Religious feeling: Rabbi to be Yuri Foreman battles Muslim hero Amir Khan

BROOKLYN--When people discuss a mega bout for United Kingdom crossover ring star Amir Khan, they always run to the obvious. It's always mindless comments about Kid Khan, who won't be 24 until Dec. 8, fighting Pinoy Idol Manny Pacquiao. It's harmless, I know, and Coach Freddie Roach, who trains both, rejects it out of hand. Surely the 5-11 Khan could easily slide from 140 pounds to welterweight, where Megamanny reigns supreme unless and until F. Mayweather topples him. But there's a big height differential and it's just not a whet your appetite kind of matchup. So I come to you today, after attending the 5-10 WBA junior middleweight champion and rabbi to be Yuri Foreman's media workout at Gleason's Gym, with a different proposal for the fistic future book. Why not, if Foreman gets by fading but still dangerous Miguel Cotto June 5 at Yankee Stadium, line up a Khan-Foreman fight. Think that fight wouldn't be a huge seller, either in New York or in London, the Rapping Rabbi against the Muslim lad who won Olympic silver for England? Yeah, I know, Khan has to eat his way to 154 pounds but, being about six years younger than turning 30 on August 5 Foreman, it should not be difficult. What brought this to mind was the presence of one young, female reporter at Foreman's workout. A resident of the gym neighborhood, DUMBO (Down Under The Brooklyn Bridge Overpass), she wasn't there because either she or her editor are especially keen on junior middleweights. She was there for the rabbi angle, to describe a man who puts his faith into his fists you could say. or vice versa. Don't say this fight will never happen because it's a natural, one which would jump from the sports websites and sports pages to the news side of the sites and the newspapers. If Marley says it can happen, it can happen. Besides, I was an altar boy (in training) for about five days before I "fouled out" so I know about these men of the cloth. Maybe I can dig up a referee who is also a priest, something like that. No cracks about round card girls from a nunnery, if you please. Let's keep it clean, keep it ecumenical. Foreman flashed a little humor when I jokingly asked if he was sorry he hasn't been called "Yuri Boreman" lately, not since his entertaining title winning decision over Daniel Santos. A few boxing writers slapped Foreman with the "Boreman" tag, claiming his jab and dash ring style was curing insomnia. "I don't read the Internet," Foreman said. "I leave the boxing at the gym. It was funny but obviously whoever came up with that was not my fan." Speaking of Gleason's, Foreman did make his ultimate love connection at the sprawling sweat emporium. He met his wife, Leyla Leidecker, an elegant model from Rumania who was doing boxing training for conditioning, there. "I saw her on the Stairmaster, this very pretty girl," Foreman said. "I was sitting on a stool having my energy drink or something so you know how guys are afraid to invite the pretty girl, well, I wasn't. I said, let me try for the prettiest girl. I went over, we spoke and I invited her out to a disco. "She didn't say no but she didn't say yes. Then, later on, when I was in the finals of the New York Golden Gloves, I made another invitation. This time, she said yes." Foreman hasn't knocked out too many opponents but Mrs. Foreman is certainly all that and a bag of chips. Co-manager Murray Wilson, a rough around the edges restaurant owner, doesn't chat, he growls. He doesn't give a namby-pamby fight prediction. "Yuri is going to put Cotto into retirement," Wilson said. No, to be more accuruate, make that Wilson snapped. http://www.examiner.com/x-5699-Boxing-Examiner~y2010m5d25-Rekigious-feeling-Rabbi-to-be-Yuri-Foreman-battles-Muslim-hero-Amir-Khan Ah what a fight this would be Khan-Foreman. Khan would kill another of Salita's kind. It would be a huge seller though on PPV and gate money because of the religious/ political reasons....

Comments (5)

Last time a Jew and Muslim fought in the ring: Khan V Salita. Which We all know it was a holocaust for Salita.

16y ago

paulf

Racial/religious grudges matches are an instritution in boxing, and I like them, but this fight ain't happenening.

16y ago

FLYBOY

what's the point of bringing religion into this ? It's a sport, no doubt, and you're right my friend, but a fight is a fight....

16y ago

mani1

BROOKLYN--When people discuss a mega bout for United Kingdom crossover ring star Amir Khan, they always run to the obvious. It's always mindless comments about Kid Khan, who won't be 24 until Dec. 8, fighting Pinoy Idol Manny Pacquiao. It's harmless, I know, and Coach Freddie Roach, who trains both, rejects it out of hand. Surely the 5-11 Khan could easily slide from 140 pounds to welterweight, where Megamanny reigns supreme unless and until F. Mayweather topples him. But there's a big height differential and it's just not a whet your appetite kind of matchup. So I come to you today, after attending the 5-10 WBA junior middleweight champion and rabbi to be Yuri Foreman's media workout at Gleason's Gym, with a different proposal for the fistic future book. Why not, if Foreman gets by fading but still dangerous Miguel Cotto June 5 at Yankee Stadium, line up a Khan-Foreman fight. Think that fight wouldn't be a huge seller, either in New York or in London, the Rapping Rabbi against the Muslim lad who won Olympic silver for England? Yeah, I know, Khan has to eat his way to 154 pounds but, being about six years younger than turning 30 on August 5 Foreman, it should not be difficult. What brought this to mind was the presence of one young, female reporter at Foreman's workout. A resident of the gym neighborhood, DUMBO (Down Under The Brooklyn Bridge Overpass), she wasn't there because either she or her editor are especially keen on junior middleweights. She was there for the rabbi angle, to describe a man who puts his faith into his fists you could say. or vice versa. Don't say this fight will never happen because it's a natural, one which would jump from the sports websites and sports pages to the news side of the sites and the newspapers. If Marley says it can happen, it can happen. Besides, I was an altar boy (in training) for about five days before I "fouled out" so I know about these men of the cloth. Maybe I can dig up a referee who is also a priest, something like that. No cracks about round card girls from a nunnery, if you please. Let's keep it clean, keep it ecumenical. Foreman flashed a little humor when I jokingly asked if he was sorry he hasn't been called "Yuri Boreman" lately, not since his entertaining title winning decision over Daniel Santos. A few boxing writers slapped Foreman with the "Boreman" tag, claiming his jab and dash ring style was curing insomnia. "I don't read the Internet," Foreman said. "I leave the boxing at the gym. It was funny but obviously whoever came up with that was not my fan." Speaking of Gleason's, Foreman did make his ultimate love connection at the sprawling sweat emporium. He met his wife, Leyla Leidecker, an elegant model from Rumania who was doing boxing training for conditioning, there. "I saw her on the Stairmaster, this very pretty girl," Foreman said. "I was sitting on a stool having my energy drink or something so you know how guys are afraid to invite the pretty girl, well, I wasn't. I said, let me try for the prettiest girl. I went over, we spoke and I invited her out to a disco. "She didn't say no but she didn't say yes. Then, later on, when I was in the finals of the New York Golden Gloves, I made another invitation. This time, she said yes." Foreman hasn't knocked out too many opponents but Mrs. Foreman is certainly all that and a bag of chips. Co-manager Murray Wilson, a rough around the edges restaurant owner, doesn't chat, he growls. He doesn't give a namby-pamby fight prediction. "Yuri is going to put Cotto into retirement," Wilson said. No, to be more accuruate, make that Wilson snapped. Maybe foreman could move up two divisions and face 15 year older Hopkins.

16y ago

S_H_O_B_O_X

what's the point of bringing religion into this ?

16y ago