George Foreman III, AKA “Monk” Continues Low-Profile Career, Will Face Ryan Shay This Saturday

By James Slater – He’s inherited his legendary father’s looks and he may have inherited some of his awesome power and freakish physical strength, but we still have almost no idea if 29-year-old George Foreman III, AKA “Monk” can actually fight.

Having had absolutely no amateur career, things were always going to go slow for Foreman Junior in the first couple of years or so of his boxing career; especially with the ever-cautious Foreman Senior watching over his son’s wellbeing.. But “Monk” has now been boxing for almost three years and he has amassed a 15-0(14) pro record – shouldn’t the young Foreman have been in with at least a solid journeyman type by now?

The Foremans obviously feel there is no need to rush, as this Saturday’s fight with the oft-beaten, oft-stopped Ryan Shay proves. 29-year-old Shay, 5-13(4) has been stopped some eight times in his career and he has lost his last six; three of these recent defeats coming via 1st-round KO. Shay is a big enough guy at around 250-pounds (he has weighed as much as 294-pounds for a fight; this ringing an alarm bell for those people who have never seen Shay in the flesh – myself included), but he has just one win over a guy who had a winning record at the time.

Foreman III has already picked up nine 1st-round KO wins; I think number ten could be right around the corner. But what, if anything, is the 6’5” approx 250-pounder learning from the fights he’s having? Will Shay even come in in shape?

The fight, which will go down in North Dakota, is optimistically scheduled for eight-rounds. Unless he’s somehow acquired a chin since his stoppage defeats at the hands of Magomed Abdusalamov, Vincent Thompson and, last time out, Jason Pettaway (Shay has at least been in with some good, unbeaten fighters who can bang), Shay looks utterly doomed.

Foreman III last fought in February, scoring a 1st-round TKO. “Monk” has yet to be taken past the 6th-round.