Bob Foster vs. Pierre Fourie (1st meeting)

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Bob Foster 173 lbs beat Pierre Fourie 168 lbs by UD in round 15 of 15


Hometown hero Bob Foster felt his black race had been slurred and, for 15 rounds in the boxing ring, the light heavyweight champion of the world bombarded South Africa's Pierre Fourie in a successful defense of his title.

"I wanted the fight to go 15 rounds. I wanted to punish him," the 34-year-old king of the 175-pounders said after the bout. "Nobody calls me a "boy" and gets away with it."

Fourie frankly was confused over whether he had called the black champion "boy" when they met at the morning weigh-in Tuesday, but he did apologize and said, "I wouldn't insult a champion."

The South African's manager, Allan Toweel, maintained that his fighter had greeted the champion and said, "Tonight's the night, Bobby." and Foster misunderstood the South African's accent.

The champ doesn't believe that.

Foster pumped hundred of left jabs into Fourie's face and the challenger was bloody from the first round when he suffered a cut over his right eye. He did finally repay the compliment by slicing the champion over his left eye, an abrasion that required stitches.

Still there was no doubt the 6-foot-3 1/2 champion dominated his foe, who was four inches shorter and had seven inches less in reach - 79 inches to 72.

Referee Jim Cleary and Judge Willis Barnes, both from Foster's hometown of Albuquerque, scored the fight 148-120 and 149-130 respectively, while Judge Sydney Beck of Capetown, South Africa, saw it 149-138.

The Associated Press scored 148-140 under the 10-point-must system.

Lacking height and reach, Fourie came out trying to bull his way inside Foster's long arms but wound up with his cut eye and bloody nose quickly. He lost all the early rounds to the jab, jab, jab attack of the champion. Foster did appear to miss some potent and right crosses, however.

In the 10th round, Faurie switched for the second time to a left-handed attack and the gash appeared over Foster's left eye.

"I didn't hit him with my (knockout) punches," Foster asserted. "I just used my jabs. I could have put him out any time."

In the 14th round, the champion yelled, "I said I was going to beat him, didn't I? I said I was going to beat him."

The sheriff's deputy, making his first title defense his hometown, had earlier predicted he would knock Fourie out within six rounds. He failed to score a knockdown and the South African actually scored better in the later rounds.

Toweel said the fight who had traveled 11,000 miles for his title shothad planend to work on Foster's body, "but Bobby's long reach with the jab made that impossible."

The fight to the limit surprised the pro-Foster crowd which was announced at 10,200 paying $182,000 in the University of New Mexico Arena. Most figured the champion would score an early knockout and the odds on his winning were 4-1 and up. Only one plane load of fans from South Africa gave Fourie much support.

"Bobby's a great champion," Toweel said. "But I hope you people realize Pierre is no bum. He went 15 rounds with the champion didn't he?"

  • Source: Stevenson, Jack. "Foster 'Punishes' Faurie" The Newburgh Evening News (1973, Aug. 22) p. 1D. Article
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