The ESB British Forum Encyclopedia

Great post on Larry :good

Really enjoyed that, I'd forgotten he puked at the end of the Holy fight :barf

I love the line "he leapt off the car like a cheetah on PCP"

 

Yeah, it's great. Shame there was never a rematch, but Larry never seemed to big on rematches unless it was him on the losing end :yep.

I had it 7-5 Holmes, but it really could have gone either way. Damn close fight and tough to score.

 

Cheers Mo.

If Flea ever gets to work on Lennox D:yep) then that's most of the great/significant heavyweight fighters boxed off.

 

I edited my post about Jofre....but it says that I can´t post because it´s too big.....can I divide in two parts ??

 

Mike "The Body Snatcher " McCallum
WBA light-middleweight champion 1984-1988
WBA middleweight champion 1989-1991
WBC light-heavyweight champion 1994-1995​

Record: 49(36)-5(0)-1
Born: 7/12/1956 (age 55) Kingston, Jamaica
Height: 5'11
Reach: 74"

Part 1/2

Mike McCallum is a former 3 weight world champion, one of the greatest & most underrated modern fighters. A superb technician famous for his ferocious body punching which earned him his nickname "The Body Snatcher" Mike was incredibly tough, he was never stopped or knocked out & was only knocked down late on in his career & above his best weight.

Mike was sadly avoided by the superstars of the 80's & only really gained recognition towards the end of a career spent travelling between Europe & America. Born in Jamaica in 1956 Mike was an excellent amatuer (240-10) who won a gold medal at the '78 commonwealth games & 2 national golden gloves titles, beating many of the top American prospects like Marlon Starling & Robbie Sims.

He turned pro in 1981, stopped his first 12 opponents & was unbeaten when he faced his 1st major test in 1982, his 17th fight was against former champion Ayub Kalule (40-2). Kalule's only losses were against Sugar Ray Leonard & Davey Moore, he was an experienced world-class operator but Mike dominated his southpaw opponent, landing hurtful combinations with increasing frequency until Kalule's corner withdrew their man at the end of the 7th.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n8kKuDtHgs&feature=related[/ame]

Continuing his winning streak McCallum rose to the top of the rankings & became #1 challenger to the WBA champ, Roberto Duran. His trainer & manager Emmanuel Steward promised him the fight but instead arranged a more lucrative bout between Duran & the WBC champion, Kronk stablemate Tommy Hearns.

Mike felt betrayed by Steward so he left the Kronk gym & moved to New York, joining Main Event promotions where he was managed by Lou Duva & trained by the legendary Eddie Futch. The WBA had stripped Duran of his title & Mike fought the #2 contender, "Irish" Sean Mannion (25-5-1) for the vacant belt.

Tragically a few months before his long awaited title fight McCallum's wife Yvonne suddenly fell ill & died in hospital whilst undergoing open-heart surgery, leaving Mike alone with a 3 year old daughter to raise & a world title shot approaching. McCallum bravely carried on & faced the Boston-based Mannion in front of a passionate crowd at Madison Square Garden in 1984. Mike outclassed his game opponent, keeping Mannion at range with a stinging jab & landing thunderous body shots when in close. He won the 15 round fight by a wide unanimous decision & became the 1st Jamaican world champion.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2rBCzOZGok[/ame]
(rest of the fight on youtube)

McCallum travelled to Italy to face the former policeman Luigi Minchillo (45-3) who had previously gone the distance with Duran & Hearns. Mike broke him down & won by tko in the 13th round. He then returned to America & in his 2nd defense he stopped the US challenger David Braxton (35-1) on cuts in the 8th.

For his 3rd defense he faced the explosive punching Julian Jackson, who was unbeaten & had knocked out all but 2 of his 29 opponents, many of them in spectular fashion. The iron chinned McCallum was rocked in an exciting 1st round but survived some big punches to come roaring back in the 2nd. After dropping an off-balance Jackson, Mike battered him around the ring for the next minute, teeing off with combinations & slipping Jacksons wild replies. After a series of flush, hurtful shots & with Jackson trapped against the ropes the ref jumped in to stop the contest.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kbKe9cvEBI[/ame]

