Earlier today at the Kingsway Gym in Manhattan, former WBA junior middleweight champion Yuri Foreman emerged from hiding to help promote his March 12th fight against rugged Polish charge Pawel Wolak at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. 2010 was an eventful year for Foreman, from seeing his wife give birth to their first child to overcoming an ACL injury to his left foot and even losing his close friend and manager Murray Wilson.
Foreman had the look of a shrinking violet last June when he surrendered his aforementioned WBA bauble at Yankee Stadium in nine rounds to a come backing Miguel Cotto. Going up against the proud Puerto Rican, Foreman was beat to the punch early, a victim of an injured leg in the seventh, and ultimately dropped and halted by a precise left hook to the liver from Miguel two rounds later.
<--- Slideshow: Yuri Foreman inside of Kingsway Gym in Manhattan
Our friends from BoxingScene.com were present as Foreman spoke about the loss to Cotto, his motives from continuing, and what he thinks of Wolak as an opponent. Starting the conversation off, the soon-to-be rabbi from Belarus insists his left leg shouldn’t hamper him whatsoever.
“Doctors say it should be no problem,” Foreman claimed. “No brace. It should be as strong as before. Yesterday, it was raining, for example, I felt it. I feel the weather. Good thing the fight is in Vegas. The chance of rain is slim.”
Wolak is as relentless as they come but also dreadfully limited in many regards. Foreman hasn’t exactly been so easy on the eyes in terms of viewing pleasure when it comes to his fights, often fighting a safety-first, boxing style, but in Wolak he will have a man who will be pushing the issue all night long.
What exactly is Yuri expecting on March 12th?
“A lot of pressure,” he continued. “That’s what he does, a lot of pressure. I guess he lives up to his name, ‘Raging Bull’. Once in a while, he’s jabbing with his head. I have to be careful, be ready for the pressure.”
Foreman’s last two showcases has been featured on HBO Pay-per-view and HBO World Championship Boxing but Foreman’s got his American baptism on Showtime as he was often featured on ShoBox: The New Generation years back.
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