When first hearing about the passing of Vernon Forrest I was in total disbelief and said to myself that this couldn’t be true. With that being said I was on the phone to media outlets in Georgia trying to confirm the story but at that point in time many of the radio and television stations had not even heard about it. A few hours later my worst fears were confirmed. Vernon Forrest was gone at the hands of thugs who had nothing better to do than snuff out a life for a car. It was bad enough losing Alexis Arguello and Arturo Gatti but Vernon going out the way he did, no human being deserves this except the idiots who took his life. One day they will be caught and justice will be served!  

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.

I decided to use this platform to let some of Vernon’s friends, fellow fighters and writers share their thoughts about a true idol and role model. It’s been just over a week and it feels like yesterday that he left us and I still don’t want to believe it and I’ve yet to come to terms that he is no longer with us. My eyes wept when he took his final journey to heaven and I take solace in the fact that his legacy will live on forever and that anyone who knew him or watched him will have a piece of his kindness in his or her heart.

I will always miss you Vernon and thanks so much for all you did. You are my role model and inspiration to live my life to its fullest and be there for anyone who needs me. God bless and may you rest in peace my friend!

I would like to thank the following people who took the time to share their personal memories of a great man:

• Alan Vormbrock: I am an avid boxing fan. I had the pleasure of seeing Vernon fight live in Madison Square Garden when he upset Shane Mosley. From what I can see, Vernon was not only a good boxer, he was a good man. He will be missed by many.
   

• Fres Oquendo: I first met Vernon Forrest back in 2002. It was the day before the Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson fight at his basketball charity event. He invited me to be on his team to play against the likes of Roy Jones Jr, Thomas Hearns and rap singer ‘The Game.’ That day I exploded for sixteen points and helped our team defeat Jones Jr.’s team. That was one of my great memories of Vernon. We will truly miss his great generosity.
   

• Carlos ‘Famoso’ Hernandez: I am very sad that my good friend Vernon Forrest was taken away from us. I could remember him running with me in Big Bear, California, where he used to train with Oscar de la Hoya. I remember sparring with him a couple of times  and when we played basketball. I thought he was so good he could have been a pro, he was that good. We even went dancing in Hollywood thinking we were great dancers. My man Vernon, God bless your soul!
   

• Benny Henderson Jr. (convictedartistmagazine.com) What can I say about the tragic loss of Vernon Forrest, as fans of the sport of boxing, most of us have just gotten over the loss of Arturo Gatti. So when I received the news of the loss of Vernon Forrest, I was in total dismay. Here is a man who was one of the most charitable fighters I have known with his time and money helping others, taken out in a senseless crime by who I define as spineless criminals. He was a champion in the ring and out of it as well. It was an honor for me to have interviewed Vernon in late 2007. He was very friendly and did not mind answering any question that I asked. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends, as well as his extended family in the boxing world. Here is to you Vernon, for all the hard fought fights in the ring which entertained the fans. May you be with God and may you rest in peace.  
   

• Jane Renzi: For those of you that don’t know me I’m a massage therapist and I have been working for pro boxers for many years. I am so blessed to have, and have had the opportunity to work with so many talented athletes. Vernon was no exception. I’d like to say first off that I along with everyone that knows and loves him is devastated over his death. He was a great person and I am thankful that I got the chance to know him. There won’t be one day where he won’t be missed.

My favorite memory is one time I went to work on him when he was in Florida for camp and  I forgot to bring my relaxation music with me so I told him that I had a CD in my car that I thought he would like. I went to get it while he got on the massage table. He was face down already half asleep as he sparred that day. I turned on the music and as soon as it started playing his head flew up and he said, “WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT AL GREEN??!!” It was an oldie R&B CD with different artists on it.

Well I almost fell over laughing because of the way he said it. I told him just because I’m Italian originally from New York doesn’t mean I know about Al Green. Vernon got so excited because he knew every song on there. He loved it so much he was belting out every word of every song. God bless him because he couldn’t sing worth a damn!!! He was horrible! I was trying to stay professional as I could but I couldn’t stop laughing. I had to respect it though as he sang his heart out and with so much passion.

I am so grateful for the time I spent with him. I also want to tell you how sorry I am for your loss as well. For those of you that were fans, or even if you weren’t. Please respect the fact that Vernon was just a human being like the rest of us. He was a son, a brother, an uncle, a cousin, a friend and most importantly he was a good father. Rest In Peace Vernon.
 

• Genaro Hernandez: I had the pleasure of meeting this great HUMANITARIAN and also one of the nicest CHAMPIONS when he came into the Cleveland House Gym in East Los Angeles in the late eighties. I then ran into him again out in the Midwest and he asked me how I would counter a jab and that to me showed how humble this great person was. I’m sorry that boxing has lost another great champion. RIP Champ!
   

• ‘Iceman’ John Scully: 2003, the night of Toney vs. Jirov I was introduced to Vernon who shocked me by telling me that he was a fan of mine when we were amateurs and not only that, but he actually recalled events of specific fights I had. In particular one with Lamar Parks. His exact words to me were, “I have always been a John Scully fan.” I was amazed, not just that he said that but that he even knew who I was in the first place. I had, of course, watched him coming up on his way to his world titles so I was very aware of him, of course.

Then he told me something that I laugh about to this day, because being in the game like I am I knew exactly what he meant. Coming from a champion of his stature it means a lot. He said he liked watching me fight and then, after looking around to make sure the coast was clear and choosing his words kind of carefully, he leaned in close and said, “You didn’t fight like most white guys.” I still consider that one of my greatest compliments. 
 

• Byron Oglesby: In remembrance of a fallen soldier. Rest In Peace Vernon Forrest.       

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