After travelling to France & beating the home favourite & European champion Said Skouma (21-2) by 9th round TKO Mike had a real grudge match for his 5th title defense, former Kronk stablemate & ex-welterweight champion Milton McCrory (31-1-1). McCallum initially struggled with the speed & movement of McCrory but as he increased the intensity, McCrory slowed & was ground down & stopped in the 10th.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MyzVAA_Xxk[/ame]
(rest of the fight on youtube)

McCallums final defense of his WBA 154lbs title was in 1987 & against Don Curry (27-1). Curry had been the undisputed welterweight champion & was regarded as one of the top p4p fighters until he suffered a shock upset loss the previous year against Loyd Honeyghan. Curry started well, using his superior speed to establish a comfortable lead on all 3 scorecards until he dropped his hands for a fraction of a second in the 5th round. Mike responded with a picture perfect left hook which laid Curry out flat on the canvas & unable to beat the count

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[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUMyC3mTNBY[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHtmHQiThwc&feature=related[/ame]

In 1988 Mike McCallum was 31 years old & had an impressive 32(29)-0 record when he moved up a weight division to challenge the WBA middleweight champ Sumbu Kalambay (45-3-1) in Italy. Mike had always been an active pro, he fought non-title bouts in between most of his his defenses & the 8 month layoff between the Curry & Kalambay fights was by far the longest of his career.

However no amount of ring rust could negate the wonderful performance by Kalambay who produced one of the most magnificent technical masterclasses ever caught on film. The old-school slickster Sumbu outclassed McCallum & won a surprisingly close unanimous decision, on my card Kalambay won at least 8 rounds & you could argue he won the other 4 as well in a remarkable & instructional display.


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIDypDyWhQQ[/ame]
(rest of the fight on youtube)

 

Part 2/2

Having suffered his 1st loss as a professional McCallum reeled off 3 quick wins & in 1989 he faced another slickster, Herol Graham (41-1) in London for the vacant WBA middleweight title. The belt had been stripped from Kalambay after he chose to fight IBF champ Micheal Nunn. Graham had also suffered his only loss against Kalambay & the fight was close, with Mike landing the harder shots but Herol landing the greater volume of punches from range & spoiling inside. Graham was awarded a knockdown in the 5th after McCallum slipped but he was deducted a point in the 9th for excessive holding. The deduction would prove crucial as after 12 rounds McCallum won by a close SD to become the new WBA middle weight champion.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv1kUSBJAXg[/ame]

His 1st defense was back in America against the US based Irish Steve Collins (16-0). Mike won a 1 sided by a wide decision & Collins showed remarkable toughness as he shook off a lot of heavy blows. Years later McCallum said that of Collins had the best chin of any of his opponents.

McCallum then returned to Britain & for his next defense he faced Micheal Watson (22-1-1). The British challenger at 25 was 8 years younger than Mike & he had stopped Nigel Benn in his previous fight. Watson showed tremendous heart, trying to push the pace in the 2nd half of the fight when behind on the cards & taking an increasing amount of punishment. McCallum eventually knocked out the exhausted Watson in the 11th round of a very entertaining fight.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4JZ-5dmp3U[/ame]

In 1991 McCallum had a rematch with Kalambay & he started at fast pace & enjoyed a lot of success in the 1st half of the fight. However as he slowed Kalambay was able to adjust, Sumbu began to move more fluidly & started timing McCallum. The momentum of the fight turned completely but McCallum held on & was awarded a SD in an extremely close & high-quality fight, a fascinating tactical & technical battle between 2 masters & well worth a watch.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeEonouYfZg[/ame]

Later that year McCallum vacated his WBA title, favouring a big money fight against the IBF champ James Toney over a rematch with his mandatory challenger Steve Collins. James "Lights Out" Toney (28-0-1) was a tough & instinctive counter-puncher with power in both hands & at 23 was 12 years younger than the veteran McCallum. Their 1991 fight is a classic filled with some great exchanges, an amazing display of skill, power & toughness from both fighters. After 11 rounds McCallum was ahead on 2 of the 3 judges cards but a great last round from Toney proved decisive. The official result was a draw but the fight is almost impossible to score & is one of my all time favourites.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EomUKpfEgB8[/ame]

