Yuri Foreman (born August 5, 1980) is an Israeli Light middleweight boxer. He is the current World Boxing Association super welterweight champion.
Next Fight : Yuri Foreman vs. Miguel Cotto on June 5
http://www.watchboxing.info/2010/02/yuri-foreman-vs-miguel-cotto-on-june-5.html
Boxing record
Total fights: 29
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 8
Losses: 0
Draws: 0
No contests: 1
Early life
Foreman was born in Gomel, Belarus. He started boxing at age 7 in Belarus, which at that time was part of the Soviet Union. At age 9, he emigrated with his family to Israel. He trained at an Arab gym. "The first time I walked in, I saw the stares. In their eyes, there was a lot of hatred. But I needed to box; and boy, did they all want to box me," said Foreman on his early days in boxing. In Israel he became an amateur boxer and won 3 national boxing championships
Jewish heritage and rabbinic studies
Foreman is one of three top Jewish boxers. The others are Dmitry Salita (30–1–1), a junior welterweight, and heavyweight Roman Greenberg (27–1–0). A fourth boxer, former junior welterweight and undisputed welterweight champion Zab Judah (36–5–0), has been referred to in the press as "the best Jewish fighter of all time".
Foreman, who wears a Star of David on his boxing trunks, is an aspiring rabbi. "Boxing is sometimes spiritual in its own way," he said. "You have the physical and mental challenges in boxing, just like you have lots of challenges in exploring the different levels of Judaism. They are different but the same."
Foreman studies the Talmud and Jewish mysticism in the morning, trains for boxing in the afternoon and attends rabbinical classes twice a week at the IYYUN Institute, a Jewish educational center in Gowanus. "Yuri is a very good student," said Rabbi DovBer Pinson, an author and lecturer who is Foreman's teacher. "Most people (in the class) who find out that he's a boxer are very surprised. He doesn't have that boxing personality, at least in the perception of what a boxer is. He's not the rough kid on the block. He's a sweet, easy-going kid."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri_Foreman
