OMG. He Won

Yuri Foreman becomes first Israeli world champion

Yes, my friends. Right after Parshat Toldot was read for Mincha, and we learn how Yakov got the blessing from Yitzhak instead of Esau the Defender, fans gathered around the country and paid $15 cover charges or $35 table fees, to see Yuri Foreman, The Lion of Zion, the FSU born, Haifa raised boxer and rabbinical student, the Kosher Krusher, Hebrew Hand Grenade, and Dreidel of Destruction win a unanimous decision over a hefty Santos for the WBA middle welter weight title in Las Vegas. Mazel Tough. No plans for a Foreman Grille, but how about a Foreman Falafel Maker.

From the LA Times (where I also got the pic on the right):

Foreman (28-0, 8 knockouts) knocked Santos (32-4-1, 23 KOs) down in the second round, had him pinned against the ropes in the third then appeared to hurt the champion with a flurry of punches near the end of the fourth round… Santos made a final desperate charge in the 12th and final round, knowing he needed a knockout to win. But he was far too weary by then, stumbling to the canvas again with less than a minute left in the fight.

From Yahoo:

Foreman was the slicker fighter throughout. His jab, fighting out of a southpaw stance, puffed up Santos below his right eye. Santos eventually suffered a cut on the edge of the eye in the eleventh round. Foreman suffered a cut over left eye early in the fight but his corner did a nice job of managing the wound … Foreman’s story can be described as the American dream. Born into poverty in Belarus, he 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 girlfriend, who is also a professional boxer.

CAVI adorned Foreman with specially designed boxing trunks and robe, customized just for him with signature CAVI crest and the regal colors of gold and black, also partly inspired by his Eastern European heritage. In tandem with the current CAVI Holiday 2009 Collection, the colors evoke a sense of athleticism and masculine chic— Vegas Gold, matching the classic glamor of the city venue, meets with the timeless elegance and power of the color Black.