After a tune-up fight McCallum faced Toney again in 1992 & the 2nd fight was a more controlled & tactical affair with both fighters being respectful & more defensively responsible. After a strong start by Toney McCallum changed tactics & began baiting & feinting, trying to draw leads from the natural counter-puncher Toney. Instead of trying to outpunch his younger opponent he started to out think him & provided fewer opportunities for Toney to counter, although he was deducted a point in the 8th for a behind the back punch. For the rest of the fight McCallum scored the higher quantity of punches but Toney responded with the cleaner & more powerful shots. Toney was booed after winning a majority decision but I felt he won a close & competitive fight.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alzuyCRjmWA[/ame]

After losing for the 2nd time McCallum stepped up to the light heavyweight division, after a winning couple of fights in 1994 at the age of 37 he fought the #1 rated Randall Yonker 29(23)-2 for the interim WBC title. Yonker was a former SMW who had moved up after losing to Micheal Nunn. In a great display of measured aggression the aging & slower McCallum bossed & beat up his younger opponent using all his craft & skill. In the 5th Mike stepped up the intensity & landed a series of vintage combinations, mixing uppercuts & hooks to the head & the body he dropped Yonker with a body shot & then trapped him against the ropes & unloaded ferocious looking shots until the ref Joe Cortez leapt in to save the helpless Yonkers.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcorvhdbfSo[/ame]

Next up was a fight against the former WBC champion Jeff Harding (23-1) who had been forced to withdraw from his scheduled defense against Yonkers with an eye injury. Harding was a rugged & durable Australian famous for his thriling trilogy with Dennis Andries & his excessive drinking. He had been inactive for 18 months before meeting McCallum in 1994 for the full WBC title. In an entertaining fight the more skillfull McCallum used a sharp jab & thumping bodyshots against his 29 year old opponent who came relentlessly marching forward. Mike was deducted a point for low blows in the 4th round of a hard, physical contest & Harding had increasing success as McCallum tired but Mike deserved the victory by UD, landing the better quality shots throughout the fight.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk8PIeC3Jsw&feature=related[/ame]

After stopping the unheralded Colin Jones (22-4-4) in 7 1-sided rounds McCallum travelled to France to face the #1 ranked contender, European champion Fabrice Tiozzo (31-1). The passionate home crowd went wild when McCallum was rocked by a big right hand & touched a glove down in the 2nd round. The action packed fight continued with some furious exchanges & the wily old McCallum pushed Tiozzo hard but lost by a close but clear UD in an entertaining fight.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B24FbhV9Ss[/ame]

McCallum wasnt finished yet & after a low-level win he faced the unbeaten Roy Jones Jr (33-0) for the vacant WBC LHW title. A month short of his 40th birthday McCallum was overwhelmed by Jones' speed & lost all 12 rounds but survived to hear the final bell. His next fight was his last & he faced James Toney for the 3rd time for a minor cruiserweight title, after losing by a UD McCallum retired with a record of 49(36)-5(0)-1.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnUudioXqiQ[/ame]

Mike McCallum was inducted into the IBHOF in 2003 & currently works as a trainer in Las Vegas.

 

Here are some quotes from an interview with Mike McCallum when he was asked about the best fighters he fought....

Best overall: James Toney -- He wasn’t a complete fighter the first time we fought, and I still believe I won that fight. But he learned in that fight and he got better. He grew with each fight. By our third fight, he was a different fighter, a complete fighter. He was someone who could do it all, fight inside or outside, work offense and defense at the same time, just like me when I was younger. I like to think that I helped James mature as a fighter.

Best boxer: Herol Graham -- He was a pure boxer, a southpaw and very elusive. It wasn’t easy to hit him. He was very smart, very skilled.

Best puncher: Julian Jackson -- He hit me so hard! Julian wasn’t just powerful, he was also real quick. I got caught by a right hand in the first round of our fight and I remember thinking “What’s wrong with my legs?” I tried my best to hide it from him. I knew I had to take him out as soon as I could.

Best defense: Sumbu Kalambay -- I fought many good defensive fighters. Toney had a good defense. Graham was slippery. Jones was fast and slick, but Kalambay is No. 1. I can’t forget about him. He’s the first fighter to beat me and it’s because of his good movement. He was always sliding side to side, very shifty. He was a dangerous boy.

Fastest hands: Jackson -- He was quick, man. That’s why he got so many knockouts. Everyone focused on his power and then he’d get you with a punch you didn’t see. They landed on you -- boom! -- from out of nowhere. Kalambay and Toney were also fast. So was Jones, obviously, but I fought him when I was older and had slowed down a bit.

