by James Slater – 07.06.09 – Last night proved to be a good night for two heavyweights who are at very different stages of their respective careers, as twice-beaten contender Travis “Freight Train” Walker emerged victorious and in so doing remains a hopeful contender, and George Foreman III began his pro career with a win of his own. Both men won in the 1st round yesterday in Louisiana, and both Walker and Foreman stopped their opponent with shots to the body.
26-year-old “Monk” Foreman floored the 0-1 Clyde Weaver with a left hook to the chin, and then finished Weaver off at the 1-minute and 16-second mark of the opening round with a left hand to the body.
“Everything went just as planned,” Foreman is quoted as saying by The Houston Chronicle. “I’m so happy to make my debut here at Coushatta. This is such a beautiful place and I’m glad to be here. Thank you to the great people of Lake Charles and Houston for coming out to see me. I plan to be back in the ring as soon as possible.”
Not only was last night’s win the 240-pound Foreman’s pro debut, it was his first staged fight of any kind. With no amateur bouts at all, the 26-year-old will likely be moved pretty fast as he attempts to follow in the shoes of his all time great father. Looking very much like his dad did back in the 1970s, with his short hair and muscular physique, “Monk” sure looked the part. Trained by his father and Roscoe Hill III, Foreman is also sure to have plenty of eyes on him as he progresses.
29-year-old Travis Walker, meanwhile, made even shorter work of overmatched veteran Gary Butler, stopping him at just 53-seconds of round number one. Improving to 31-2-1(25), the man who is best known for putting unbeaten contender Chris Arreola down for the only time in “The Nightmare’s” career (before losing in the 3rd round of a good scrap), will now be hoping for another shot at a big name. His 46-year-old opponent last night fell to 13-32(8) – which does put the win in perspective.
The losses to Arreola and T.J Wilson aside (the Wilson loss avenged), Walker remains a decent enough heavyweight. With heavy hands and reasonable skills, “Freight Train” may well go on to achieve something still.
As for Foreman III, hopefully he will indeed be back in the ring in quick time.