AL FOREMAN was a fighter who set his own rules. His real name was Albert Foreman but when he turned pro at 16 in 1921, he boxed under the name Bert Harris. After campaigning reasonably successfully with that name for a couple of years he upped sticks and worked his passage on a transatlantic liner to Canada. He was still only 18 years old when he decided that Canada and the States were the places he needed to be to really get on in the game. When he returned home nearly seven years later, he did so with a pair of Everlast gloves, an American style and a big reputation.
In March 1930, he had his first fight back in Britain at his old stomping ground, Premierland, just off the Commercial Road in the heart of London’s East End. His opponent that night, Roy Beresford of Burslem, took an immediate dislike to Al’s gloves and initially refused to get into the ring with him. BN reported that the gloves “certainly appeared the smallest set of 6oz mitts that we have ever seen, and they had a badge on the wrist very similar to the American firm of Everlast, the brand which causes more hurt than home products.”
Foreman, adopting an American crouch immediately, left hooked his way to a four round knockout victory. Al followed this up with clean knockouts over his next three opponents, all at Premierland. Douglas Parker fell in two rounds, Len Tiger Smith in nine and Harry Brooks in only 80 seconds. Like Beresford, Parker took some convincing before he accepted the use of the Everlast gloves and caused a hell of a stink about them in the dressing room before the fight.
The whole of the East End was now talking about Foreman and a match with the British lightweight champion, Fred Webster, became inevitable. Al decided that he would promote the contest himself and so he booked Premierland for May 21 and squared the arrangements himself with the champion. Ted Kid Lewis had also promoted at the venue some years beforehand, but Al’s venture must surely be the first time that a boxer promoted his own title fight. Few expected the bout to last long, for Fred could punch a bit himself, but no one expected it to be over in just over a minute. This time, the Board had supplied standard gloves and Foreman’s quick victory could not be put down to the use of his Everlast gloves.
Al was used to quick victories. In April 1928, he had knocked out Ruby Levine at Montreal with the first punch of the contest. For many years Al held the record for the quickest knockout at 11 seconds. He had done well in the States, beating men like Mike Ballerino and Johnny Dundee in around 60 contests, only losing seven.
After winning the British title he returned to Canada and beat Pete Zivic and Mickey Genaro, amongst others, before returning and defending his title with a six-round knockout over Bristol’s George Rose at Belle Vue, Manchester. After defending the title once more, a draw against Johnny Cuthbert in late 1930, Foreman was eventually stripped of his title in 1932, having not defended it after being ordered to. He didn’t hang around for long in the UK after that, this time journeying to Australia where earned some good money boxing in 15-rounders at Sydney and Melbourne. His career ended in 1934 when, after having a few fights back in Canada, he dropped a 10-round decision to Petey Sarron, a future world featherweight champion, in Washington DC.
During the second world war Foreman served with the Royal Canadian Air Force as an air-gunner and flew in many bombing missions over Germany. This brave, singular and very tough man, an orphan at four years old, died aged only 50 after suffering a heart attack in Montreal.