Fastest feet: Roy Jones -- He had very quick feet. He was elusive just because of his footwork.

Best chin: Steve Collins -- I almost said Toney, but Collins had the best chin. I hit him right on his chin all night and he wouldn‘t budge. I couldn’t hit Toney that much and when I did, he backed off. Collins walked through punches.

Best jab: Donald Curry -- I fought many fighters with good jabs. Kalambay could win fights with just his jab. McCrory had a good, hard jab. But Curry’s was the best. I see why they called him “the Cobra” because he didn’t miss with it. He was a bad man with that jab.

Strongest: Michael Watson -- Oh my God, he was so strong. That’s why that fight was so hard. It was a gruesome fight, 11 rounds of back-and-forth hell.

Smartest: Roy Jones Jr. -- I fought quite a few smart boys in my time. Graham was a cunning S.O.B. I remember him sticking his tongue out at me whenever I’d miss a punch. Kalambay was smart and so was Toney, although he didn’t have the experience to back it up when we first fought. But I think Roy may have been the smartest. He was very clever, which didn’t surprise me. I knew he was sharp.

 

"Merciless" Ray Mercer
WBO heavyweight champion 1991
1988 Olympic heavyweight gold medalist​

Record: 36(26)-7(2)-1
Born: 4/4/1961 Jacksonville, Florida
Height: 6'1
Reach: 77"

"Merciless" Ray Mercer was one of the best heavyweights of the 1990s. A powerful puncher with a decent jab he is widely regarded as having one of the greatest chins in boxing history.

Ray was a late starter & his 1st taste of boxing was in the US army. While stationed in West Germany the 22 year old Sergeant Mercer was invited by the base coach to spar with the camp's super-heavyweight. Ray fell in love the sport & went on to win several army championships. He beat Tommy Morrison to qualify for the 1988 Olympics where he stopped all of his opponents & knocked out the home favourite Baik Hyun-Man in the 1st round to win a gold medal.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmaXY7LM268[/ame]

Ray turned pro in 1989 after compiling an amatuer record of 64-4 & signed with Top Rank promotions. Aged 27 he made his pro debut on the undercard of Duran-Barkley & had a busy 1st year, winning all 12 fights but he struggled against former cruiserweight champ Ossie Ocasio. In 1990 Ray faced the exciting NABF champion Bert Cooper (22-5) & won a UD in a wild & entertaining slugfest, one of the most action packed HW fights you could hope to see.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AisFC8HHlJc[/ame]

With a record of 16(11)-0 Mercer challenged the unbeaten Italian WBO champ Francesco Damiani (27-0). Damiani was a decorated amatuer who many felt had been robbed in the 1984 Olympic final against Tyrell Biggs. He was soundly outboxing Mercer & was ahead an all 3 cards when in the 9th Mercer broke his nose with a left uppercut & left him unable to continue.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pexFc3wP9AY[/ame]

For his next fight in 1991 Mercer defended his title against the great white hope & hard punching Tommy Morrison (28-0). Early on in the fight Morrison teed off & landed some huge shots & combinations but he just couldnt budge the iron-chinned Mercer.

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As the fight progressed the seemingly immovable Mercer began to land some hard shots of his own & the fight came to a dramatic conclusion in the 5th. After hurting Tommy with a right hand Ray trapped him in the corner & landed a series of bombs before brutally knocking Morrison out. For several minutes after the fight Morrison sat semi-conscious on his stool, incoherently still dodging punches with his trainer saying "The fight's over Tommy, the fight's over."

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[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4NECZX5L5U[/ame]

Mercer then vacated his WBO title, choosing to fight the aging legend Larry Holmes instead of defending against the #1 challenger Michael Moorer. At 42 the former champion Holmes was a 4-1 underdog & was staggered from a hard jab by Mercer in the opening round. However Mercer looked laboured & sluggish, the slow pace of the fight favoured the crafty old Holmes who was able to soundly outbox Mercer & win a comfortable decision. This win got Holmes a shot at the unified champion Evander Holyfield & Mercer was left to rebuild after suffering a shock upset loss.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izY9RHhc9Gw[/ame]

Mercer won his next 2 fights & was given another chance at the titles. In 1993 he faced perennial sparring partner Jesse Ferguson (18-9) with the winner set to fight the new champion Riddick Bowe. Mercer barely trained & weighed in at a career high of 238lbs. Ray looked awful & was soundly beaten by Ferguson, who was reportedly offered $100k to throw the fight by Ray during the 10 round contest. After losing for the 2nd time Mercer won a couple of low-level fights before facing Ferguson in a rematch where although he was in shape he again struggled but won on points. However in his next fight against Marion Wilson (7-9-2) Mercer again trained poorly, he weighed over 240lbs & was very fortunate to escape with a draw.

