I don't buy it. I think it's a promotional ploy. If I'm wrong I'll admit it, but he looks more like he wants to be ****** Timberlake than anything else. The answers that he gave about his religion on the little featurette of him on FnF last night were surface and shallow. He dresses like he's cuts pictures of Timberlake out of magazines and then goes shopping. I could be wrong, but I think this guy is more likely to one day have his own reality show or release a rap album than to become a rabbi.
It's all an attempt to make himself more marketable, but i dont see how it would help promote him in any way.
:rofl It can actually help him a great deal. The Jewish community (most who probably aren't even fans of boxing), would follow him religiously.
I've been trying to stay out of discussions about this fight because Yuri is a friend of mine. But in this case, I'll step in. It is absolutely a legitimate pursuit, and if it's not, he has all of his close personal friends fooled. He is not an ultra-Hassidic Orthodox Jew, who wears only black, grows a long beard, makes his wife dress like a nun, etc. But he is very religious - he keeps the Sabbath (from sundown Friday until Sundown Saturday) and it cost him several opportunities on FNF and ShoBox earlier in his career. He keeps the minor fasts and holidays in very strict terms - if it's a "no work" day, he won't use electricity, train, or do anything of the sort. I have been with him to his synagogue and met his rabbi - they are legitimately observant and Yuri is a legitimate part of that congregation. With regards to his studies, I've not been there for that, but he has the books spread out in his apartment, and he does set time aside to study outside of his classes. From discussions we've had, he isn't sure exactly how he is going to use it - do some work here with kids who have "lost contact" with their religion, or go back to Israel and open up a congregation for Russian kids. Of course, it is being used as a marketing tool (by Arum, but Yuri readily goes along with it) - but he only had 19 or 20 wins and wasn't thinking that way when he started. Yuri hasn't changed since I've known him, other than he can be a bit tougher to get to return a phone call or a text now. He (and his wife) are truly very nice people who are easy to root for. Josh
in a way, being jewish benefits his boxing career, but his boxing career could also benefit the religion, since boxing champions do have an influence on young generations.
I don't know the guy, but I'm pretty suspicious. He says things like People might find in scripture: Dont hit your fellow man, but in Judaism there can be loopholes, and legally you can find a way. Maybe he can find a loophole to avoid circumcision, have sex before marriage, or not have to believe in God? The quotes from his ex-trainer don't help, but I'm not gonna put too much faith in the claims of a man that sounds so bitter. I've never warmed to the guy at all, but I might be a bit jealous due to his uber-hot girlfriend.
but that would be super bad ass if he boxed with a long ass jew beard and those curls( sorry for the political incorrectness,i just don't know what they're called). I went to Israel for a port call my first deployment and got legitimately excited seeing all those orthodox jews in Haifa. Stereotypes in America are awesome when you see them outside of the states the first time and you're 19.
