Boxer Yuri Foreman: Training With The Torah

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GUY RAZ, host:

And Bob Arum's also promoting a somewhat lesser known boxer who's vying for the WBA super welterweight crown tonight. His name is Yuri Foreman.

Mr. BOB ARUM (Boxing Promoter): He's a superb technical fighter. He hasn't lost a fight and he's been in with very strong opposition. He has a real good chance to win tonight.

RAZ: Foreman is known as the Lion of Zion. He is a devout Jew who keeps kosher and doesn't roll on the Sabbath. Foreman was born in Belarus. He moved to Israel as a child and settled in New York to pursue boxing professionally in 1999. And it was here in the U.S. where he discovered Judaism after a chance encounter with an ultraorthodox rabbi. And now, Yuri Foreman isn't just a rising star in the boxing world, he's three years into rabbinical training.

I spoke with on Friday, a few hours before the beginning of the Sabbath.

Mr. Foreman, thank you joining us.

Mr. YURI FOREMAN (Boxer): Thank you very much for having me.

RAZ: You actually came here to the U.S. in 1999 to pursue boxing professionally and it was actually here where you became an observant Jew. You were not an observant Jew in Israel or in Belarus.

Mr. FOREMAN: Yes, it's true. I - you know what, being in Israel for almost nine years and being there secular and only when I came here to United States trying to make my American dream come true, which is, you know, working from six to nine and then going to boxing gym. And I start feeling a little bit drained, you know, spiritually, physically, you know, and I needed some kind of support.

RAZ: Now, how does being an observant orthodox Jew affect your training regiment? You can't train from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday; you can't eat certain foods. Like, you can't have bacon and eggs for breakfast, obviously, you know. I mean, how does this sort of affect your

Mr. FOREMAN: I can have eggs, you know, but no bacon, you know. But being also in New York, you know, there's not a problem with the kosher food. And regarding from Friday sundown to the Saturday after training, you know, six days a week, you still need at least one day of rest.

RAZ: On the seventh day God rested, so on the seventh day you shouldn't be boxing.

Mr. FOREMAN: Exactly. God rested and so might as well I rest too, you know?

RAZ: Has studying the Torah and the Talmud made you a better boxer?

Mr. FOREMAN: The book that we're studying is (Hebrew spoken). It's a code of law. And it requires a lot of thinking, you know, and a lot of reading. And, you know, it helps me in a way to be more focused, to see, like, smaller details. You know, like, for example, my opponent would drop his right hand, you know, or have some openings, perhaps with it I would not see, you know. So, I think, yeah, it helps me in that way.

RAZ: Now, you're going into this fight 27-0 - you've never lost a fight. But only eight knockouts. Now, some critics say, you know, Yuri Foreman is a talented guy but he doesn't have the killer instinct.

Mr. FOREMAN: Well, I'm working on that, you know.

RAZ: The killer instinct rabbi.

Mr. FOREMAN: Yes.

(Soundbite of laughter)

RAZ: Now, your name is Yuri Foreman, and your name Yuri is actually George in Russian; is that right?

Mr. FOREMAN: It is, yes.

RAZ: So, is there any chance you will create a Yuri Foreman's Lean Mean Kosher Grilling Machine?

Mr. FOREMAN: Yeah. I think it's really time for Yuri Foreman Grill. Kosher burgers, you know?

RAZ: That's the lion of Zion, Yuri Foreman. Most probably the first rabbinical student in history to contend for the WBA's super welterweight title. Yuri Foreman, thanks and good luck in the fight.

Mr. FOREMAN: Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Thank you.

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