At 34 Mercer seemed washed up & finished, in 1995 he faced Evander Holyfield (30-2) who had lost his titles & been forced to retire with a heart problem the previous year. In a crossroad fight for both guys Mercer started well & in the 6th Evander was badly cut by an uppercut. In the 7th Holy broke 2 of Ray's ribs but the cut above the right eye was growing worse. Ray started the 8th well & the doctor was called to check on Holy's cut, seemingly on the brink of victory Ray grew in confidence but was stunned by a short left hook & dropped to one knee, the 1st time he had been down in his career. Instead of winning the round 10-9 Ray lost it 10-8 & he struggled with his rib for the remainder of the fight, losing the final 2 rounds & Holyfield went on to claim a close UD (97-92, 96-93, 95-94).

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7T1iJVkDtlM[/ame]

After his impressive performance against Holyfield Mercer fought another former champ on the comeback trail, Lennox Lewis (28-1) who had lost his title in an upset loss in 1994 to Oliver McCall. At 36 Mercer dragged Lewis into the trenches & turned the fight into war, showing incredible toughness as he marched forward through huge bombs from the hard-punching Lewis. The crowd booed loudly as Lewis was awarded a razor-close MD (96-94 96-95 95-95), many people watching (including me) thought Mercer had earned at least a draw in a very hard-fought & entertaining battle.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emgq4p-aUac[/ame]

Despite losing his last 2 Mercer had been unfortunate in both, however he was lucky in his next fight against another former champ, Tim Witherspoon (45-3). In another entertaining battle which was closely contested Mercer was given a surpisingly wide UD & was in line to face Andrew Golata in 1997 but a neck injury kept him sidelined for 14 months. Ray returned with a 2nd KO win in 1998 but contracted hepatitis B & was out of action for nearly 2 years.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsBsK1I4TW0[/ame]

After beating a string of journeymen, in 2002 Ray got his final title shot against the WBO champ Wladimir Klitschko (38-1). Wlad dropped the 41 year old Mercer heavily in the 1st round after landing some powerful punches but somehow Ray climbed back up. Showing tremendous heart Mercer survived until he was stopped on his feet in the 6th, the first stoppage loss of his career.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLDy88Ud5bA[/ame]

Ray still wasnt finished, he continued boxing & beat a few journeymen but he experimented with kickboxing, losing 2 professional fights in Japan. Mercer fought Shannon Briggs in 2005 & was knocked down for the count in the 7th round. Ray then fought Kimbo Slice in a cage match & lost in the 1st round by submission. Ray carried on boxing & won his last fight in 2008. In 2009 he challenged former UFC champion, the 6'8 Tim Sylvia to a MMA bout. Sylvia had never been stopped before but Ray knocked him out cold with a right hand after only 9 seconds

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUx9OE7DZAo&feature=related[/ame]

Ray isnt officially retired yet & spends a lot of time fishing :bbb

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyQter2Lphk[/ame]

 

McCallum and Ray Mercer? Good shift Mo :good

Quality reading.

 

Love you Mo :good

 

Cheers, I'd been making notes for both for a while.

:hi: Bob Foster next :!:

Edit: found this fight on youtube, Mercers 6th profight against a guy who had beaten Tyson in the amatuers. Brutal 1st round finish.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAWKRsj6kbc[/ame]

 

:happy

 

Bob Foster
WBC light heavyweight champion 1968-1974
WBA light heavyweight champion 1968-1970 & 1972-1974​

Record: 56(46)-8(6)-1
Born: 27/4/1938, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Height: 6'3
Reach: 79"

Part 1/2: The Sixties

Bob Foster is one of the all-time great light heavyweights & is widely regarded as being one of the hardest ever p4p punchers. Foster was a distinctive figure in the ring with his long, spindly legs in a wide stance, his gloves close to his chest & his chin tucked down towards his narrow, hunched shoulders he prowled the ring like a preying mantis, patiently stalking his opponent with a flickering, whip-like jab. Foster carried electrifying power in both hands & his wiry frame was able to develop astonishing force. He was so ferocious & widely feared he struggled to find opponents & often had to take on heavyweights 20lbs heavier than himself. Throughout his remarkable career he remained unbeaten by anyone below 175lbs.

