'The Fighting Rabbi' Yuri Foreman Becomes World Champion

BOXING - 'The Fighting Rabbi' Yuri Foreman has become the first Orthodox Jewish boxing world champion in more than 70 years after he beat Daniel Santos by unanimous points decision to win the world Super Welterweight title in Las Vegas on November 14. Foreman, who was born into poverty in Belarus, moved to Israel as a child and then New York as a 19-year-old. Five years ago he began studying to be a rabbi on the advice of his wife Leyla Leidecker who is also a professional boxer and model.

Rabbinical student Yuri Foreman became the first Israeli fighter to win a world boxing championship when he beat the Puerto Rican Santos in the WBA title fight. "I am very, very proud to do this for Israel and Brooklyn and to show that Jews can fight," said Foreman after the fight. A strange quote we feel, as we cannot recall any other fighters saying they wanted to prove that Christians/Muslims/Sikhs/Buddhists etc. can fight, but there you go. He is a year from earning a degree in rabbinical studies, which is itself strange considering his daytime job.

Each to their own!

loserscomesecond.com