This is the third boxing champion to die violently and/or unnecessarily this year. Vernon Forrest, who accumulated a 41-3 professional record with 39 knockouts, was killed by a robber at a gas station in Atlanta, Georgia. He died from multiple gunshot wounds. The suspect is still at large.
Forrest, a former welter and junior-weight champion, is best known for handing Shane Moseley his first professional loss. A rematch six months later ended in a Forrest unanimous decision. Forrest was also on the 1992 U.S. Olympic team.
Alexis Arguello and Arturo Gatti, both great fighters of their time, met untimely deaths in the past month or so. And though his death wasn't as tragic, Ingemar "The Swede" Johansson died earlier this year from natural causes at the ripe age of 76. The Swede stunned the boxing world in 1959 by knocking out then heavy weight champion Floyd Patterson.
My Prayers go out to all of these men and their families. We as fans must remember that we're only losing a sporting icon, while their families are losing a father, brother, husband, uncle or mentor.
May God Grant You All Peace!
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