Robert Lloyd Foster was born in 1938 & was raised by his mother after his father left when he was 5. Bob began boxing at the age of 13 & after leaving school he joined the air force, where he continued to box & became inter-services champion. After winning a silver medal at the Pan-Am games in 1959 he was overlooked for the 1960 Olympics, instead of him a brash young Cassius Clay went & captured gold.

Bob turned pro in 1961 & he began on a long, tough road to the title. After winning his first 9 fights he stepped in on short notice to replace Zora Folley (who had contracted a virus) in a heavyweight fight against the former LHW title challenger Doug Jones (19-3-1). Foster knew Jones from his amatuer days & was confident but Jones was too strong & experienced, he dropped Foster heavily in the 1st & stopped him in the 8th, Jones would go on to give a young Cassius Clay a famously tough fight in 1963.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMsOxjiHR7o[/ame]

After winning a couple of fights Foster travelled to Peru to take on the South American champion Mauro Mina (42-2-2) but he lost by a disputed, hometown decision. Bob returned to the states & knocked out 2 heavyweights on the trot (one of them on the Ali-Liston I undercard) before facing the Chicago based & #9 ranked LHW contender Allen Thomas (20-3-2). It took Bob a little over 90 seconds to score 3 knockdowns & win by TKO, this is the earliest footage of Foster at LHW I've seen & he looks awesome, Thomas is literally sent flying around the ring by some crunching left hooks.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3Xsg8ZQEJU[/ame]

With that win Foster announced his presence in the division but he struggled to find anyone willing to fight him. Desperate for money Foster took on the 6'6 future world HW champion Ernie Terrell (34-4) in New York. Foster started well, landing some big shots in the 1st round but gradually his heavier opponent mauled & wore him down to a 7th round stoppage.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe2BEef3hD8[/ame]

After a couple of 1st round KOs Foster faced the former title challenger Henry Hank & stopped him for the 1st time in his 79 fight career. 3 more knockouts followed before he faced Hank in a rematch in which Bob went 12 rounds for the 1st time. Bob won a wide 1 sided decision & Hank was left looking like he'd been beaten by a baseball bat.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEX1liQp5JA[/ame]

Rising up the rankings but widely avoided Foster fought another heavyweight next, conceeding 30lbs to the experienced contender Zora Folley (69-7-4). Foster lost the 1965 fight by a wide decision & was only paid $300, it would be almost a year before he fought again. Disillusioned with the sport Foster got a job in a munitions factory to help support his wife & 4 kids.

In 1966 his fortunes changed after he was contacted by restauranter & fight manager Morris Salar. Salar had seen the skinny Foster knock out 204lb Dave Bailey in a round on the Ali-Liston undercard & bought out Foster's contract, promising Bob a title shot within a year. Foster won 8 fights in a row (7 by knockout) improving his record to 29-4 & he finally got his title shot in 1968, a couple of months after his 30th birthday.

The WBC & WBA light heavyweight champion was the former middleweight king Dick Tiger (57-17-3) who had held the title since beating the great Jose Torres 2 years earlier. The short (5'7) & powerfully built champion started well against the tall & rangy challenger & won the 1st 2 rounds but both fighters found the slippy canvas difficult to move around on. In the 3rd Foster started finding a home for his right hand & in the 4th Foster landed a monsterous left hook which laid Tiger out flat & unable to beat the count. Tiger had never been knocked out before & had only been on the canvas once despite fighting world class opposition for years.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-1Kig4wjKw[/ame]

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Foster defended his title for the 1st time in 1969 against the brawler Frank DePaula & was knocked down when off balance by a body shot early in the 1st round. Foster hopped back up & battered DePaula, knocking him down 3 times to win by a 1st round TKO.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HswyIKfRgUg[/ame]

His next challenger was Andy Kendall who he obliterated in the 4th round with a vicious onslaught, one of the most brutal TKOs Ive ever seen.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqX2-uCDKY8[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mkYjYaZnD4&feature=related[/ame]

 

Part 2/2 The Seventies

Bob began 1970 with 2 more title defenses, both inside the distance & he was looking untouchable. However he had dream, to become the 1st light-heavyweight champ to beat the reigning heavyweight champ. The HW division has always attracted more money & attention, Foster felt he could accomplish something never done before. Sadly he was stripped of his WBA title for taking on the HW champ instead of a mandatory defense against #1 contender & sparring partner Jimmy Dupree but more about that later.

