractions to the November 14th Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto showdown, Foreman put on perhaps his best display as a professional by outboxing and surprisingly outslugging his older foe. Foreman would go on to drop Santos with an awkward right hand while also slightly seeming to push him and from that point forward he seemed to settle in. Santos simply looked noticeably older and flatfooted as Foreman showed enough fortitude to steal the show. Scores of 117-109 twice and 116-110 were read in Foreman’s favor, as he became the first boxer by way of Israel to be crowned a world champion.
At the end of the day it has indeed been a long ride for Yuri, one that has come with its share of sudden change and detractors along the way. Still, he has found a way to claim one of the organization’s belts at 154 pounds and that alone will keep his name freshly in the mix.
Analyzing Foreman vs. Pacquiao
If Pacquiao and Foreman do end up meeting in the ring one has to side with Manny. His recent run of success up the higher weight classes has been remarkable and he has beaten fighters of a higher pedigree than Foreman. Still, at the end of the day boxing is the theatre of the unexpected and there are a few things we need to pay attention to.
For as great as Pacquiao is, every fighter has their limits and maybe 147 pounds is Manny’s ideal resting place. Sometimes when a fighter continues to rise in weight they end up hitting a wall and find themselves in new territory where their strengths in the past aren’t nearly as relevant. Not to say Foreman would be the type of man to expose those things but he is a natural 154 pounder and who knows how well Pacquiao would carry the weight.
Styles make fights. I know it’s a used cliché but there have been cases in the sport of boxing where a fighter has defeated another simply because he has the exact style to give them fits. Foreman isn’t considered a puncher and he isn’t physically imposing, but he has frustrated many of his opponents with his skills and movement. Logic would say that Pacquiao should be able to figure him out but you never know until they are face to face in the ring.
Last but not least, perhaps Pacquiao would be less than motivated for a fight against Foreman. After fighting a legion of world class fighters in his day Pacquiao has seen it all and a dance with Yuri doesn’t seem like the type of contest to light a spark under him.
Whatever happens, everyone in the sport would be looking at this contest as simply an appetizer to the real fights they want Pacquiao to engage in. Not every fight in boxing is the one that we desire but if Pacquiao vs. Foreman comes off we need to take it for what it’s worth.
Chris Robinson is a freelance writer based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He can be reached at Trimond@aol.com and www.FaceBook.com/CRHarmony. More of his work can be found by clicking HERE and below…
To read Roger Mayweather's thoughts on a Pacquiao-Mayweather clash, click HERE To read about Pacquiao and the Philippines, click HERE To read about Jeff Mayweather's assessment of a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, click HERE To read about the buzz on Pacquiao vs. Mayweather, click HERE To read and insider's perspective on Bob Arum, click HERE To hear Paulie Malignaggi's thoughts on Manny Pacquiao, click HERE To read about veteran boxing scribe Michael Marley's weekend in Vegas, click HERE For Pacquiao-Cotto: The story in Pictures, click HERE To hear what Manny and Coach Roach had to say about the fight, please click HERE To Read more about Manny Pacquiao's victory over Miguel Cotto, please click HERE To Hear about Bob Arum speaking on Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, click HERE To Read about the atmosphere inside the MGM please click HERE
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