I watched Vernon Forrest fight a lot over the
years, since his amateur days. It wasn’t so much the fighter that
I admired, it was what he did for the mentally challenged kids
and adults. Success never spoiled him and he gave so much to the
community that the impact from his death will be felt throughout.
Not just from a financial standpoint but the impact he had on the
lives of the people he dedicated much of his life to helping.
Losing a great man like Vernon will not be easy to recover from,
especially for the people he dealt with daily. I believe many
fans from the sport lived through his eyes and felt a strong
connection to him, not only from the ring but for what he
did outside of it.
VERNON FORREST: REMEMBERING LIFE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE RING....
by Oleg Bershadsky
A credit to the sport and
the human race, Vernon was a class act that proved that nice
guys can finish first. Whether through facing Shane Mosley,
Ricardo Mayorga, or a string of tough injuries, Forrest always
handled the good and the bad times with dignity and a mental
toughness most people can only dream of having. Outside the
ring Forrest was actively involved in charity work with kids
and also worked to provide homes for the mentally disabled in
Atlanta. So while his life was tragically cut short, Vernon
Forrest made sure to make the most of the short time he did
have on this Earth by thrilling fans inside the ring and
changing lives outside it.
FORMER
WORLD CHAMPION BOXER MURDERED IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA... by Jay
Black/WSB News Former boxing champion and U.S. Olympian
Vernon Forrest was shot and killed in an attempted carjacking
in the Mechanicsville community, a police spokesperson said.
Lt. Keith Meadows with the Atlanta police
department told WSB Radio, Forrest was putting air in the
tires of his Jaguar around 11 p.m. Saturday at a gas station
on White Hall St. at McDaniel St. Investigators said at least
two men jumped out of a red Chevrolet Monte Carlo and tried to
steal Forrest's car. The boxer had a gun and started running
after the suspects.
"The victim and suspect became involved in
a brief foot chase," Lt. Meadows said. "At some point, gunfire
was exchanged between the two of them. The victim was shot at
least once in the head."
VERNON FORREST
WAS A HERO TO MANY PEOPLE IN SO MANY WAYS... by Ricky Ray
Taylor I am
still reeling...
It is Sunday evening now, as I ponder through a twenty year
friendship, trying to appraise the incredible value of someone
I'll never see again. Difficult...
At 2:00 am this morning (Sunday morning) my cell phone's
buzzing away woke me from a rather peaceful sleep. After
several minutes of ignoring it, I finally answered to see who
could be so brazen at 2:00 am. It was my OEC alum Mike Vail.
Mike is the Atlanta (Georgia) PAL Boxing team coach and an
Atlanta Police Department police officer.
"This better be good," I threatened...
"Vernon's
dead."
His words
have tortured me all day.
I am grief stricken to learn of the tragic death of Vernon
Forrest. Not only was he my client, he was my friend.
He gave me a wonderful opportunity when he asked me to help
him tell his story both in and out of the ring beginning in
2001. The journey was terrific as not only was he a great
champion, but he was a caring humanitarian who always stood up
for what he believed to be the fairness of life.
R.I.P. VERNON FORREST... by Bill
Stephens
The boxing world lost another former World Champion in a senseless act of
violence in Northwest Atlanta. At the young age of 38 years Vernon Forrest
was shot to death in an attempted car jacking. The Atlanta police reported
that Forest was airing a tire on his Jaguar when the attempted car jacking
occurred. Forrest had a gun and was involved in a chase with the suspects.
Vernon Forrest was shot between seven and eight times with a semi
automatic weapon and one fatal shot to the head. Two suspects still remain
at large.
The former Olympian and three-time world Champion had amassed a record of
41-3-1 with 29 knockouts. In a year when we think we
have seen enough tragedy in the sport of professional boxing the bad news
keep coming. We have to ask ourselves, when will the senseless violence
end and the real fight against crime begin? A father,
son , and former Champion was taken from this world to soon.
R.I.P. Vernon Forrest. 02-12-1971 to 7-25-2009, you will be
missed.
For Fight Recaps between January and May 2009, click here...
Fight Recaps Part I
(January-May 2009)
For Fight Recaps starting June 2009, click here...
Fight Recaps Part
II
(June-December 2009)
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