In November in 1970 & giving up 20lbs Foster took on the undisputed & undefeated HW champ, a prime & razor sharp Joe Frazier (25-0). In the 1st round Foster was able to land numerous jabs & a right hand which seemed to stiffen Frazier's legs for a brief moment, the follow-up left hook whistled just past its target & the bell rang to end a promising start by Foster. However the 2nd round was very different, Foster was dropped by a trademark left hook & then knocked out by the same shot moments later, after the fight Foster & Frazier went to a bar & got drunk.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZtRpq1t0xg[/ame]

In 1971 Foster defended his WBC title 4 times & went the 15 round distance for the 1st time against fellow American Ray Anderson. In 1972 Foster had the chance to reunify the titles with a fight against WBA champ Vincente Rondon(36-5-1), the Venezuelan titlist had defended his belt 4 times & was on a long 20 fight unbeaten streak. Foster knocked him down in the 2nd before one of his most famous knockouts, a counter-right hand over a jab was followed up by 2 left hooks leaving Rondon with a fractured skull & unconscious for 5 minutes.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8_RKrws5c4[/ame]

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Next up for the undisputed champion was the unbeaten Mike Quarry(35-0), the younger brother of HW contender Jerry Quarry. Mike fought well & was competitive until in the final seconds of round 4 Foster landed a sickening left hook, laying Quarry out flat & away with the birdies. Foster later remarked as he watched his younger opponent hit the canvas his eyes rolled back in his head. Bob thought he had killed him & was relieved to see him revived & eventually come round.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH0XsGz1IT8[/ame]

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After these 2 devastating wins Foster travelled to Britian to take on the British, Empire & European champion Chris Finnegan (23-2-1). His southpaw challenger became the 1st Brit to win an Olympic gold medal in the 1968 games & he was a skilled & tremendously brave boxer. Their 1972 fight was the ring magazine's "fight of the year". It was a truly epic encounter but the brave Finnegan was dropped in the 10th & then utterly exhausted put down for the count in the 14th round of a magnificent fight, essential viewing.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Hq1ZrAVhlQ[/ame]

Still unbeaten at LHW Foster took a lucrative offer to fight Muhammed Ali! (39-1) Foster hadn't forgotten that Ali was chosen over him for the 1960 olympics & Foster had knocked him down in sparring back then. Despite being 40lbs lighter Bob started well, repeatedly landing sharp jabs which left Ali with a swelling which turned into a cut, the 1st of Ali's career. The blood seemed to fire up Ali who dropped Foster 4 times in the 5th round, twice in the 7th & then finally in the 8th Bob stayed down the count.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9kcpTkzHsU[/ame]

In 1973 Foster fought twice, both title defenses against the white South African Pierre Fourie (43-1-1). After winning on points in his hometown of Albuquerque the 2nd fight took place in South Africa, the 1st major fight there since the introduction of apartheid. Foster became a hero to the supressed black majority when he beat Fourie for the 2nd time, also on points but he didnt seem his normal destructive self, content to stay behind the jab & box his way to a win. The reason for this was the fact his beloved mother (who had raised him on her own) was gravely ill, 2 days after returning from South Africa she sadly died.

In his final title fight in Foster took on the tough Argentinian Jorge Ahumada (40-5-1) & was knocked down on his way to a fortunate hometown draw. A few months later, in September 1976 Foster announced his retirement & vacated the titles he had held for 6 years & defended 14 times.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN3TB6wY4FY[/ame]

A brief comeback followed but after losing twice in 1978 he finally retired for good. Foster worked part-time for the local Sheriffs office & got involved in training. He was inducted into the IBHOF in its opening year in 1990. The ring rates him as the 9th greatest puncher of all time.

 

You're showing the rest of us up, Mo :yep:good