Tuesday, February 25, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Ex-light heavyweight champ gives Jones little chance

Foster made similar move up in weight class

By KEVIN IOLE
REVIEW-JOURNAL

WBA heavyweight champion John Ruiz works out Monday in preparation for his fight against Roy Jones Jr. Photo by John Gurzinski.

There are many boxing experts who believe Bob Foster, not Billy Conn, Archie Moore, Ezzard Charles or even Roy Jones Jr., is the greatest light heavyweight champion of all time.

But Foster, a Hall of Famer and former deputy sheriff from Albuquerque, N.M., is perhaps best known for his forays into the heavyweight division. Foster so dominated the light heavyweights from the mid-1960s to the early '70s that his greatest challenges came against heavyweights.

He lost to heavyweight champions Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali, as well as heavyweight contenders Zora Folley, Ernie Terrell and Doug Jones.

Foster, who will be ringside Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center when Roy Jones attempts to move up from light heavyweight to wrest the WBA heavyweight title from John Ruiz, had a piece of advice for the undisputed champion during a national conference call Monday: Don't forget to duck.

Foster was knocked out in the second round by Frazier on Nov. 18, 1970, and was KO'd by Ali in the eighth on Nov. 21, 1972, in a nontitle fight.

What he learned in both of those fights is that size does matter and that Jones may be in for a difficult time Saturday. Jones is bidding to become the first man since Ruby Bob Fitzsimmons more than 100 years ago to have held a share of the middleweight title and then to go on to win a piece of the heavyweight crown.

"(Jones) is going to have to get him in the early rounds, because it takes a lot out of a light heavyweight fighting them big, old heavyweights," said Foster, who became a referee after his fighting days were done and once refereed a title match between Frazier and Jimmy Ellis in Australia. "He needs to get him in the second, third or fourth. After that, it will be too late. You have to get these big guys in the early rounds.

"Ruiz is a good heavyweight. He's not an Ali, but the last time I saw him, he puts a lot of pressure on you. That's what can take a lot out of Roy Jones, when he has a big guy putting a lot of pressure on him. There's nothing you can do about it. You can run but you can't hide."

Foster was tall for a light heavyweight at 6 feet 3 inches, equaling Ali and standing 4 inches taller than Frazier. But the sheer girth of the heavyweights and their ability to take his punches -- shots Foster said would have knocked the 175-pounders out -- ultimately was the difference.

That, he said, could spell doom for Jones.

"It takes a lot out of a smaller guy, especially when one of the guys is 220 (pounds) and the other is 175," Foster said. "It just takes a lot of the strength out of you, especially if you have to go 12 ... rounds."