Bob Foster was a Brave man

Based on interviews Foster had a supreme confidence in his abilities, even with the losses he had as a heavyweight. The idea of losing never really came across his mind before a fight.

Anybody would've fought Ali but taking on Joe Frazier was not in his best interests. The KO looked like a career-ender but it did little to shake Foster's confidence. According to him, he went out to have a drink with Frazier after the match.

 

In the dressing room AFTER the Foster-Frazier fight, Bob started to lace up his boxing shoes.

His manager asked him what he doing and Foster told him he was getting ready for the fight.

 

“My toughest fight was Smokin’ Joe Frazier. It only lasted two round, but those two rounds seemed like a year with that sucker comin’ at you. He was the closest you could come to facing death. Why’d I take it? ****, the money!

“But I thought I had him out in the first round. I hit him with a right that buckled his knees. I guess maybe he was playing with me or something, because after that first round, his manager grabbed him and slapped him and said, ‘Goddamnit!’—he was yelling and you could hear him clear across the ring, probably all over the auditorium—he said, ‘Goddamnit, what the hell did I tell you? Didn’t I tell you that you can’t give that little skinny SOB any punching room? He’ll knock your brains out! Now, get on top of him!’

“Well, that’s what he did in that second round. I was telling Billy, ‘I’m gonna knock this dumb heavyweight out. He’s sitting there trying to box with me.’ Billy said, ‘Whatever you do, Bobby, don’t pull back on this guy.’ I said, ‘Okay.’

“Then Joe got me on the ropes. I knew it was a body punch. He threw three shots to the body and I blocked ‘em—but the fourth one he feinted and I went for it. He turned it over right on the chin—I don’t remember nothing after that. It was the first time I’d ever been out . . .

“But me and Joe were tight, before and after the fight. That’s why he gave me a shot, because we were friends, you know. Afterwards, I said, ‘Damn Joe, you tried to kill me in there!’ He said, ‘No, I didn’t try to kill you, but I couldn’t just let you come in and take my title.’ I said, ‘Well, I was gonna do more than just show up, Joe.’ He said, ‘Yeah, I know you was. That’s why I had to stop you in the second round.’ Joe and I, we went out to a bar and got drunk that night, yeah . . .”

http://www.newmexicoboxing.com/history_newmexico_boxing/bobfoster.html

 

Funny and unique to boxing how a couple of guys who had just tried to knock each other's block off can end up having a drink together. Funny about Foster..to be the hard-bitten killer that he was, he seemed to be genuinely concerned for Mike Quarry after nearly decapitating him....even years after the fight..he would talk to Mike.

 

Even after suffering such a brutal ko loss, Foster continued to dominate his own division. How many guys can back from that brutal of a loss and do that?

And then move up to fight Muhammad Ali 2 years later. For no title even, just sign the contract to move up and fight Ali. and suffer another bad defeat but still continue to dominate his division.

You just don't see guys taking that kind of risk. Nor too many guys moving up in weight for major challenges while successfully defending their weight division.

 

He never lost at 175lbs but was widely avoided & often had to take on heavies just to make ends meet.

Ali was chosen ahead of him for the 1960 olympics but Bob had dropped him in sparring back then & was confident he could win. Thats the only fight Ive seen Ali get outjabbed, Foster was an absolute legend.

 

It is safe to say that Foster was one of the hardest punching fighters of all time. I will go a step further and say that at 175lbs or less, he was the hardest puncher ever. i always think of him as a LH version of Hearns.

 

Cosell was the man.

 

Saw Foster KO Andy Kendall in 1969 in Massachusetts...Foster could hit like hell...one of the best LH champs ever...just couldn't get over the hump when it came to the Heavy's...

 

Was tall, but was lanky.

Trained hard to move past 175.

His build was perfect as a light heavy, as that WAS Bob Foster's weight, and his length and method of snappy punching made him a killer.

Fighting fighters 20 pounds heavier than him, really, was just a bad idea. It took enough sting out of his punch to enable foes to walk him down, and against that next level of big man power, Foster's chin couldn't quite manage.

Just didn't have the body or the style to be a successful 175-200 transplant.

 

He had no business fighting at Heavyweight, but I admire his guts in doing so against the absolute best. Sort of the anti-Roy Jones.

 

Isn't he currently a cop?

 

in new mexico last i heard