Brooklyn, NY – Former junior middleweight champion Yuri Foreman will need surgery on his right knee after tearing his meniscus and stretching ligaments Saturday night at Yankee Stadium.
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Foreman was hurt in the seventh round of his fight against Miguel Cotto, which he eventually lost when referee Arthur Mercante Jr. waved it off early in the ninth round.
Foreman visited Dr. Gerard Varlotta, a joint specialist at The Rusk Institute in New York, and was told Monday he would need surgery on the knee. Foreman wasn’t sure when it will be scheduled or how long he might be out of the ring.
“I will need surgery and I don’t know yet how big it is,” Foreman told The Associated Press. “I’m going to find out soon, probably in the next day or two.”
Foreman said Varlotta was ringside for the fight and saw the injury happen.
The aspiring rabbi hurt himself when he slipped to the canvas in the seventh round on a steamy night in the Bronx. Foreman elected to continue fighting, even though he could barely move around, and survived to the end of the round.
Early in the eighth, Foreman was trading blows with Cotto when his corner threw a white towel into the ring to stop the fight. Mercante angrily tossed the towel out, even though dozens of people were already flooding through the ropes, and asked Foreman whether he wanted to keep fighting. Foreman said yes, the ring was cleared and the bout resumed.
Foreman’s biggest weapon is his speed and defense, and his movement was compromised by the balky right knee. Cotto was able to stand in front of Foreman and finally landed a crushing body shot early in the ninth round that ended the fight.
Foreman said that besides the knee injury, he came out of the first main event at Yankee Stadium in more than three decades in good shape a few bumps and bruises and some swelling from the barrage of blows landed by Cotto, now a three-division world champion.
“Yeah,” Foreman said, “I feel OK.”
I’m actually hoping this injury ends his boxing career since he is lucky its his knee rather than a concussion. No yid–or anyone for that matter– should engage in this bloodlust where victory is measured by your sucess in beating your opponent’s brain to a pulp. Better a knee than his brain. A refuah shelamah, but not so good that he can fight again.
After all, if not for that slip, he had a chance of beong the winner.
Its not as if he wasn’t performing as good.
To me that seems a little unfair, however I might have a drop of bias..
I wish rabbi (Minus, Medium weight World class boxing champion.) Yuri foreman a Refuah Sheleimah and much success in his Rabbinic career, in both, teaching and leading a Congregation. He’ll have wonderful stories to tell with which to entertain the Oylom, so they don’t fall asleep in middle of the Shabbos Hagodol Drasha. And when the Talmidim will slacken off from studying hard, the Rosh Yeshiva might remind them that as bad as it is being confined to a classroom, it’s still better than getting hit in your face by the glove in the boxing ring!
Jews should not be fighting. You can just imagine what is going through at least half the audiences’ head “Beat the jew! Beat the jew!” and if he ended up winning, some angry fan would beat up another jew in revenge. Mark my words.
Get well soon Yuri.
We need you back in the ring.
klal yisrul is proud of you.Seeing you fighting in the ring helped me and my kids envision how king david fought his battle.
BH it was his knee and not his brain. This is a signal to retire from the sport.
OMG are we ever a fanatic folk.Good health to Yuri.it was a respectable fight and there was a good possibility of winning.the meniscus is a bitch.i’ve had that.but its no big deal to operate on.If Yuri decides to continue i wish him all the good fortine in the world and if he decides to retire i also wish him all the good fortune in the world.
yuri….just get better…its better to box with a worthy opponent than with your wife or child…as many husbands can/will do…hint to the wise is sufficient…
Medically he fell into great hands. Dr Varlotta is required to be on duty at evry boxing match and he is very sharp. He can visualize the likely injury. He does not really treat but he has the inside line to the best in every field. I am thankful to the RBSO for sending me to him and getting in to good surgeons after that.
I don’t think its even worth responding to these challenged yiddin who post these mindless comments like “go yuri” (i.e. go straight to the neurosurgeon for brain damage). Anyone who actually thinks boxing is a great sport, obviously has very little going on in their lives and thus derive some wierd satisfaction from this bloodsport. Hashem yarachem
Maybe now he can focus on the “Milchamto shel Torah”
You’re all full of yeshivish selves. Crawl out of your caves. Even R’ Yaakov Yosef Herman, the hero of “All for the Boss” enjoyed going to the boxing matches. Read the book, you holy people.
Maybe it is even mutar (although I fail to see how), but how is it a yid should be exchanging blows with some sheigetz for the entertainment of the savage crowd? If I had to induce myself to vomit, I would probably watch the video of one of this Yuri’s fights.
is should be absolutely against halacha to to boxing. whats next… can someone be a hit man and assassinate people for “parnassa” ?