Former light-heavyweight champion Bob Foster passes away at 77
Monday 23 November 2015 20:37, UK
Former world light-heavyweight champion Bob Foster passed away in Alburquerque on Saturday at the age of 77.
The American dominated his favoured division in the late 1960s and early 1970s and was only outgunned when stepping up to face heavyweights such as Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.
Foster was born on April 27, 1938 in Borger, Texas.
Having won a silver medal at middleweight in the 1959 Pan American Games, Foster turned professional on March 27, 1961 - stopping Duke Williams in two rounds in Washington D.C.
Foster lost just four of his first 33 fights - and some of those were against heavyweights such as Ernie Terrell. His impressive power earned him a shot at WBC and WBA world light-heavyweight champion Dick Tiger, who he promptly demolished in four rounds.
His devastating left hook helped him defend his crown a record 14 times and thereafter Foster was only beaten by Ali and Frazier until the last two fights of a glorious career.
When Foster finally hung up his gloves after losing to Bob Hazelton on February 6, 1978, he had accumulated a record of 56-8-1-KO46.
