George Foreman III, son of the former heavyweight world champion, has his second pro bout when he fights in Las Cruces, N.M., July 31. Foreman III, known as “Monk,” is in a four-round heavyweight bout against George Burrage in one of 10 boxing and mixed martial arts contests on the card co-promoted by Real Fights Inc. in the Pan American Center on the New Mexico State University campus.
Also on the card are undefeated and world-ranked super middleweight boxer Austin Trout against Marcos Primera; super bantamweight boxer Salvador Sanchez, nephew of the late featherweight world champion Salvador Sanchez, against Benito Abraham; and heavyweight boxer Arron Lyons against Charles Davis.
Foreman III made a successful pro debut June 6 in Kinder, La., when he stopped game but outclassed Clyde Weaver in the first round.
Despite having no amateur bouts, the 6-foot-5-inch, 237-pound Foreman III looked good in his debut.
He was understandably anxious in the opening moments of the bout, but then quickly settled in, throwing solid left jabs and effective combination rights. He also displayed impressing quickness for one so large.
The 26-year-old Foreman III has been training for almost two years, most recently with his father since graduating from Rice University in his hometown of Houston with a degree in business.
“I never wanted my kids to go into boxing,” said Foreman, the father. “But I told them once they got their college degree, they could do what they wanted. I just never thought it would be this.”
“Boxing’s always been on my mind,” said Foreman III, who turned pro after months of trying to secure an amateur bout.
It seems his size and name beat his all would-be opponents before they ever got into the ring. However, that won’t be the case now that he’s a pro.
“This is a journey,” said his father. “We’ll take it one step at a time. He’s got a tough road ahead of him. But I think he has the potential to do very well.”
The 33-year-old Burrage, from Meridian, Miss., has a record of 0-5.
The 23-year-old Trout, a highly regarded southpaw from Las Cruces, has a record of 18-0 with 13 knockouts. He’s ranked No. 13 by the World Boxing Association and won that organization’s Continental Americas championship by stopping Martin Avila in the fourth round March 14 in Mexico.
The 34-year-old Primera, originally from Venezuela and now living in Ashboro, N.C., has a record of 20-17-2 with 13 knockouts and has fought former World Boxing Council super middleweight and former WBC, WBA, International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization middleweight champion Jermain Taylor as well as former IBF welterweight champ Joshua Clottey.
Sanchez, who looks remarkably like his famous uncle, has a record of 12-3-2 with six knockouts and has won 10 of his past 11 bouts.
The 29-year-old Abraham, from Mexico, has a record of 9-16-4 with six knockouts and has taken on Glenn Donaire, who fought for the IBF junior flyweight and flyweight titles.
The 28-year-old Lyons, from Gulfport, Miss., has a record of 9-5 with seven knockouts.
The 38-year-old Davis, a southpaw from Tucson, Ariz., has a record of 17-17-2 with four knockouts and has fought former IBF cruiserweight champion Arthur Williams.
Other bouts include female mixed martial artist turned super featherweight boxer Jennifer Hahn and light heavyweight mixed martial artist Victor Ortiz.
Hahn, a champion mixed martial artist from Las Cruces, has a boxing record of 1-0.
Ortiz, from Mexico, has won several mixed martial arts titles.
The card starts at 7:30 p.m. (Mountain) with doors opening at 6:30. Tickets are priced at $23, $28, $38, $48 and $63 with all seats reserved. Tickets are available at the Pan American Center box office Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. or by calling 575-646-1420 during those days and hours, at all Ticketmaster outlets and at ticketmaster.com
The remainder of the contests as well as opponents for Hahn and Ortiz will be determined.