Benny Leonard to Yuri Foreman, The Man Who Beat the Man

Yesterday, I posted a connection between Yuri Foreman and Benny Leonard through shared opponents. Starting with Foreman, I traced back common opponents until I reach Leonard. Today, starting with Leonard, I tried to see if I could get to Foreman a different way. The caveat for this exercise is that the fighter must have beaten the previous opponent and then lose to the next fighter.

After seven years out of the ring, Benny Leonard made a comeback. His final fight was a third round TKO loss against Jimmy McLarnin on October 7, 1932 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

On May 28, 1934, Jimmy McLarnin lost to Barney Ross by 15-round split decision at the Madison Square Garden Bowl in Queens, New York to relinquish the world welterweight championship. McLarnin won the rematch by split decision at the same venue four months later. Exactly a year after the first fight, at the Polo Grounds in New York, Ross won the title back in third fight by unanimous decision.

Barney Ross lost the welterweight world title to Henry Armstrong by brutal 15-round unanimous decision on May 31, 1938 at the Madison Square Garden Bowl. It would be Ross's last fight.

No longer champion, Henry Armstrong lost to John Thomas on July 4, 1944 by unanimous decision in a ten-rounder at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, California.

"Gentleman" John Thomas was stopped in the fourth round by Enrique Bolanos at the same venue on September 30, 1947. It was Thomas's last fight.

On January 4, 1952, Enrique Bolanos dropped a ten-rounder by unanimous decision to Chico Vejar. The fight took place at Madison Square Garden.

Chico Vejar lost to future Hall of Famer Luis Rodriguez on March 2, 1960 at the Auditorium in Miami Beach, Florida. Rodriguez won a ten-round unanimous decision.

In his second to last fight, Luis Rodriguez dropped a ten-round split decision to Mike Lankester on March 16, 1970 at the Seattle Center Arena, in Seattle, Washington.

On October 21, 1975, Mike Lankester lost by second round KO to 1972 Olympic gold medalist Sugar Ray Seales at the same venue. 

Sugar Ray Seales lost to Dwight Davison by tenth round TKO on May 23, 1980 at the Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan.

On April 4, 1986, Dwight Davison lost a six-rounder on points to Alphonso Bailey at Caesars Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Alphonso Bailey lost his final fight by TKO in the first round to Julio Cesar Vasquez on November 24, 1990 at Torrequebrada Hotel & Casino in Benalmadena Spain.

Julio Cesar Vasquez was disqualified in the sixth round of his fight against Verno Phillips on June 13, 1991 in Campo Universitario de Desportes in Santa Fe, Argentina.

On September 7, 2001, Verno Phillips dropped a unanimous decision in a ten-rounder at the Dakota Magic Casino in North Dakota.

Kassim Ouma, who has fought twice this year, lost a split decision in a ten-round affair against Saul Roman at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Cabazon, California on November 2, 2007.

On April 3, 2008 at the Aviator Sports Complex in Brooklyn, New York, Saul Roman lost a ten-rounder by unanimous decision to Yuri Foreman. Foreman retained his NABF super welterweight belt.
Saul Roman
Yuri Foreman